Date: 13 Jul 2003 13:07:11 -0000
Message-ID: <2TM3V2VQ37815.3383217593@anonymous.poster>
Subject: Update on SP building
Below is an excerpt from an email was forwarded to me regarding the the Super Power building.
> As you might know, our new Super Power Building is nearing
> its exterior completion. The next phase of construction is
> that of the interiors. This will be starting sooner than
> you can imagine. With this comes the need to step up our
> efforts in getting the rest of the funds collected to make
> Super Power a reality and we need team members to help
> make this happen. If you qualify you could become part
> of this team that made LRH's Solution a reality.
This email provides two bits of data. First, they are only now starting on the interior and second, they want more money.
The second bit of info is hardly surprising.
Back in March 2003, I posted the updated Cornerstone list.
This is the list of people that contribute to the SP building.
Here is an excerpt from that.
Start Excerpt:
Stats:
In Jan 2002, there were a total of 950 members on this list.
In April 2002, there were a total of 968 members on this list.
In Sept 2002, there were a total of 1019 members on this list
In March 2003, there were a total of 1063 members on this list.
The Income total in Jan 2002 was $ 67,100,000.00
The Income total in April 2002 was $ 69,475,000.00
The Income total in September 2002 was $72,070,000.00
The Income total in March of 2003 is $81,345,000.00
It should be noted that this figure does not include any of the lower level donors such as:
FLAG ALUMNI - Donation of $5,000.00
FLAG SUPPORTER - Donation of $1,000.00
There is also something called a SENIOR FLAG ALUMNI but it gives no donation price.
The $81,345,000.00 would be a low-ball estimate on how much the Cornerstone Club has actually raised for the Super Power building.
If you look over the list there are very few new names added.
It appears the C of S is just sucking the money out of those already on the list and making them upgrade to a higher status.
End excerpt
The URL on that post is http://tinyurl.com/gqoj
As of March 2003, my low ball estimate is 81 million and change. I would guess that more accurate amount is closer to 100 million.
Originally when the regging first started we were told that they only needed 53 million.
My guess is they have plenty of money to build this building do the interior, which believe me will be very plush as they will really want to impress everyone with how rich and successful Scientology is.
In the meantime, they will keep regging people, as that is what they do best.
-- Cerridwen
"Critical thinking demands we question the unproven, not that we meekly accept it." Diane Richardson
For News on Scientology go to: http://www.scientologywatch.org For Stats on Scientology go to:
http://www.truthaboutscientology.com/stats.htm
From: "Jeff Jacobsen" <cultxpt@ev1.net>
Subject: Re: Update on SP building
Date: Sun, 13 Jul 2003 16:14:56 -0000
Message-ID: <vh31c0474c2h12@corp.supernews.com>
X-User-Info: 171.75.4.222 171.75.4.222 cultxpt
Anonymous-Remailer@See.Comment.Header (Cerridwen) wrote:
> Below is an excerpt from an email was forwarded to me
> regarding the the Super Power building.
[snip]
Here is something I sent the city of Clearwater before the construction started:
SCIENTOLOGY AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
The Church of Scientology is again reviving its plan to build its "Super Power Building" at 215 S. Ft. Harrison in Clearwater Florida. The St. Petersburg Times article "Scientology plans mammoth complex" published June 25, 1997 states that "the mammoth building would be part of a complex featuring an 800-space parking garage and a 2,500-seat auditorium. A church official said Tuesday that construction is expected to begin this year. Although plans for the complex have been in the works since 1991, its scope is larger than previously thought. With an estimated 340,000 square feet of space, the office building alone would dwarf many of the larger office buildings in downtown Clearwater." This as-yet unstarted project was first announced in March of 1991. I wish to point out two aspects of this project that should be taken into consideration by both the city of Clearwater and potential contractors.
The first is the church's method and history of paying contractors, and the second is the church's history of missing deadlines in construction projects.
** HISTORY OF NONPAYMENT **
Attachment A is a list of lawsuits against the Church of Scientology (CSI) or one of its myriad affiliated corporations, such as Building Management Services (BMS). Attachment B is a list of liens against Scientology that I found on the internet at http://wpxx02.toxi.uni-wuerzburg.de/~brett/.
