Tampa Bay News; Clearwater leaders should stop kowtowing to Scientology

"One by one, Mayor George Cretekos and other City Council members trooped to Scientology's Fort Harrison Hotel to privately meet with Miscavige and hear his pitch. They circumvented public meetings requirements by meeting one at a time, and only City Council member Doreen Caudell had the good sense to reconsider and decline the invitation. Some who did go, including Cretekos and City Council member Hoyt Hamilton, went out of their way to be nice after their audiences with Miscavige and his consultants. Either Miscavige has had an epiphany, or city officials have decided to overlook Scientology's four decades of deceit and disingenuous dealings and are preparing to surrender.
All Clearwater residents know is what city officials recounted after their meetings. The Tampa Bay Times' Tracey McManus reported Scientology is focused on recruiting businesses to Cleveland Street rather than controlling every downtown block they don't already own. Miscavige suggested Scientology might pay for all of the facade redesign along Cleveland Street. And there apparently were some lovely renderings and video simulations.
Yet the public remains in the dark, and its elected officials should not be fooled by a slick sales pitch and Miscavige's new eagerness to collaborate. Remember Scientology bought more than $26 million in downtown properties earlier this year after Community Redevelopment Agency director Seth Taylor says he was assured by Miscavige in October that the church's plan did not include buying more property. Remember Scientology already has accumulated more than $260 million in real estate and is downtown's largest property owner. Remember Scientology already controls at least half of some 40 storefronts along a key stretch of Cleveland Street either directly or through its parishioners and Scientology-owned businesses that rent space. And remember what Miscavige really wants."

I just don't understand why the city representatives pretend like they are dealing with any other economically powerful entity. THIS entity has since 1975 had the stated goal of taking over Clearwater.  THIS entity has used nefarious and illegals methods to accomplish that goal.  Why pretend that is not a part of Clearwater history?  What advantage can be gained for the city by doing that?