Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath 2

[Tim-Tom Biblethumper]

4 hours ago, quiversR4hunting said:

I don't understand why the IRS and the state of California and Florida can't do an investigation to the payroll books and see that kids are being worked all hours with little to no pay. 

The church classifies their Sea Org workers as "volunteers".  The church also provides meals, uniforms, and berthing (such that it is), and that's how they get away with paying them a pittance.

 

4 hours ago, quiversR4hunting said:

Who is the blonde curly hair lady that just blew in the last 2 years? She maybe the only hope to get into Gold with the FBI. 

I still haven't watched the show, but could that be Valerie Haney?

[quiversR4hunting]

2 hours ago, Tim-Tom Biblethumper said:

The church classifies their Sea Org workers as "volunteers".  The church also provides meals, uniforms, and berthing (such that it is), and that's how they get away with paying them a pittance.

 

I still haven't watched the show, but could that be Valerie Haney?

1st part, then housing code needs to go after them  and this another reason we need better schooling laws. Because these people are not being educated, besides in all things RLH and Miscavige. 

yes! Valerie Haney. Now for the older man, after you watch it. Thank you so much. 

[SilverBeach]

David Miscavage is a psychopathic little twit with a Napoleon complex. I wish one of those men had knocked him out cold when he hit them. Mike Rinder said the executives believe they deserve his abuse, which is why they don't fight back. Huh? Miscavage orchestrated his takeover of CO$, he was not the rightful heir. All those phony CO$ responses, everybody who has ever left and criticized them is a liar. Everybody, without exception. Yeah, right. Physical abuse, financial abuse, family disconnection...what good could possibly come out of joining this fake church? The IRS should be ashamed of itself for giving tax exempt status to a self-help organization that may indeed worship L. Ron Hubbard but is in no way a church. It's a cult and should be investigated by law enforcement like any other abusive organization. $cientology has so much money that it is able to  buy off the authorities though. I have mad respect for Leah Remini for blowing the whistle on this mess. 

3 hours ago, Tim-Tom Biblethumper said:

I still haven't watched the show, but could that be Valerie Haney?

Yes, that's her.

[Tim-Tom Biblethumper]

52 minutes ago, quiversR4hunting said:

1st part, then housing code needs to go after them   

Exactly!  But it's just the opposite.  Around 10 years ago the church was actually able to get a variance in the city code to allow 12 people to a 2 bedroom apartment.

Their reasoning was that the parishioners don't actually "live" in their apartments, they just use them to sleep.
They got their variance (of course).

I can't prove it (no one can), but I have no doubt that the city commissioners and the police departments in Clearwater and LA are in the pocket of the church.  They regularly block public sidewalks downtown and the police will come and back them up.

 

[Rhonda]

I just watched it. It blows me away the FBI wont do anything.

People who have family in the church need to start filing missing persons reports. People who have escaped need to press charges for whatever they can. Police and FBI need to bug the Fuck out of them. It is just shocking to me that so much has been exposed and it is still being allowed to go on. 

On another note, my brother is in the tv biz. When he was home for Christmas we were flipping channels and the show was on. I asked him if he had watched any of it and he said no, but he had been meaning to because they had been coming into the studio to film stuff. 

I was like..who Remini? And he said no CO$ and I was like WHAT? What are they filming, are you working on stuff for them???????

He said they just rent the studio. He doesn't  know what they are filming, they bring their own crew and they go in the studio and lock the door. 

So I made him watch the first couple episodes of season one and told him to stay the hell away from them. Lol

 

[Tim-Tom Biblethumper]

@AuntKrazy & @quiversR4hunting  The older guy that was featured on the show was Jefferson (Jeff) Hawkins.  And the blurred out dude in the photo - I have no idea, but am curious now.

[Beermeet]

I feel like I'm always saying this in some way:  This is another thing wrong with the system.  They are out there arresting potheads and traffic violators while a whole cult is tax exempt and doing really bad shit up to kidnapping and murder.  Money talks, I guess, because $cientology and the FLDS get to exist unchecked and unchallenged. I'm sure there is a hefty dash of good ol' boy sorts involved. It's pretty sick how the US allows that crap and soooo much more. I have little faith in the system.  The cops will be there most likely if you roll a stop sign but calls about the Co$ are no biggie? F that. Broken $ystem. 

