Mike thumps Tom

New York Post/April 19, 2007
By David Seifman

Mayor Bloomberg yesterday blasted official proclamations drafted by a city councilman honoring Tom Cruise and Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard for their roles in promoting a detoxification program for 9/11 rescue workers.

"I don't think it's appropriate to do that," said the mayor, reacting to a report in yesterday's Post.

"I think that reputable scientists do not think Scientology has any basis in science. It may be a cult, it may be a religion, it may be beliefs. It's other things, but it's not science, and we should only fund those programs that reputable scientists believe will stand the light of day and the scientific method."

Councilman Hiram Monserrate (D-Queens) said he's honoring the New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project - co-founded by Cruise and based on the theories of Hubbard - for providing free services that have improved the health of ailing rescue workers.

"This has zero to do with Scientology," Monserrate declared.

"If it was a guy who happened to be a Scientologist who helped 9/11 workers, so be it. He could have been a Buddhist, he could have been an atheist, as far as I'm concerned."

More than 780 rescue workers have undertaken the treatments, which include heavy does of vitamins and hours spent in a sauna sweating off toxins.

Cruise is headlining a $6,250-a-ticket fund-raiser for the program tonight in Manhattan.

Councilman Peter Vallone (D-Queens), chairman of the Public Safety Committee, questioned whether Monserrate was crossing the line between "cult and state."

Hundreds of council proclamations are churned out each year.

In a brief interview, Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) said she felt the detox program was not backed up by "any legitimate upstanding scientist" and had no merit.

She said she would ask her members today to examine splitting proclamations into two categories, those signed by the speaker reflecting the view of the entire council and those issued by a single member reflecting just his or her view.

Lawyer and political activist Howard Teich said he's convinced there's merit to the program based on a visit to its downtown clinic.

"The fact is, they've come up with a good program," said Teich.

But Rick Ross, who has been following the Scientology movement for 25 years, told The Post there's no objective research proving it's beneficial.

"I have received complaints from the families of New York City firemen and concerned friends that they were told to stop taking antidepressants, stop using inhalers," said Ross.

"This is consistent with Mr. Cruise's belief that antidepressants are evil."