Our 2nd Quarter FReepathon is Underway!

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!!

Howdy Freepers!!!!!!

I want to enocurage everyone to help out in this quarter's Freepathon. If you can donate, please do so. If you can't, bump these threads so those who can will know what's going on.

You've heard me address in the past the ongoing battles that we as conservatives are facing in our fight to be able to continue to address public policy issues. There are certain elements amongest us who do not like what we stand for and don't like that we're expressing our opinions in public forums like this. These people have very malicious and harmful intentions towards us and have asperations of seeing each and everyone of us in shackles and hauled off to jail.

America has done a lot better with George W. Bush in power than our under our last administration. We are a far more safer nation and we are showing our independence and the will to make our own decisions regardless of whether other nations like it or not.

This upcoming election will determine whether America continues to commit itself to the War on Terror or it turns all of it's military and law enforcing powers over to unelected nameless, faceless, foreign beruearats. I can tell you right now that if John Kerry wins the White House and the Democrats win both houses of Congress, We conservatives and christians will not like the results.

So, with that in mine, will you help us out? Remember if you can't donate, keep these threads bumped so those who can will know what's going on.

Let's keep this place going so we as conservatives will continue to have the chance to address public policy issues and excersize our freedom of association as prescribed in the first amendment.
Thanks and regards.

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