Please see the article on Tony Ortega’s website yesterday about the crazy Twitter war FL State Congressman Chris Latvala started — first with Tracey McManus of the Tampa Bay Times, then with Tony Ortega and subsequently with me.
I tweeted about this after Tony’ story was up, and the Congressman responded to me in a similar fashion:
As you can see my last offer is to meet with him to help provide the education he needs. I hope he takes me up.
He said he was unaware of the scientology connections to the books that were offered. Maybe that is the case, but if true and that was the entire story, why didn’t he simply say that, I thank Tracey for bringing it to his attention and drop it? Instead he came right out of the gate attacking her as a bigot, making disparaging statement about the Tampa Bay Times and playing the George Soros card?
Something is not making sense here. Why would any Clearwater politician attack the most prominent local reporter on all things scientology for uncovering a scientology connections to a suspicious offering?
I mention the list of “Safepoints.” Hubbard talked about this a lot in the context of operations in Clearwater (prior to this it was in the context of the Apollo before it moved ashore to Clearwater). In fact OSA is required to have a list of the “Opinion Leaders” in the community that are expected to bring under their “control.”
The two key policy letters by Hubbard on this subject are below. There are many other writings to OSA (and the GO before OSA) about this.
Chris Latvala’s behavior, labeling Tracey a bigot and attacking the Tampa Bay Times certainly have all the earmarks of a scientology safepoint.
The @ZeeMoo theory has a ring of truth: One wonders if the congressman has a C of S person “helping” him by using “PR technology” on his social media. It is all rather awkward and “huh?” #strangebedfellows #evenforpolitics
If parents do have to provide their name and email address, that may be murky to call the offer “free.” Any entity (including C of S) recognizes the enormous value of a prospect-customer database. If data is given voluntarily, that is an especially prized contact because they have “opted in.” The marketer cannot be accused (later) of “spam emailing” the person with various offers (to sell them paid services).
Darn interesting, including the blow-by-blow on Tony Ortega’s blog.
That was also my thought, that after a period of free access to a digital library and I guess some lessons which ends at the end of the year there would be solicitations. I suppose any company would do likewise.
Someone on Tony’s blog gave a link to the news article which summarizes the situation. The article says there is no Scn content in ABC Mouse and I guess Age Of Learning is a subdivision or something.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2021/02/23/company-offering-free-books-to-florida-kids-was-fined-10-million-for-deceptive-tactics/
If Age Of Learning can offer a “free trial” so to speak then other companies should be able to do likewise. The Scn connection might have gotten it through some legislative procedure.
I wasn’t that interested in all the details, but I decided to take another look and this paragraph from Tony mostly clarifies the situation.
[Fast forward to yesterday, when Tracey McManus had a new story about how the Florida Legislature had announced that the state would be receiving about 5,500 digital books for children from the California company Age of Learning, which runs the program for toddlers ABCMouse.]
Great that you have this article today, Mike!
Yesterday I wanted to write a comment about the practise of “safepointing” with this reference at the UB and explain it (again) but then discarded it. Now I just need to link to your article.
It is not easy to explain how effective and smooth the “safepointing” gets done by the trained and drilled PR/OSA personnel/agents. Also, when I was on the Freewinds, there were many occasions where I could observe this close up when it was applied to the locals.
The ‘Black PR’-handling and PTS/SP ‘tech’ are also a big part of the “safepointing” and the handling of the person, who is mostly not aware how — or that at all — he gets handled.
It seems the context of “the blind leading the blind” has expanded. Problem with politicians is that they never lead by example. I would be amazed if he met with you Mike.
If Representative Chris Latvala became aware of the connection to the cult, and if he takes Mike up on his offer, hopefully just the simple fact that according to LRH children are just adults in small bodies should be enough to make him disconnect himself from this offer to provide anything to children.
Giving him the benefit of the doubt I get that he most likely considered it a nice offer, I just don’t understand why someone in such an important position as he is in doesn’t start by vetting who the offer is coming from. Politicians are prime targets to have their names used to try to legitimize organizations such as scientology.
Just remembered something I once read:
Trust but verify.
Seems like good advice.
One more thought. I wish more journalists had the ethics of Tracey McManus, Tony Ortega, and Jeffrey Augustine.
Peggy. This universe is well above the cult or politicians. Both are temporary things.
