Ha, ha, ha, yes, I prefer the 'old coke', God help us all! Thank God I got TM when I did!! BillyG.
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "bmorry2000" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > From: scozzari <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: Recipient List Suppressed:; > Subject: Lawsuit - TMO vs Scozzari > Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2006 11:16:03 -0500 > > > Mike Scozzari > 2241 SW 15 St., Deerfield Beach 33442 > 561-392-5418 Home > > > > > As many have heard, I have been asked to cease and desist teaching TM > by the TMO attorneys in Iowa. Their demands include that I destroy > all teaching materials and that I no longer use their registered > service marks for TM and Transcendental Meditation. With the new > project for teachers to re-certify and teach, teachers who, like me, > were made "teachers for life" by Maharishi, were all told we must no > longer consider ourselves teachers. The re-certification course as > you may have heard was $2K and $4 depending on how many people you > have taught in the past 2 years for $2500 each student. Once > completed, re-certified teachers were required to teach full time, > meditate 7 hours per day, open up 5 spas, raise 1.5 million for a > peace palace, go to Holland for a month and become a raja after which > you would be required to wear robes and a crown and have others bow > to you. Teachers were required to teach according to gender, males > teach males, women teach women and all in a building with an east > entrance (TMO websites detail the entire thing). Teachers were > promised salaries of $2000 per month if nobody takes TM and $4000 a > month if you teach 2. Three months after it's start all salaries > were discontinued and teachers who quit their jobs had to find work > once again. ++see Chandler letter below > > > It's nonsense. Teachers like myself have not done anything wrong. > Most on my list know I have continued to provide basic and advanced > instruction and have maintained the traditional teaching. Every > teacher knows what it's like to try and make a living teaching. I > will never charge anyone $2500 - never! I would need cold water > running through my veins! It's wrong and people don't deserve it. > It makes perfect sense to me having taught over 4000 people, that > teachers should be able to keep all the money for instruction > encouraging students to then take TMO sponsored follow-ups like the > TM- Sidhis and advanced techniques. This way everyone wins. > Teachers need to make a living. When did the policymakers forget > that? The fees today are 6 times what they were in 1993. > > > I have invested a small fortune to keep teaching in the area since > 1989. My Bell South bill is $150 per month. Recently my Bell South > rep called to say he received a call from Joan Rothenberg who accused > me of violating the TM trademark, that I was not legally allowed to > do so and that she and her husband Stuart were the new teachers in > Boca Raton. This quote appeared in my January 06 newsletter: > > > Still the Same > Maharishi has done something that his predecessors did not do. He > provided a technique and a knowledge program while maintaining the > ancient traditions. With all the research available, TM is still the > best technique for relieving stress and developing inner potential. > The packaging and marketing changes over time but the essential > message remains the same: meditate and enjoy. > > > When Coca Cola introduced New Coke, the public was split on what they > preferred, new or old Coke. Old Coke was introduced as Classic Coke > and remains the same today. Transcendental Meditation can be offered > to the general population or the wealthy, no harm. But the essential > teaching is here to stay. Keeping this teaching alive worldwide is > the goal of all the teachers. Competition is good and if it leads to > more people learning, no harm. > > > As stated previously, our office teaches TM at reasonable rates. > It's available for everyone. Please keep us in mind and know that we > are here to stay. We hope you can join us for programs that enrich > and refresh, inspire and expand. Take advantage of your membership > and keep the teaching alive by meditating twice a day and radiating > the benefits in your life. > Mike Scozzari > > > If Stuart Rothenberg and his wife want to teach TM, there is no > reason to push the existing teachers aside. If the truth be told, I > would ask Stuart why he moved from North Carolina to Lancaster, MA > and fired the staff at the ayurvedic health center as well as ask > Jay Glasser, MD to leave after years of medical service there. It's > unfortunate. The directors called me to tell their story. > > > The claims against me re trademark infringement are just the opinions > of the TMO and their attorney. I can email you the attachments. No > court order has been issued yet. IF AND WHEN I GET THE COURT ORDER, I > will need to show the court the true details of my claim which will > only cause the TMO to look foolish as each attorney has agreed with > me. I have the support of certain media as well including a publicist > with the San Francisco Examiner who would like to really go wide on > this entire issue. She agreed nothing printed unless I say so. The > TMO hates negative publicity. I think we now have the proof an > attorney would need to go ahead with it should the TMO notify the > court here in Broward County and hire their own attorney approved by > the Florida bar. If necessary I am prepared to "fight the good > fight" as one criminal defense lawyer advised. Funding is under way > and an account will be set up to receive support from those who want > to help. My goal is to continue teaching TM at a reasonable price. > This is just another example of bullying, the results of which were > evident when the Krumpe's were fired from their TMO positions at Avon > Park. > > > In October 2001 the TMO arbitrarily and unilaterally raised course > fees for teaching TM nationally announcing that all teachers like > myself would be required to raise the course