"The decision came after the agency found itself caught in cross-fire between the Church of Scientology and a group of church critics who bought anti-Scientology bus ads one weekend in early December... Church officials and their lawyers complained so forcefully that Roger Sweeney, director of the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, pulled all 10 buses off the road that Saturday with two days left on the critics' contract."
- Public service ads banned from buses, St. Petersburg Times, Feb. 25, 1998

PSTA Bus advertisement by Former Scientologists Speaking Out: "Think for yourself. Quit Scientology."
- photo by Grady Ward

Contents

• Case Documents

• List of Dec. 5 Bus Ads

• News Articles and Video

• Letter to PSTA from FSSO
  Frank Oliver, Feb. 18, 1999
  "In fact, we would put forth that the best evidence of that pressure is that Scientology representative Mary Story went personally to Mr. Zimmet's home on that Saturday morning, was found peeking in his windows by Mrs. Zimmet and refused to leave the property until she was assured she would see Mr. Zimmet."

• Letter to PSTA from FSSO's attorney
  Ken Dandar, Feb. 18, 1999
  "The obvious illegality of the PSTA's actions is demonstrated by the fact that you first relied upon the Florida Statute cited by the Church of Scientology, i.e., Florida Statute § 836.11, since it is interesting that your own counsel, Mr. Zimmet, did not rely upon that statute at the board hearing, but rather on federal court decisions."

• PSTA Resolution #99-01
  "The subject matter of all on-bus advertising shall be limited to speech which proposes solely a commercial transation. The advertisements must contain only expressions related to the economic interest of the advertiser and its audience. Non-commercial advertisements that add an offer to purchase some item containing a non-commercial message are not permitted pursuant to this policy."
  

News Articles and Video

• RealVideo of the February PSTA board meeting by Mark Bunker
  • Streaming
  • Download

• Public service ads banned from buses
  St. Petersburg Times, Feb. 25, 1999
  "The offending ads were bought by Former Scientologists Speaking Out, whose members are critical of Scientology practices. Frank Oliver, the group's spokesman, said after Wednesday's decision, 'It is regrettable that this issue will have to be settled through litigation.' "

• Florida Bus Ads Caught in Cross Fire
  Adweek, Feb. 8, 1999
  "The debate arose after Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority's directors responded to complaints from the Church of Scientology by removing anti-Scientology messages from the sides of county buses that passed the church's Fort Harrison Hotel in Clearwater, Fla."

• PSTA aims to avoid ad flap
  St. Petersburg Times, Jan. 28, 1999
  "On Wednesday, at the PSTA's first meeting since the episode, the critics' attorney, Ken Dandar, hinted they would sue if necessary. Dandar also asked the transit agency to honor the rest of its three-day contract and allow the ads to run again this December, when another protest is planned. Instead, board members agreed to work on a new policy that would ban such ads in the future."

• PSTA is under no obligation to accept ads
  Letter to the St. Petersburg Times, Jan. 27, 1999
  "She based her article on the belief that the U.S. Supreme Court has never addressed this issue. However, the Supreme Court has determined that a policy prohibiting political ads on the inside of buses was constitutional."

• Scientologists' reputation on trial over woman's death, Miami Herald, Dec. 27, 1998
  "Frank Oliver, a Miami graphics designer who leads a group called Former Scientologists Speaking Out that had rented the bus space, says the Transit Authority's quick decision to kill the ads underscores the situation. 'How does saying "doubt is not a crime" infringe on their rights?' Oliver asks. 'How much power does the church exert on local government?' "

• When buses become billboards
  St. Petersburg Times, Dec. 22, 1998
  "It's likely the PSTA will be told that if the county wants to use its buses as moving billboards, it will have to make them available to all who ante up, regardless of what the Scientologists think."
  • OSA shill Mike Rinder responds to the editorial - Letter to the editor, Jan. 2, 1999

• Church's complaints take buses off road
  St. Petersburg Times, Dec. 9, 1998
  "Pinellas County's transit chief pulled 10 buses off the road Sunday after the Church of Scientology complained that the vehicles' side panels contained anti-Scientology advertising. The ads were purchased by church critics and were to be on buses Saturday through Monday as part of a weekend-long protest against Scientology."