I don't know how frequently an "average" corporation the size of the Church of Scientology would be sued for nonpayment of its bills, or how long a list of liens would be, but the lawsuit list is what I found from a quick look at Riverside and Los Angeles county courthouses in California a few weeks ago. Attachment C is copies of 2 lawsuits in the above list.
** PAYMENT POLICY **
L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology, wrote policy letters that the church has bound into books (the "green volumes"). These are considered scripture by the church and cannot be cancelled, since only Hubbard himself could cancel policy. The "green volumes" are where financial management is discussed.
Hubbard wrote that the church was to use a "Dateline Paying" method of paying bills, which means a date in the past is selected according to how much money the department has, and then any bills due past that date are paid. "Tell Accounts, 'Give me every bill we owe prior to August (three months ago).' Add these up. Let's say the amount exceeds our cash. Cut it back one month.
Order 'Write cheques for every bill up to July 1.' (That's four months back.)
That we can cover fully with cash." (HCOPL of 28 January 1965, "How to Maintain Credit Standing & Solvency") If important bills are overdue and threats are coming in, "Still try to use the above system. But if you can't, pay it and retard other bills accordingly. And thereafter, don't pay that outfit's bill on any other terms than threatened trouble... Be very proud and haughty about bills. NEVER propitiate." (ibid.) "In the case of a tradesman demanding for a bill only slightly overdue you will usually find they have done poor work or slow work if you're at all solvent and paying your bills. Don't say 'We're too poor and we can only send you a little but we will try.' ... Say properly 'I don't see that your bill is much overdue. It takes a bit of time to pay a bill you know. I will check over your account and see if it is all right.
And by the way, people who dun us either have insufficient finance to handle our business or something is wrong with their bill. I am setting your bill aside for audit and if you call again about it, we will sever the account."
(HCOPL of 28 March 1965, "Emergencies and Accounts Personnel") "Disbursement NEVER pays from a received bill alone. All bills received are first filed in the Disbursement files. Then the file is reviewed as a whole when the time comes to pay bills. It is forbidden to short circuit this line and pay bills just as they drop into the In basket. They are filed. Then all files are reviewed once a month, summated and the result entered in a statement sheet in the file folder and on a Bills Summary Sheet.... when thereafter requested to do so, the Disbursement Section makes out the cheques as indicated or readies the cash." (HCOPL of 6 May 1964, "Accounts Policies"). It appears that bills must go through a lengthy bureaucratic paper shuffle before payment is finally made.
Also, the Church of Scientology is highly compartmentalized. Any bills are generally paid from the particular local department or section and not from some general fund for the entire church. Therefore, the church as a whole may be wealthy, but the local department may not have the funds to pay its bills. I am not sure of the system in such a situation, but my general opinion from reading church policy letters is that the local section must not ask for funds from above, they must instead go out and make the money needed.
** CONSTRUCTION DELAYS **
The City of Clearwater may get to look at construction material and equipment at the old Graymoss Inn site for quite a bit longer than they might imagine, if Scientology keeps up its tradition of missing construction completion dates.
Let's take the new movie studio in Hemet California, for example. First in 1991 it was announced that Scientology's Golden Era Studios in Hemet California "plans to build another studio within 18 months that will be at least five times the size of the current studio. The new studio will measure about 60,000 square feet."
-- Hemet News, July 7, 1991
The May 31, 1995 Hemet News had an article claiming that "After completion early next year, the studio will be open to the public on Sunday afternoons, [Muriel] Dufresne said." So that would be April of 1996 for completion. A few months ago Ms. Dufresne said on a local TV program that the studio would open in June. Then a few weeks ago she said it would be open in August. I was by that studio a few weeks ago and I'll be surprised if it opens then either. There has been no landscaping done, and the lake in front of the studio is simply a depression in the ground.
The golf course in Hemet at Golden Era is similar. A Hemet News article from October 16, 1991 says "the opening has been anticipated since a billboard was unveiled on the site in 1988 announcing the public courses would be 'opening soon.'" They opened November 21, 1991.
