What Miller eventually seized upon was the unfortunate death of Scientologist Lisa McPherson. His associate, Sgt. Andrews, then quietly sacked the officer wrapping up his routine investigation into that death and, by all indications, was to consider the case closed – a conclusion which did not sit well with Klein and Miller.

Clearwater Ordinance architect and then City Commissioner James Calderbank vanished from Clearwater politics after his arrest on a local beach for sex with a minor.

Found guilty of fraudulent use of political funds, then-Commissioner Richard Tenney likewise disappeared from the Clearwater scene.

George Wayne Shelor ran for City Commission on an anti-Church platform—and lost. Today, he is a PR flack for the Clearwater Police.

     Andrews made his intentions known in October 1996 through a telephone call to a Church attorney announcing a “noisy” probe. In particular, that probe was to involve the support of the St. Petersburg Times, and would otherwise, as Andrews boasted, “spare no expense.”

     Therein lies the true beginnings of that controversy, and the legacy of the Clearwater Ordinance debacle – history repeating itself.

     The parallels are startling:

      A police spokesman castigating the State Attorney and attempting to intimidate him in connection with his handling of Scientology. (See “Secret Clearwater Police Slush Fund Revealed”.)

      The St. Petersburg Times stirring up hysteria and trying and convicting Scientologists in the press – and also seeking to intimidate the State Attorney.

      Clearwater police intelligence supporting an out-of-town anti-Scientology lawyer and assisting in every possible way to bring anti Scientologists from around the country into Clearwater, even aiding inorganizing and executing their “events.” (See “Illegal Acts by Clearwater Police Department”.)

      The Times and Sid Klein seeking to turn the City Commission against Scientologists.

Expensive mistake

     The decision described above has been rightly called one of the most significant rulings on civil rights and constitutional issues since the 1960s. Yet the St. Petersburg Times relegated the news of that ruling to two columns in later sections of the paper – 17 days after the ruling. And, until now, you’ve never had the story presented to you.

     That such pursuit of prejudice continues in Clearwater today, despite the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals’ resounding decision, is despicable. That it will eventually end is a given. Sooner or later all irrational hatreds do.

     But whether it will end before the city of Clearwater and the taxpayers again pay an overwhelming price is another question – one only those truly concerned with religious and civil rights can answer.

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