Scientology Lies

Clearwater Scientologists, in their ongoing "let's-be-friends" effort, have agreed to update a 2-year-old downtown shopping guide. They produced the original one and provided copies to merchants for distribution throughout the downtown area.

This time they want somebody else to pick up the $6,000 to $8,000 printing bill. If downtown merchants feel the brochure is worth it, they have the right to pass the hat and pay for the printing.

Everybody knows that's not going to happen. Instead, Scientologists and others who feel the brochure is worthwhile want the Community Redevelopment Agency, which is the Clearwater City Commission wearing another hat, to pick up the tab.

"My initial reaction was there's no way I will support paying the Scientologists to do a brochure on downtown," Mayor Rita Garvey said last week. We trust that will continue to be the reaction of Garvey and her fellow commissioners.

It appears that the commission will be able to conveniently sidestep the matter because it is getting ready to create an advisory task force that will "develop and recommend a promotional program (for downtown)." Commissioners will recommend people for the task force at their Nov. 2 work session, and its job will be to figure out how to best spend $100,000 budgeted for "activities to promote the redevelopment of the downtown area." Printing a Scientology-produced brochure certainly should not be one of those activities. - North Pinellas Times