Gentlepersons, consider this:
Is there a possibility that the manufacturing process (printing, binding, packaging, etc.) is actually accomplished by an "imbedded" privately-held "for profit" (or "off-shore") corporation/partnership/individual? We know, apparently, that "Author Services, Inc. is privately held, I believe.
A printing/binding operation could be set up in a space leased (or not) in the large facility and "on paper" be privately held - and who would know? So rent is negligible and SO laborers/technicians do what they're told for the most part, don't they? The equipment is likely leased and may be another possibility for "laundering" or distributing money to certain other parties.
Such an operation could charge whatever prices it desired to the "Tax-exempt" entity - at least that's how I see it. This could work as long as there is no complaint, no outside communication and no outside accountants and no bookeeping department except DM's own.
For example, say "X" purchases the printing/binding equipment in another country for cash - then ships it to Commerce, CA and "leases it to the "Tax-Exemp CoS" for some astronomical sum payable on demand! The possibilities are staggering, just from this angle alone.
Extremely inflated prices for manufacturing/printing and leasing equipment could be the "black hole" that channels the money into the private sector hands who remain securely secluded behing the curtain.
DM's share is probably "bubkis" in the final analysis - but enough to keep him interested (and maybe very scared). I, for one, believe DM has unseen "handlers".
Does this make sense to anyone else?
Well Roy, this does make sense, but unless we have any hard evidence, it is just conjecture. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if something like this
is taking place, but how could we prove it? Now if we had someone from ‘inside’ who could spill the beans ….
One thing is for certain, there
is a lot of money in selling these packages.
In the UK, the full price for the Basics package is around £2,300 and the Congress lectures are £1,800. So, taking this as an average price and assuming that the CoS sells around 50,000 of each (rather conservative given the maniacal selling of the Basics and the fact that many libraries have received multiple copies), this gives a total gross sales amount of £205m or US $324m.
Now, as we have seen, the CoS has it’s own printing facilities staffed by staff who get paid a pittance. So, I would estimate total production costs for both packages to be around £200 - £300. Lets call it £300, so the total profit would be £205 - £300 x 50,000 = £190m = $300m. I'd heard that the target was to sell 100,000 copies of the Basics alone, so this figure could be much higher.
OK, so they have to pay off the cost of setting up the plant and all the printers which are pretty costly I’d imagine, but even so, that is an awful lot of money.
And of course, there are all the other ‘releases’ that Scientologists are expected to buy. And I do mean
expected. After the Congress lectures were released, I was told in no uncertain terms that I must buy a set. Being told what to do gets my back up and being the ornery sort of person that I am, prompted the following exchange:
Ax – Why do I have to buy these?
St Hill Exec (SHE) – because it’s Command Intention’.
Ax - I’m not on staff, I don’t have to follow orders.
SHE – All Scientologists are expected to get these lectures.
Ax – Why?
SHE – So that you can get the vitally important LRH data in them.
Ax – OK then, I’ll just borrow them off Xxxx.
SHE – No, you have to have your own copies.
Ax – You just said getting the information was the objective, why do I have to have my own copy?
SHE – We need to pay for all the printing and setting up costs.
Ax – I can’t afford to keep getting all the latest releases every year.
SHE – This is the last piece in the jigsaw, you won’t have to get anything else. (!)
Ax (under his breath – yeah until the next vitally important release).
SHE – What?
Ax (sidling towards exit)– I’ll think about it.
SHE – All Scientologists need to buy this package right now!
Ax – Surely you don’t mean
all Scientologists?
SHE – Yes I do!
AX – What,
literally every Scientologist?
SHE – Yes!
Ax – Have you got
your copies yet?
SHE – Wha... - I don’t have to, I’m on staff!
AX – You said
every Scientologist had to get them. Literally.
SHE – Obviously this doesn’t include staff.
Ax – Why not?
SHE – Because, er, um …. Every Scientologist has to buy these lectures now!
...
Mean aren’t I?
Axiom142
