City proclamation sparks L. Ron Hubbub

New York Post/April 18, 2007
By David Seifman

In a move that has outraged some officials, Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard has been honored by the City Council ahead of tomorrow night's Manhattan fund-raiser for a controversial 9/11 detox program, The Post has learned.

Host Tom Cruise, the Scientology follower who co-founded the New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project, also will be honored with a proclamation at the fund-raiser.

The project runs a downtown Manhattan clinic that has served more than 780 rescue workers since 2002.

Cruise is headlining the $6,250-a-ticket event at the Altman Building on West 18th Street.

Councilman Hiram Monserrate (D-Queens) said he presented the proclamation honoring Hubbard to clinic leaders last month.

"We give proclamations in this city for great works and community works that people do all the time, irrespective of their religion," Monserrate said.

Although medical experts questioned the church's detoxification regimen, Monserrate lauded Hubbard for developing a program "that can safely and effectively resolve the symptoms of toxic exposure." That has outraged Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Queens), chairman of the Public Safety Committee. "It's dangerous to confer legitimacy on a cult," Vallone said.