ETA: Leah is my girl! Half Sicilian, half Jewish from Brooklyn.  Of course she came to her senses. Those mom hormones/clarity/intuition kicked all the way in. Good for her.  Yeah, I'm claiming her, I know her!  All my NY Italian/Jewish/Irish friends and family females are fierce as all hell. Motherhood usually kicks in the badass. I'm having a moment! My girl ❤❤❤  

Edited January 17, 2019 by Beermeet

[nomoxian]

13 hours ago, Tim-Tom Biblethumper said:

As far as helping escapees, once in a while there will be a wave of billboards close to main roads leading to FLAG that will have phone number to call if you need help to get out.  But if the church even has an inkling that you're entertaining the idea of leaving, they don't leave you alone for even a moment.

Maybe that's one of the reasons why people "on base" need to call an internal operator before having *that* person call out and then transfer the call over.

[Penny]

I have been in tears watching the last couple of shows.  I wonder who will take over when Miscavige dies. Is it bad to wish he has a heart attack and goes into a coma?

[quiversR4hunting]

You left us hanging, @Rhonda! what did your brother think? 

And if they have all the studio space at Gold why do they need to rent studio space? This just brings up more questions! 

@Tim-Tom Biblethumper thanks for the info. Anyone interested- he also has a book: http://counterfeitdreams.com/ and a blog: https://leavingscientology.wordpress.com/ 

So what happened in 2005 with CO$? many of the ones featured with Leah left around that year. 

Edited January 17, 2019 by quiversR4hunting
fixing tags

[Palimpsest]

17 hours ago, Tim-Tom Biblethumper said:

remember years ago (pre-Leah) Tony O. did an article about Gold with some great aerial pics with labels.  I just went to look and can't find it now. 

Perhaps this one: https://tonyortega.org/wp-content/cache/all/2016/09/07/scientologys-secret-sites-the-bunker-premieres-drone-footage-never-before-seen-of-int-base/index.html

And there are a couple of other videos on youtube of Gold Base by the same drone:

I wasn't surprised by the content of this Gold Base episode. Must have read too much Tony Ortega and too many books by people who blew.

It is ultra creepy.

 

[AuntKrazy]

I also found some statements from 2010 of ex-Scientologists, including Jeff Hawkins giving speeches about their experiences on YouTube:

 

 

[scribble]

My first thought was that the blurred out guy might have been a minor (at least when the picture was taken.)

[Rhonda]

8 hours ago, quiversR4hunting said:

You left us hanging, @Rhonda! what did your brother think? 

And if they have all the studio space at Gold why do they need to rent studio space? This just brings up more questions! 

@Tim-Tom Biblethumper thanks for the info. Anyone interested- he also has a book: http://counterfeitdreams.com/ and a blog: https://leavingscientology.wordpress.com/ 

So what happened in 2005 with CO$? many of the ones featured with Leah left around that year. 

Oh sorry! He did not really say much other than, that is nuts. He has no idea how deep the whole thing goes. I'll have to ask him if he has watched anymore of the show.

As far as the studio space I wondered the same thing. They have all this money and a whole production crew, however I believe that is in California? The studio space they rented where my brother works is in DC. They did have a crew, but they must not have had an in house location to shoot whatever it was they needed. No one outside of CO$ was allowed in the studio when they were using it.

[Palimpsest]

12 hours ago, quiversR4hunting said:

So what happened in 2005 with CO$? many of the ones featured with Leah left around that year. 

The Lisa McPherson settlement https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_McPherson sent Miscavige completely off the rails.  Not that he was on them before.

That is why so many of the top execs were imprisoned in the Hole from 2004 on - and many later blew.

How Miscavige took over $cientology is one of the many mysteries of life.  He is such a weedy looking specimen - but loud, vicious, and nuts.  Completely nuts. 

And yet, he took control at a very young age and continues to rule by rage and indoctrination.

[nomoxian]

As for the blurred out face, I'm not sure who it is.

