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Project to bring Stop Scientology Disconnection Billboard to Clearwater, FL.
Tony Ortega has the story.
BILLBOARD 2.0 — Phil and Willie Jones set their sights on Scientology’s mecca in Florida
http://tonyortega.org/2016/06/11/bi...heir-sights-on-scientologys-mecca-in-florida/
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Fresh off of their media conquest in Los Angeles, former Scientologists Phil and Willie Jones have a new target for their bright idea to highlight Scientology’s toxic “disconnection” policy with a prominent billboard near a major church center.
In April, the couple paid for a billboard in the Echo Park neighborhood of L.A. after crowdfunding about $12,000, in large part with the help of the readers of this website. The billboard had a positive message rather than a critical one, asking members of Scientology to call their loved ones. It also provided a link to a website that explained how the church splits up families by enforcing disconnection.
It’s disconnection that keeps Phil and Willie from seeing their own two grown children, Emily and Mike, who are both workers in Scientology’s “Sea Organization,” which asks its members to sign billion-year contracts and work for pennies an hour.
Phil and Willie, who live in Las Vegas, chose Los Angeles for the “Call Me” billboard because that’s where their children work for the church. But now, they’ve decided to raise funds for a second billboard in Clearwater, Florida, another major center for Scientology with a large concentration of Sea Org workers.
“Willie and I lived in Clearwater for about 26 years,” Phil tells us. “It’s considered the spiritual center for Scientology, and those who are going up the Scientology ‘Bridge’ will eventually go there. For a small town Scientology owns a larger percentage of property there than any other city or town in the world. Clearwater is where our daughter first joined the Sea Org.”
Phil says he’s attempting to raise $5,400 at a donation page in order to make the Florida billboard a reality. In the meantime, he let us know that the Echo Park billboard in Los Angeles is currently down, but he says his goal is to get both billboards — in Los Angeles and Clearwater — up at the same time next month.
The Los Angeles billboard, which had been up since April 4, came down about two weeks ago because of a small snafu in making a payment on time. But there are funds already in place to keep it going, so it will be going back up in July, Willie says.
And he’s aiming to get the new billboard, in Clearwater, unveiled on the same day that the L.A. billboard reappears.
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Cleawater "Call Me" Billboard
https://www.gofundme.com/floridabillboard
* * * * * BEGIN INTRODUCTION * * * * *
After the great success with the billboard we put up in Los Angeles we heard from many people in Clearwater, FL who had been affected by Scientology disconnection and would like to see one there.
The goal for now is to get enough to pay for the printing and the first month. Any additional money we get will go to additional months of keeping the billboard up.
To donate to our Los Angeles campaign please click here: https://www.gofundme.com/reconnectingfamily
* * * * * END INTRODUCTION * * * * *
Tony Ortega has the story.
BILLBOARD 2.0 — Phil and Willie Jones set their sights on Scientology’s mecca in Florida
http://tonyortega.org/2016/06/11/bi...heir-sights-on-scientologys-mecca-in-florida/
* * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * * *
Fresh off of their media conquest in Los Angeles, former Scientologists Phil and Willie Jones have a new target for their bright idea to highlight Scientology’s toxic “disconnection” policy with a prominent billboard near a major church center.
In April, the couple paid for a billboard in the Echo Park neighborhood of L.A. after crowdfunding about $12,000, in large part with the help of the readers of this website. The billboard had a positive message rather than a critical one, asking members of Scientology to call their loved ones. It also provided a link to a website that explained how the church splits up families by enforcing disconnection.
It’s disconnection that keeps Phil and Willie from seeing their own two grown children, Emily and Mike, who are both workers in Scientology’s “Sea Organization,” which asks its members to sign billion-year contracts and work for pennies an hour.
Phil and Willie, who live in Las Vegas, chose Los Angeles for the “Call Me” billboard because that’s where their children work for the church. But now, they’ve decided to raise funds for a second billboard in Clearwater, Florida, another major center for Scientology with a large concentration of Sea Org workers.
“Willie and I lived in Clearwater for about 26 years,” Phil tells us. “It’s considered the spiritual center for Scientology, and those who are going up the Scientology ‘Bridge’ will eventually go there. For a small town Scientology owns a larger percentage of property there than any other city or town in the world. Clearwater is where our daughter first joined the Sea Org.”
Phil says he’s attempting to raise $5,400 at a donation page in order to make the Florida billboard a reality. In the meantime, he let us know that the Echo Park billboard in Los Angeles is currently down, but he says his goal is to get both billboards — in Los Angeles and Clearwater — up at the same time next month.
The Los Angeles billboard, which had been up since April 4, came down about two weeks ago because of a small snafu in making a payment on time. But there are funds already in place to keep it going, so it will be going back up in July, Willie says.
And he’s aiming to get the new billboard, in Clearwater, unveiled on the same day that the L.A. billboard reappears.
* * * * * END EXCERPT * * * * *
Cleawater "Call Me" Billboard
https://www.gofundme.com/floridabillboard
* * * * * BEGIN INTRODUCTION * * * * *
After the great success with the billboard we put up in Los Angeles we heard from many people in Clearwater, FL who had been affected by Scientology disconnection and would like to see one there.
The goal for now is to get enough to pay for the printing and the first month. Any additional money we get will go to additional months of keeping the billboard up.
To donate to our Los Angeles campaign please click here: https://www.gofundme.com/reconnectingfamily
* * * * * END INTRODUCTION * * * * *
