Property Purchases by Scientology Members in Florida City Worry Some Local Leaders

A recent investigation by the Tampa Bay Times revealed that in the last three years, members of the Church of Scientology have purchased $103 million worth of commercial property and land in downtown Clearwater, Florida, around the organization’s spiritual headquarters. With that knowledge, some local leaders are raising concerns about the city’s plan to invest $64 million in a downtown waterfront revitalization initiative. Mayor George Cretekos said he fears that local residents might not end up being able to enjoy the area, although council members told the paper they wanted to move forward. Twenty-two of the 33 buildings on the city’s main street leading to the water are now owned by Scientologists. “Maybe they want a Vatican City, but even Vatican City is open to the public and welcomes the public. If they’re going to be here in Clearwater, it’s important that they embrace the community that we have here as opposed to trying to build walls around it,” Cretekos said. Though the purchases were made by individuals or companies, not by the Church of Scientology itself, some city councilmembers expressed concerns that orders to purchase buildings are coming from the organization’s leader, David Miscavige. "They aren’t doing it by themselves, it’s coming from the head, and that’s the problem with Scientology. You’ve got to go to the guy at the top because nobody’s going to make a commitment without him,” said councilmember David Allbritton. Councilmember Hoyt Hamilton agreed that the purchases were likely related. “The logical conclusion is Scientology must have some sort of a game plan in mind, but they’re not public with what it is. Typically, when people buy commercial real estate, they move forward with construction or redevelopment. That’s not happening with almost any of these properties,” he said. Scientology attorney Gary Soter would not answer questions posed by the Tampa Bay Times about whether the purchases were orchestrated by the organization, but said the organization didn’t know about the property purchases. “There is nothing unnatural about Scientologists wanting to live in the same city that houses the international spiritual headquarters of their church,” he wrote in a letter, while criticizing the newspaper as having a “preconceived agenda to present every Scientology story in a false and unfavorable light.” Other councilmembers, including Bob Cundiff, were more sympathetic to the growth of Scientology, saying that the organization is “known for keeping their properties looking nice” and that they haven’t broken any laws. “We as government officials and me as a council member and American, I’m not treading on any church’s or any individual’s right to buy or sell property,” he said. [Tampa Bay Times; Associated Press]

SPECIAL SESSION | Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has called a special session of the legislature to consider a pair of gun control measures which would expand universal background checks and implement a “red flag” system. Evers, a Democrat, said that in calling the special session, he was giving the Republican-controlled legislature the chance to listen to the public, which a recent poll showed was 80% in favor of the two measures. "This is what the majority of people want. Each and every day that elected officials chose not to take gun violence seriously, that’s a choice that has significant consequences. There are common sense solutions that we know can save lives because they have already done so in states that have adopted them," Evers said. Republican Assembly Leader Robin Vos, however, said that a special session will not cause Republicans to reconsider the measures that they had refused to debate during the regular legislative session. "A special session call will not change where my Assembly Republicans colleagues and I stand on protecting the Second Amendment rights of Wisconsin citizens. As I have repeatedly said, we will not entertain proposals that infringe on our constitutional rights," Vos said. [APG-WI; WPR; WTMJ/Associated Press]

BILLBOARD | A billboard depicting San Francisco mayor London Breed has been called racist by her campaign. The cartoon image, which shows a woman with her heels up on a desk, holding a stack of money in one hand and a cigarette in the other, was paid for by one of Breed’s challengers in the upcoming race for mayor. Ellen Lee Zhou, the only Republican running against Breed, a Democrat, said that the billboard symbolizes that the mayor is thinking about change but not doing anything. “Well, if you look at the picture, London Breed is counting the money—that’s her paycheck. The mayor makes $350,000 a year while people are dying on the streets,” Zhou said. San Francisco supervisor Shamann Walton condemned the billboard. “Everyone should be outraged at what’s depicted on this billboard. When are we going to overcome these racist depictions of black people and other communities in SF? It’s disgusting,” Walton said. A representative from Breed's reelection campaign, Maggie Muir, called the ad racist and sexist. "Race-baiting like this is divisive, dangerous and shameful, and must be rejected,” she said. [ABC 7; CBS San Francisco]

FOOD TAX | Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, in an effort to close the city’s multi-million dollar budget shortfall, is proposing an increase of the food and drink sales tax at restaurants. When a .25% increase is added to the taxes levied by the county and other local governments, a tax on restaurant bills could rise as high as 11.75%, one of the highest rates in the nation. The increase would raise $20 million in revenue for the city. “With our city facing a $838 million budget deficit, I’ve asked my budget team to look for departmental efficiencies and to explore raising additional revenues. We are asking those dining out to chip in an additional 25 cents for every $100 restaurant tab,” Lightfoot said. Representatives from Lightfoot’s office said the tax could be averted if the state legislature agrees to a few revenue-raising measures that city officials have requested, like a deal to give the city part ownership of a proposed new casino. Illinois Restaurant Association President Sam Toia said that he’d rather see the state legislature in Springfield take the deal. “We’d rather be at the (bargaining) table than on the menu. If [the mayor] gets a lot of help in Springfield, I think she may back off of this,” he said. [Chicago Tribune; Crain’s Chicago Business]

KENTUCKY ENDORSEMENT | A former candidate for governor in Kentucky who lost the Republican primary to incumbent Matt Bevin has endorsed the Democratic nominee for governor. Matt Bevin, who until this week was the least popular governor in the country (he now ranks second to Rhode Island’s Gina Raimondo) has been in a close race with Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear, a Democrat, leading up to the November 5 election. If Bevin wins, he will be the first Republican governor of the state to win a second term. His campaign has divided Republicans, with some, like President Trump, issuing strong statements of support, while others, like former primary challenger William Woods, throwing their support behind Beshear. "This election isn't about politics for me, it's about doing the right thing. And as a Kentuckian by birth, I'm ready for a governor who will respect all of us, regardless of political affiliation,” Woods said in an endorsement video for Beshear this week. Bevin’s campaign manager, Davis Paine, dismissed Woods as an “unknown” figure whose endorsement was meaningless. Beshear thanked Woods for his support. “This race isn't about Democrat versus Republican; it's about right versus wrong,” he said. [Newsweek; The Hill]