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[SocialTransparency]

Woodson Galloways letter to Nancy Leathers. Page 5 July 2009

 If i may be so bold as to expand on the last paragraph within this letter from Mr Galloway to Ms Leathers.

"In any case,you did not state what "potentially adverse influences" the Church of Scientology might have or in what way proposed conditions would "Promote the public health,safety or general welfare"


 Well Mr Woodson Galloway, I,having worked for both Scientology and its front group know as Narconon would like to get you up to speed regarding your client from the prospective of someone whom has seen and worked inside this organization.

 I worked as a WOG in scientology speak(Look the term up) on a film for the Church of Scientology in Chilocco Oklahoma @ their scientology/Narconon center which is now CLOSED. Maybe the fine people of Sandy Springs Ga would like to contact the city fathers of Chilocco Oklahoma as to why this facility is closed. It would open many a citizens eyes to the inner workings of this group.

 While working at this facility we faked classrooms,course rooms and auditing sessions. Also technical school capabilities in order to make the client (Scientology look palatable to the general public).

 I also worked within the Scientology compound in Hemet California. Home of Scientology's propaganda arm known as Golden era productions. What i was witness to there will forever be burned into my memory. Having completed my work in Hemet California, i worked @ both scientology's Flag services and scientology's Fort Harrison Hotel, which are both located in downtown Clearwater Florida.

 If you are not aware of this at this present time Mr Galloway, maybe you need to see what has happened to downtown Clearwater since scientology's arrival. The immediate area of this once thriving downtown area is now a jumble of urban decay with a no mans land of closed businesses, for sale and abandoned properties. No one wants to move into this area. Scientology takes from a community. Drains resources from the local government. Scientology does NOT add to the health or moral fabric of the community. Scientology only cares what benefits its organization. Not what is right and just for the rest of the local population.

 Take it from someone who has seen the inside of this so-called religion Mr. Galloway. The work YOU do for this organization WILL impact the local citizenry on both an economic and social level. Government officials may not legally speak out about this organization in the fashion i do. That is both legal and correct. Yet i for one will not pander to that which i feel is both unhealthy for the community and does not add to the fabric of said community! The approval of this group to ply its trade in Sandy Springs will cause a socioeconomic vacuum in the immediate area. A slow slide in both business and property values. The city of Sandy Springs will forever be burdened with revisiting issues related to this organization far into the future. At the tax payers expense.

[Stutroup]

Thanks for posting this, ST.  There is a lot that cannot be addressed in the City council meetings that the public still needs to know about regarding the general harm Scientology causes the world.

[mefree]

And so the religious discrimination card is played. No surprises there!

The sad thing about this entire ideal org situation is that it appears to be just another scam for its members:

http://askthescientologist.blogspot.com/2009/04/scientologists-have-you-been-scammed.html

"Just Bill" has some interesting observations about this scam.

If you made any donations to the "Ideal Org" Campaign, then yes, you got scammed.

You thought your local church would end up owning their own building and never pay rent again. This is not true. If your local church ever buys a building, the building's ownership will be transferred immediately to "International Landlord". The building and all the expensive renovations done to it are all the sole possession of International Management.

And that "never pay rent again"? Well, if Miscavige has funded any of the purchase or the renovations, then there will be rent due every month. Even though Miscavige's money originally came from Scientologists, maybe even you, he still will insist on charging rent.

And the chances of the new building solving your local church's problems? Slim to none. Since your local church wasn't hurting for space, and since the old quarters weren't that bad looking, a new building simply isn't the solution. But it is a very expensive, wrong solution.

What was important? Getting millions and millions of dollars from Scientologists for real estate going to International Management? Oh, yes! Solving the local church's actual problems? No, not so much.

Yes, you got scammed.

In the comments section, this was added:

There has been some discussion elsewhere about the ownership of the new buildings. It has been alleged that the ownership does not transfer to "International Landlord".

Yes it does. To understand how this works, you must understand the very complex and convoluted way that the corporation of Scientology works. There is, of course, what is publicly visible, which is fairly straightforward, and then there is the behind-the-curtain stuff.

You might, in actual fact, see, in public documents, that the local church, or some other "local" entity is listed as the owner. This is done when there are legal or tax requirements that this is so.

If this is so, then behind the curtain there will be legally signed, often undated, documents ensuring that International Management (or its puppet) is given full ownership and control of the property. Period.

In addition, internal Church of Scientology policies ensure that de-facto control always resides fully and only with International Management.

No local church could, for instance, sell their property without approval. On the other hand, International Management could sell the local church's building out from under them at any time.

Yes, that is the way it is.

[ethercat]

And so the religious discrimination card is played. No surprises there!

No, no surprises.  Galloway suggested that he would play that card in the second meeting, when he told the staff about RLUIPA. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_Land_Use_and_Institutionalized_Persons_Act

Zoning and land use

Cutter v. Wilkinson concerns the prisoner portion of RLUIPA only. The court explicitly declined to extend the ruling to zoning cases. The Court has yet to hear and rule on the zoning section of the Act.