Thought it might be Greg Wilhere, but based on the height of the blurred out head in the video related to the people here it does not seem to be him. Note that Miscavage tends to stand on a platform, but he is short. Guillaume is short, but shorter than all the others, so he is paired up with The Leader to make him seem less short overall.

The blurred out guy is a bit shorter than Norman Starkey, and Miscavages head reaches Starkeys eye level, so they're about the same height (5'2)

[Ozlsn]

18 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

How Miscavige took over $cientology is one of the many mysteries of life.  He is such a weedy looking specimen - but loud, vicious, and nuts.  Completely nuts. 

And ruthless. I suspect Miscavige would have done well in the KGB too, although having a leader with sole power that he was able to isolate made staging a coup after Hubbard's death a lot easier than going through the ranks. I suspect Putin and Miscavige are not dissimilar personalities - although in a smackdown my money would be on Putin (small height advantage (5'7" vs 5' 3"), much more combat training, both close contact, armed and unarmed. Also more experience at schmoozing for political gain.)

[quiversR4hunting]

Get ready! Leah is on in 15 minutes! 

Watching "Finding your roots" Lisa Ling is featured right now - very cool

[quiversR4hunting]

Tonight's episode was, again, very good. It was all about Clearwater. Next week will be more about the city. 

[SilverBeach]

$cientology is scary as hell. How do they maintain tax-exempt status when their resources are spent on buying real estate and lawsuits? What benefit to society do they offer that justifies being tax exempt?

It's weird seeing a young Mike Rinder on the other side.

Looking forward to next weeks' episode.

[quiversR4hunting]

10 hours ago, SilverBeach said:

$cientology is scary as hell. How do they maintain tax-exempt status when their resources are spent on buying real estate and lawsuits? What benefit to society do they offer that justifies being tax exempt?

It's weird seeing a young Mike Rinder on the other side.

Looking forward to next weeks' episode.

and Clearwater is a ghost town! Now I want to go and see how ghostly it really is in real time!

What I don't get is the people at Clearwater or the other big centers, why don't they ever question that the buildings are near empty or the same people are there day in and day out and no new recruits (or minimal) are every brought in.  Have they really turned their brain off that far? What's it called when someone double downs on a belief instead of admitting they are wrong? 

[DaisyD]

10 hours ago, SilverBeach said:

$cientology is scary as hell. How do they maintain tax-exempt status when their resources are spent on buying real estate and lawsuits? What benefit to society do they offer that justifies being tax exempt?

It's weird seeing a young Mike Rinder on the other side.

Looking forward to next weeks' episode.

Look up Operation Snow White. Basically they were such a huge pain in the ass, even suing individual IRS employees that the IRS caved.

[quiversR4hunting]

59 minutes ago, DaisyD said:

Look up Operation Snow White. Basically they were such a huge pain in the ass, even suing individual IRS employees that the IRS caved.

The teaser makes it appear they have gotten a hold of the police department too. From last night's episode and the preview to next week, it is like the city of Clearwater is being held hostage by CO$. Next week will be interesting. 

[AuntKrazy]

It's appalling how they have taken over the city.  The lengths someone had to go to to have someone execute a felony warrant was profoundly disturbing.  If she had not had a relationship with the courts and had just been an ordinary citizen, then it appeared that Clearwater PD will allow felony actions against non-scientologist by Scientology.  It seems the same in LA with the Danny Masterton case.  Talk about committing crimes!

I really need to buy Tony Ortega's book about Paulette Cooper.  The little snippet from the court made us more than a little  curious about the details of the case(s).

[Tim-Tom Biblethumper]

Oh lort!  Do I even want to watch last night's episode?  I DVR'd again.  This is my life, and I was in this county long before they were!  I do appreciate that nationally people are getting as angry as we've been here for decades.  After so long, you just feel defeated.  I've made up my mind to move when I'm able.

@Palimpsest  A belated thank you for finding the drone footage that I could not.
My Mom became a hospice patient last week and I've been busy to say the least and missing FJ.    

@quiversR4hunting  If you ever make it here and want a tour, let me know!  Or anyone else for that matter.  I'll even show you Kirstie's house & grocery store she shops at.    

Edited January 24, 2019 by Tim-Tom Biblethumper
I've got my days mixed up