The Super Power building itself has a similar history. The March 20, 1991 issue of St. Petersburg Times talked about the project to be built at the Gray Moss Inn site at 215 S. Ft. Harrison, across from the Ft. Harrison Hotel.
"Construction could start in May" it says. An August 27, 1991 article in the St. Petersburg Times talks about the church's plan to build a $42 million "religious training center" at the Gray Moss Inn site.
The November 10, 1992 Clearwater edition of St. Petersburg Times talks about how the church is trying to raise the $40 million to complete the project.
The church claimed to have $7.4 million so far. "Although the site has been cleared, construction
has not started." The paper quotes a church flyer seeking donations which stated that the new building "would dramatically increase the speed of expansion for Scientology around the planet."
May 22, 1994, St. Petersburg Times stated in their story "Scientology puts dome on hold for other work" that the church had decided to upgrade other properties it had before working on the Super Power Building. "'It's not delayed and the timetables are not off,' said Mary Story, vice-president of the Clearwater-base Flag Services Organization. 'We've just changed our mind on how we're going to do it.'"
** CONCLUSION **
Any business or city involved with a construction project with the Church of Scientology or one of its many corporate entities would be wise to first review the church's written policies on how it is supposed to pay its bills, research Scientology's payment history, and consider Scientology's past record on large construction projects.
The above is a severely incomplete overview of the topic, designed solely to provide interest in the need to look closely at Scientology's record of construction and payment.
Jeff Jacobsen
June 27, 1998
From: martinottmann@yahoo.com (Martin Ottmann)
Subject: Re: Update on SP building
Date: 13 Jul 2003 15:36:08 -0700
Message-ID: <71d327bb.0307131409.692b6629@posting.google.com>
"Jeff Jacobsen" <cultxpt@ev1.net> wrote in message news:<vh31c0474c2h12@corp.supernews.com>...
> The Super Power building itself has a similar history. The March 20, 1991
> issue of St. Petersburg Times talked about the project to be built at the
> Gray Moss Inn site at 215 S. Ft. Harrison, across from the Ft. Harrison Hotel.
> "Construction could start in May" it says. An August 27, 1991 article in
> the St. Petersburg Times talks about the church's plan to build a $42 million
> "religious training center" at the Gray Moss Inn site.
>
> The November 10, 1992 Clearwater edition of St. Petersburg Times talks about
> how the church is trying to raise the $40 million to complete the project.
> The church claimed to have $7.4 million so far. "Although the site has been
> cleared, construction has not started."
The first financial estimate from 1991 for the complete construction ranged at around $ 35 million. The plan was to raise the money within one year and then construct the whole building within one or two years. At this time the project was completely under the wings of "Church of Scientology Religious Trust" (CSRT) and named thereafter.
Originally a modern glass building was planned to be built.
Sales tours were sent out and rich Scientologists were asked to donate a lot of money. In the beginnning representatives of CSRT briefed the FSO staff about their success of getting the money in. One day, for example, one CSRT staff told us about a sales talk they had had with Matt Feshbach at his California residence (She was especially very delighted about the interior of his luxury home.
In those days the whole project was given great emphasis by the Scientology management, as it was believed that the pure existence of the building would signify the major turining point towards a "cleared planet". Paul Hickok, then "Director of Registration FSO" during a sales staff meeting: "If the building stands, it would be a major blow to the SPs, because they would know that Scientology will succeed."
It was also believed, that the pure existence of the empty but posh building would attract more Scientologists to come to Clearwater and, per Hubbard policy, that the empty building would be automatically filled with happy Scientologists eager to do the courses and therefore would create additional and significant income.
One year later, in early 1992 reality did catch up with the Scientology management when the unrealistic sales quota hadn't continuously been met and the first bounced checks had arrived. One major donor, Karl-Erich Heilig, was already in deep legal trouble, and I assume that his money had to be re-paid to the tax office in Germany. Consequently, the senior executives of the Clearwater CSRT team were RPF'ed and a new team was put up under the new name: "Super Power Project". I left in July 1992 and the rest I only know from the brochures.