A short Google search reveals that Scientology history, both in Clearwater and worldwide, is full of deception, criminal and immoral behavior.
It’s not that there are a few isolated instances.
It’s part of the core make up of the organization.
This, and many other reasons are what makes it a cult.
Any connection to Scientology is newsworthy as it exposes a possible corruption.
Who wants to be associated with that kind of group?
In the Tampa Bay News article it is stated that ABCMouse does not promote Scn. If people find it useful so what if the company is owned by a Scientologist, a Mormon, a Jehovah Witness or anyone else? It’s still a free country for the time being.
Well that’s true.
And you can choose to give money as you see fit. If you don’t want your money ending up in the scientology slush fund to destroy its critics then don’t buy anything ABC Mouse is selling.
That is why the religious affiliation is relevant.
“In this bubble, people can choose to give money as they see fit. Just so long as they give all they have, plus all they can borrow, plus all they can beg, plus all they can steal.”
As a bonus, the scam likes them to sell all their clothing and other personal possessions and give the proceeds to Big Dave. After all, of what use is clothing when people will be living on the Wonder Planet sitting beside the Great Lord and The Poop of Scamology?
Why, clothes will be of no use at all. So it is best to sell them and give the proceeds to Big Dave so he can buy another $1,000 pair of socks. After all, he needs those socks if he is to be dressed better than anyone else in the room and he needs to be dressed better than anyone else in the room if he is to be taken seriously. Hubbardese tech bullshit is not enough.
Another item relevant to safepointing and mainstreaming Scientology.
This past weekend, Scientology front-group Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) again delivered a continuing education course on the Baker Act in Florida. “The virtual continuing education course is designed for Licensed Mental Health Counselors, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Licensed Marriage Family Therapists and Certified Master Social Workers and offers 3 CE credits for completion of this course.” See:
Tampa Free Press: Mental Health Watchdog Hosts Baker Act Continuing Education Course, Campaign to Protect Citizens From Abuse
February 25, 2021
https://www.tampafp.com/mental-health-watchdog-hosts-baker-act-continuing-education-course-campaign-to-protect-citizens-from-abuse/
* * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * * *
Spurred into action by these stories and thousands of calls received from victims of Baker Act abuse, the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), a mental health watchdog, decided to begin offering continuing education on the law. After first receiving approval to host continuing education through the Florida Bar on the Baker Act for attorneys, the move to become a provider through the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling was a logical next step.
This past weekend, CCHR held a complimentary course delivered by attorney Carmen Miller, a former assistant public defender in the Thirteenth Circuit in Tampa, with an extensive background in dealing with Baker Acts. Those in attendance learned the context and intentions of the mental health law as well as the basic human rights impacted by the Baker Act and its unintended consequences.
* * * * * END EXCERPT * * * * *
I created a thread on ESMBR about this when it first came to my attention in November 2020:
CCHR Hosts Continuing Education Course on the Florida Mental Health Law
https://exscn2.net/threads/cchr-hosts-continuing-education-course-on-the-florida-mental-health-law.2202/
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If I was a betting man, I would not bet on the politician getting it right. He has been coaxed by the honey and fragrance of flattery from those flattering cult members. It reminds me of the serpent in The Jungle Book singing “Trust In Me.” If I recall that flattery was worth several thousands in donations by me, unfortunately. If the idiot took the time he might get it right, but doubtful. Until then he is a useful idiot to them.
He should have taken the lead from Karen Bass. They are now saying that she was not on the short list. Maybe she wasn’t, maybe she was and they didn’t want the bad choice to show poorly on them.
The bad scientology press that she got might have woken a few politicians up, just not this guy!!
Mr. Latvala, it’s extraordinary to me that you would attack a journalist for doing their job in informing the public and elected officials of important matters pertaining to their city or state.
What is even more extraordinary is that you would double down on your antagonism against members of the press despite alleging (and I’m struggling not to put that in scare quotes) that you had no idea of the $10 million deception fine levied against @AgeofLearning which runs education for toddlers program @ABCmouse
So…now you know. Will an apology for your rudeness be forthcoming? Don’t make me hold my breath – I’m too young to die!