fee for TM class from > $575 to $1000 to $1200 and to $2500 all within a 3 month period!. > 100% of that fee was to be sent to the TMO, of which the teacher > would receive a 20% share. From 2001 to 2003 I sent the organization > over $7500 in back fees as part of an agreement with them. When the > IRS reviewed my taxes one year the agent could not see why I paid the > TMO anything. I earned the money and covered all my expenses. > +++See TESP at the end > > > In March 2005 the TMO announced a "re-certification requirement" for > all teachers. Teachers report there was no refresher in job skills > and it was all about money. Of the 40K teachers in the US, only 340 > took the course. The TMO is guilty of not providing any job security > and therefore can not be relied upon as a valid employer - and the > organization has demonstrated it is not a responsible employer with a > long history of promises never kept. This my legal advisors claim is > a very important detail for a judge to have. ++See Chandler letter > below > > > More importantly, TM teachers who were threatened by the TMO to cease > and desist teaching TM to date were never taken to court in the past, > why now and why me? Friends who currently continue to teach tell me > they were threatened but never taken to court for trademark > infringement as early as 1993 and we can prove that in court. Three > attorneys reached the same conclusion and want to know why the court > should take a trademark seriously when it is only used to threaten > people who work in good faith. As one attorney from Texas told > us: "the tm org. has an illegitimate trademark-------they've never > defended it in the past 40 years------and it will certainly fail in > court, whenever it comes to court" ---- they, the tm org., have not > followed the laws in this situation-------this is simply a dispute or > difference of opinion within a particular spiritual teaching: the > government & laws do not take sides in these disputes. > > > Teachers like myself have a proven track record of working in good > faith in our locality for many years investing money in our business > efforts without complaint from the TMO only to be told now we must > stop teaching. And it's unrealistic to be required to charge $2500 > for a basic course. The high fee has kept most teachers away since > 2001 when that price became policy. > > > When we were trained to teach this technique in residence (most of us > in Europe) with the understanding we could use the name TM, > Transcendental Meditation, etc, all fees for training and expenses > to teach were/are covered by the individual teacher, not a penny from > the TMO. Independent contractor status clearly supports the teacher > on this and states have laws protecting the individual and his or her > right to operate once they complete training. The court is there for > the individual and the company. > > > The media I've talked to compare the TMO to an elitist country club > cult with outrageous entry fees and cult-like tactics for recruitment > and conformity. It's a big money grab. By trying to attract the > wealthy members of society the TMO has excluded itself from it's > previous reputation as being for the individual with emphasis on > society as a whole. The average working class member of the community > is not able to afford the entry fee, follow-up courses and so on. > Advanced techniques are $3000 and the TM-Sidhis are $6000. It's > unfortunate. > > > And there are more issues. My attorney wants to know more about the > movement non-profit status and how large sums of money are moving > from the US abroad. > > > One teacher from California wrote.... > "It's a free marketplace of ideas, and as true American citizens, we > respect the right of everyone to freely speak and teach the truth as > they believe. ultural & historical landmarks, even reversing the > direction of the flow of major rivers The TM org., on the other hand, > does not truly respect the US constitution------they openly support > the establishment of monarchies throughout the world, and they openly > function as a monarchy within their own org. structure. They believe > the monarch has the absolute authority to control all information & > education, and they are openly calling for the entire world to be one > country, under the rule of an absolute monarch! Judging by the > history of the tm org., and its horrible mismanagement of many > teachers and projects, destroying a vital worldwide movement that was > benefitting millions of people for several years, this is very > alarming. We can respect their right to express their viewpoint, but > the U.S. constitution and the majority of Americans are not likely > to allow them to implement their vision of a totalitarian society! > They force people in their own org. to bow down to appointed kings > wearing robes & crowns! They are calling for the destruction and > rebuilding of all homes & buildings & cities in the world on their > web sites, destroying all the treasured landmarks in Europe, just to > conform to their dictation as to what is proper and architecturally > correct. They talk in idealistic terms of "world peace" and > developing everyone's full potential, but this is obscuring the truth > that they wish to control every detail of a person's life! At > their "university" in Iowa (for objective history, see > www.geocities.com/bbrigante/updates.html), they are taking millions > in federal funds, while violating federal laws------they claim TM is > not a religion or lifestyle (it's true---it isn't) but in practice, > they rigidly suppress all freedom of speech & assembly on campus. > One recent example (among thousands): a student was informed by the > dean of students, that she could not teach a yoga class in town, off > campus, because that style of yoga was not sanctioned by the > university. The university for years has warned students not to > attend the meetings of any other spiritual teachings (other than > established mainstream religions). Students who are caught doing so, > are expelled. It goes on & on. The teachings of Maharishi & TM are > wonderful & practical, but have been grossly distorted by an > overbearing organization in the past several years. Trained & > experienced independent TM teachers, have the right in this great > democracy, to present the truth of Maharishi's teaching freely to the > public, and to share the benefits of TM freely with the public. The > TM org. focuses its programs on the superrich: following the basic > recommendations of the org. can cost an individual $50,000 to > $100,000 per year, or more. They have the right to do that [although > it seems their nonprofit status might be called into question ], but > the government will not take their side in suppressing the activities > of independent TM teachers." > > > > > A great example of the great benefit to our society from independent > TM teachers is the work of the Enlightened Sentencing Project in St. > Louis, Missouri, where 12 judges have directed hundreds of > probationers to learn TM and have gained govt funding. (see Farrok's > web site - www.tesp.org). +++++See TESP below > > > I wonder how many TM teachers there are who would like to teach if > they knew they would not be threatened. This latest event could be > the rallying point for all of them! Of the 40K trained in the US, > and so few teaching, there are still many who would love to teach and > could make a difference. I know the attorneys in south Florida have > been talking about a fund to help cover the costs if they go to > trail. If all TM teachers could benefit, independence could be for > all. > > > +++Below is a letter from re-certified teacher John W Chandler. He > sent this to Farrokh, Farrokh sent it to me: > > > This poor TM Teacher left his job to go for re-certification. Read > his story. > . > Just came across your e-mail address and was wondering how you were > doing? > > > "I just went through 4.5 months of major stress. I quit my job at > the bank and signed up for the TM Peace Palace Project as a Re- > certified Governor/Director. Then the next thing I knew, they > canceled our course, told us to get to work right away, and by the > way "you're not going to get paid or reimbursed for your expenses > until we decide you deserve it". Boy did I hit the roof when they > pulled that switch on us. Nevertheless, I stuck it out for 3 months > before I quit. So, I lost 4.5 months of income, lost my old job, all > my seniority, my 401k contributions, my territory and my credibility. > All because I dared to believe the movement was going to honor their > word when they said they would pay us $4000/month salary + reimburse > any expenses we incurred setting things up. They lied. So, now I'm > free of the movement. I'll never trust or believe anything they say > ever again, and unfortunately I don't trust MMY as much anymore > either; although he may be heavily influenced by the greedy people > around him. > > > Fortunately the bank is taking me back and I start again next week, > but at a lower rank, less salary, no matching 401k funds, and less > vacation. Oh well, live and learn. > > > So, that's my bright and cheerful update. Hope yours is going better. > > > John W Chandler > > > > > Many friends have donated to the TMO large sums of money for projects > never started. The money is said to disappear to another country. I > love TM and hope this never goes to court. I think the public will > get confused but everyone knows competition is good, and TM should > never be taught for such high prices. > > > +++TESP, the Enlightened Sentencing Project of St. Louis, MO. is a > non-profit org teaching TM openly by Farrokh Anklasaria. In their > background data they explain: > > > --- You were instructed by Maharishi, 30 years or so ago, to teach > TM once you fulfilled the requirements of your TTC etc. The TMO's > arbitrary ruling of new requirements 30 years later, requirements > that include bowing to a Raja for your area, teaching full-time only, > at a salary of $2000 set by the TM movement, in a city to be decided > upon by the TMO, among other things. > --- The failure of re-certified TM teachers should be part of the > equation. The new requirement is vastu buildings in which to teach > TM. A vastu building must have an east entrance! It cannot be right > that one's livelihood could be circumscribed in this way, in such an > arbitrary and unfair fashion. > ---You can sign on to the MOU or other crazy TMO satellite and > internet channel showing what the new TMO requires TM teachers to > adhere to. > --- There are countless precedents of other TM teachers not teaching > with the movement, openly teaching privately, against whom the TMO > has not defended itself. This is a very salient point. One of the > key pieces of information in defending oneself in copyright matters > is that the trademark bearer ought to have been defending its > trademark conscientiously. The TMO has not been doing so at all! > ------ The ultimate claim: Maharishi made you a TM teacher for > life. That was his promise to you once you fulfilled the > requirements of TTC etc. You will call Maharishi himself in any case > filed against you. (This prevented them from going ahead with a > lawsuit against Dr Mishra, formerly with MAPI, in California.) > Remember a tape in which Maharishi says that we are all TM teachers > in one family, like brothers and sisters for life? > > > Mike, remember you are not alone in this fight. You're the point > man but only in front at this time. There will be many ex-TM > teachers who will rally around such action, including us. Many will > be willing to speak out against the TMO. But we must all face the > fact that this will be bad press for the TMO AND for all of us. It's > the unfortunate truth. The other thing is this: do we really want to > be associated with all the new crazy stuff in the TMO? > Farrokh & Ruffina Anklasaria > The Enlightened Sentencing Project > St Louis, MO > > > > > If you would like to be removed from this list just reply with the > word REMOVE in the subject box and no questions asked. > ------------------------ Yahoo! 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