Our 2nd Quarter FReepathon is Underway!

Click to donate via FR secure server ^ | April 1, 2004 | Jim Robinson

[Jim Robinson]

Woo hoo!! Are you ready for another FReepathon!?

It's time once more for us to raise the funds that are necessary to keep Free Republic on the air.

People have asked me if the $60,000 settlement with the City of Fresno means we won't have to have a fundraiser this time. Well, I wish it could be so, but, unfortunately, it's not.

First of all, we did not actually receive $60,000. After legal fees, mediation fees and other expenses directly related to the suit, we netted approximately $34,000. Of that, we distributed over $10,000 to the members of the Fresno Chapter who were in business and their businesses suffered due to the city's libel and also to the members who met with us regularly on a weekly basis. Then, due to the fact that the city was late with their press release and no media picked it up, we paid approximately $2,000 to run ads in several valley papers announcing the city's retraction.

The approximately $22,000 left over will be used in our operations. We plan to use about $4,000 to upgrade our equipment and $10,000 or more will go for taxes. I plan to use part of the balance to beef up our insurance coverage and also will look into a health insurance plan. The remainder will be used for travel and other expenses. I still hope to visit as many chapters as I possibly can over the next year or so, but obviously won't be doing so in a motor home (you had to have been there to get the inside joke). We'll be traveling in our trusty old FReepermobile van. She's an 11 year old Mercury Villager with 150,000 miles, but she's got good rubber, purrs like a kitten and is pretty good on gas.

So, as it turns out, the settlement has strengthened Free Republic and also has strengthened the conservative position in the City of Fresno. As a result of our suit, the controversial loony peacenik chair person of the Fresno City Human Relations Commission who committed the libel against us and has also caused much turmoil within the city and the city council has resigned "to pursue other interests." Also, the loony liberal President of the Fresno City Council who made some ridiculous comments belittling the suit and the settlement in the Fresno Bee was voted out of office just a couple months later.

So, as I've said before, the settlement is a win, win, win position. It's a win for Free Republic, a win for the City of Fresno, and, ultimately, a win for the taxpayers.

At any rate, we thank all of you who participate on Free Republic and support our efforts and we look forward to another exciting election cycle.

Hope to see y'all either on our road trip and or at the Free Republic George W. Bush Inaugural Ball II in January!!

Go GWB!!

[Fiddlstix]

.....Change yor tag line to mention the Freepathon....

Good idea J

[glock rocks]

uh oh.

Remember all those times in your life when you said "when pigs fly?"

[Indy Pendance]

When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that individual is crazy.
-- Dave Barry

[RottiBiz]

Thank you, sciencediet (I dreamed I surfed all day in my monthly donor wonder bra.) !

It's too good to resist!

[Indy Pendance]

A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.
-- Douglas Adams

[RottiBiz]

Goodnight Steve.

Thanks for helping; you've been great.

[William McKinley]

I resemble that remark

[RottiBiz]

Thank you, Mudboy Slim!

[RottiBiz]

Thank you, Doohickey!

[Indy Pendance]

Regarding your (nonexistent) Motorhome...

Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain -- and most fools do.
-- Dale Carnegie

[Angelwood]

Been to Cincinnati lately? They have lots of "flying pigs." Just bumping through. FReep On!

[Indy Pendance]

I remember way back in my college engineering reliability course about designing copiers to accommodate people and rear ends....

[Indy Pendance]

Take all the fools out of this world and there wouldn't be any fun living in it, or profit.
-- Josh Billings

[William McKinley]

LOL

So are there any incriminating photocopies of the Pendance posterior floating about?

[Fawnn]

The impossible did not bother him unduly. If it could not possibly be done, then obviously it had been done impossibly. The question was how?
--Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul

FYI: Anytime anyone clicks on one of the books on my FR profile page and places an order through Amazon, I give the resulting affiliate income to Free Republic.

[Indy Pendance]

The surprising thing about young fools is how many survive to become old fools.
-- Doug Larson

[CholeraJoe]

Just sent mine in. Montana will be in the top 3 for a little while.

[RottiBiz]

Just in:

$50 from Pennsylvania
$100 from Indiana
$10 from Never Never Land

Thank you Pennsylvania, Indiana and Never Never Land!!

[Jim Robinson]

Thank you, Indy Pendance!

[Jim Robinson]

Thank you, Mudboy Slim!