Section (a) of RLUIPA provides:

   1. General rule. No government shall impose or implement a land use regulation in a manner that imposes a substantial burden on the religious exercise of a person, including a religious assembly or institution, unless the government can demonstrate that imposition of the burden on that person, assembly or institution
         1. is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest; and
         2. is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest.
   2. Scope of Application. This subsection applies in any case in which--
         1. the substantial burden is imposed in a program or activity that receives Federal financial assistance, even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability; or
         2. the substantial burden affects, or removal of that substantial burden would affect, commerce with foreign nations, among the several States, or with Indian tribes, even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability; or
         3. the substantial burden is imposed in the implementation of a land use regulation or system of land use regulations, under which a government makes, or has in place formal or informal procedures or practices that permit the government to make, individualized assessments of the proposed uses for the property involved.

Currently being litigated is the conflict RLUIPA presents relating to municipalities' zoning and regulating rights. Through RLUIPA, Congress has expanded religious accommodations to a point where it appears to restrict municipalities' zoning power. Arguably, RLUIPA gives religious landowners a special right to challenge land use laws which their secular neighbors do not have. Even if a zoning law is void of discrimination Congress would have strict scrutiny apply to the city's regulation.

The "Court" referred to is the Supreme Court of the United States. 

I would say that for items 1 and 2 in the "1. General Rule" section:

         1. is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest; and
         2. is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest.

In a country governed by the democratic process, there is, and can be, no more of a compelling governmental interest  than for that government to adhere to the stated and demonstrated choice of its people.

And the people of Sandy Springs have spoken - they do not want what the "Church" of Scientology brings with it, whether it be traffic or parking problems, an eyesore to the neighborhood, or the other issues people have with the actions and abuses of the "Church" of Scientology.  They do not want the Church of Scientology at 5395 Roswell Rd. in Sandy Springs.

We, as citizens, have become too accustomed to, and passive about, the government telling us what to do whether it's in our best interests or not, instead of us telling the government what to do - which is why this country was founded!

But the Supreme Court hasn't ruled on the Zoning clause of RLUIPA.  How interesting to find that out!  It could go either way I suppose, but would also result in a L-O-N-G court battle; no wonder SS is reluctant to have Galloway invoke it, but at some point, people have to quit playing it safe and stand up for what they believe is right. 

There has been some discussion elsewhere about the ownership of the new buildings. It has been alleged that the ownership does not transfer to "International Landlord".

Yes it does. To understand how this works, you must understand the very complex and convoluted way that the corporation of Scientology works. There is, of course, what is publicly visible, which is fairly straightforward, and then there is the behind-the-curtain stuff.

You might, in actual fact, see, in public documents, that the local church, or some other "local" entity is listed as the owner. This is done when there are legal or tax requirements that this is so.

If this is so, then behind the curtain there will be legally signed, often undated, documents ensuring that International Management (or its puppet) is given full ownership and control of the property. Period.

In addition, internal Church of Scientology policies ensure that de-facto control always resides fully and only with International Management.

No local church could, for instance, sell their property without approval. On the other hand, International Management could sell the local church's building out from under them at any time.

Yes, that is the way it is.

Well, that would explain why the building is listed with the State of Georgia as being owned by Church of Scientology of Georgia.  I have heard of these signed and undated contracts in scientology before, but with regard to something else...   oh, yes, it was signed and undated resignation letters:

http://www.lermanet.com/cos/1stprince.htm

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&num=100&q=scientology+signed+%22undated+resignation%22&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

It also supports this idea that the initial rezoning application papers refer to CSI (Church of Scientology International) instead of Church of Scientology of Georgia.

It will be interesting at some time in the future to find out what the truth is about the ownership of the building.  Either way, I feel for the members who paid for this building, some with their retirement funds, mortgages on their homes, investments, and taking out loans they can't repay (which, in the end, costs all of us, as we're seeing with the collapse of the credit-driven economy).  I feel for them even if they don't consider that  they were taken for a ride right now.  I fear they will feel that way later.

They sell you a bridge and their logo is a double-cross - what more evidence do you need that L. Ron Hubbard was one of the biggest trolls of all time?

[SocialTransparency]

So. Who in fact is the DEED holder to the property on roswell road? Is it a local entity or an out of state entity?

[ethercat]

I also worked within the Scientology compound in Hemet California. Home of Scientology's propaganda arm known as Golden era productions. What i was witness to there will forever be burned into my memory. Having completed my work in Hemet California, i worked @ both scientology's Flag services and scientology's Fort Harrison Hotel, which are both located in downtown Clearwater Florida.

Here is a map of the compound in Hemet, California, also referred to as Gold Base, Golden Era Studios, and INT Base:
http://www.portlandmercury.com/extras/pdf/feature/base-map.pdf

If you are not aware of this at this present time Mr Galloway, maybe you need to see what has happened to downtown Clearwater since scientology's arrival. The immediate area of this once thriving downtown area is now a jumble of urban decay with a no mans land of closed businesses, for sale and abandoned properties. No one wants to move into this area. Scientology takes from a community. Drains resources from the local government. Scientology does NOT add to the health or moral fabric of the community. Scientology only cares what benefits its organization. Not what is right and just for the rest of the local population.

Downtown Clearwater in 2005:
http://buttersquash.net/archives/ybor6.htm