OK, I’m off to tweet that to him. Thanks for giving me a space to practise, Mike 😛
Scientology denies the validity of the United States laws and Constitution. Everyone who takes the oaths of of office and enlistment (including LRH himself) automatically becomes an opponent of Scientology. Anyone who serves as a safe point breaks their respective oaths.
There’s something going on here besides a flap about books. Chris Latvala’s tweets sound too much like a $cientology attack on people, rather than a politician clarifying his stance.
His social media accounts may be being managed by some $cieno. Either that guy is a trained, TRs in clam, or one is running his office. Or maybe he is just an asshole. It is often difficult to decide between the two.
This gentleman if it is as he says he should inquire more thoroughly about scn or accept the offer that Mike made him.
Here in Italy many politicians have been contacted and involved by scn without knowing it. They use different front groups or hide behind non-profit organizations of some kind.
In doing so, they entered many schools. It is obvious that when the parents learned that there was scn behind it, they got a little pissed off.
It is a bit of a long story but it would be nice to share it one day as it also includes the story of Daniele Nardi, a famous mountaineer who died on Nanga Parbat in 2019, who always carried and promoted the flag of a scn front group (I think youth for human rights) with him on his climbs.
Unfortunately (nobody knows why) he tried to climb the north face of the mountain in the middle of winter regardless of how many warned him that it was very dangerous.
Why? I asked the same question after making the mistake of sending my kids for a brief period to a Southern Baptist grammar school. It was very obvious. Southern Baptists are in a very, very deep cult. I explored their personalities and beliefs after the students pelted my six year old son with water ballons and taunted him. If you do not accept the Occult aspects of the Bible, you are sent to hell. This is why I think there should not be any tax exemptions for any religion. This Congressman is a member of a cult. He does not understand that Hubbard hated Christ and thought Jesus a pedophile. Cult members like Scientology and Baptists want to ride on my tax dollars. Enough. This exchange is very a-typical. Southern Baptists were always in the closet. This one is bold and attack dog oriented. I am writing to Vern Buchanan my Congressman who will do nothing on this issue. Enough. Enough Enough!
Chris Latvala is an OT VIII Southern Baptist. He is aggressive and is acting just like I did in 1988 when I got off the Freewinds. A cult is a cult. Chris has cult like behavior. He needs to defend Scientology because it is declared a religion. His great fear is that his cult of Southern Baptists will be exposed as the Occult cult that they are. The sad part is that when these people are eventually surrounded they will attack and make the Spanish Inquisition look like child’s play. These people like Chris are dangerous. Education is not the solution.
Hubbard predicted that the Marcabs would invade earth and give Christians a booster bolt to their electronic implant on their religion. Hubbard was wrong obviously because what is happening now is different. At present the cult aspects of Scientology are permeating Southern Baptists. I think Jon Atack made the comment on his tape. He suggested that the cult technology of Scientology after 40 years was taking hold in the Christian population of the United States. It seems true because there is more in the news about extremists. Thousands of cult Christians are likely to come out of the closet and rush into the streets for demonstrations. The cult aspects create a boldness based on mind theory.
booster bolt to the implant – laughter
If you understand how the cult mind works, as most exes do, then you have a pretty good understanding of the rest of the s**t going on. Take a win.
It would actually be thousands of Trump cultists rushing into the streets, or so MSM and Big Tech would proclaim. They must be suppressed!
Happy 75th Richard whenever.
Probably since humans started thinking many have addressed supernatural agencies. Some take it to the extreme and some things never change.
I believe Mr. Hubbard mentions this. (joke)
Scientology should come with a warning label. If he has kids he better hope they don’t wander into one of their front groups.
I hope Chris speaks with Mike. Or how about listen to my podcast and get some actual and factual experiences from a child (who loves books)forced into this cult with no choice.
Speaking of loving books, my first book is Have You Lived Before This Life and i read it cover to cover WHEN I WAS 8 or 9. I talk about this in my podcast.
Chris: Search Four Decades In Scientology podcast on your next drive somewhere in the privacy of your car.
Please get educated by reality and truth. Not the “church” PR bs.
Hey Chris! Yes the big RICH Church of Scientology is in Clearwater, but they truly can only provide you about 100 votes. However, being affiliated with that vile group can lose you thousands. Take Mike up on his offer and get educated, with REAL books and true information.
He definitely lost one from me.
Mary speaks sooth!