Posted on 11/28/2001 7:31:29 PM PST by Jim Robinson
Free Republic has had one helluva run over the last five years or so. We helped impeach one president and helped get another into office. We've been active in demonstrations and protests in nearly every city across the nation. We've participated in conventions, petition drives, activism campaigns and projects for dozens of conservative causes.
We've grown from a tiny web site with a few hundred posters and readers from the time of inception in 1996, to one with tens of thousands of participants today. Along the way we've made lots of great friends and, unfortunately, also made lots of bitter enemies.
We've grown from a small web site that I could manage myself on a part-time basis to a huge monster that has totally consumed all of my time and resources plus nearly all of John's time, plus the time and resources of many dedicated FReepers who volunteer or contribute large amounts of their own time and money.
The site is now consuming all of a 10 mbps dedicated line with two servers and we're still growing, and it consumes large amounts of money to keep all this running. In the early years, it only took a few thousand dollars per month to keep Free Republic on the air, but it is now costing over $20,000 per month to cover all expenses.
The major costs include approximately $8,000 per month for bandwidth, 3,000 for systems management and programming services, 7,000 for management, operating and administrative services, plus two or three thousand per month for miscellaneous office expenses, telephone, communications, repairs & maintenance, travel & lodging, postage, rentals, insurance, legal fees, accounting fees, etc., etc.
We anticipate a reduction in bandwidth costs next year as we renegotiate our contract (the market price for bandwidth has fallen recently), however, that will be more than offset by an expected increase in costs of our legal expenses. As most of you know, our pro bono attorney has left us and we've hired a new attorney to continue with our case, plus we have the suit against eschoir to pay for. My projections are that our regular monthly expenses for next year will be running in the neighborhood of $22,000 per month, or approximately $264,000 total for the year. This means we will need to raise approximately $66,000 per quarter.
Talking about making enemies, we've got several ex-FReepers and other detractors who are claiming on their anti-freeper web sites that I am ripping off the donors and that Free Republic is a fraud. Now, Free Republic is what it is, and it is definitely not a fraud. It is a conservative news discussion forum that encourages participation in politics and activism projects. It is not being billed as anything else. We are not selling or promising anything. And I am being up front about our operating costs. The costs of running Free Republic are what I've stated above and they are necessary to keep FR on the air. I do not have the financial wherewithal to operate this site without your help. If the majority of the FReepers feel that these costs are out of line or too much to bear or that Free Republic is no longer wanted or needed, then we will either cut it back or shut it down or do something altogether different.
I've also been criticized about not making our financials public. Well, the reason I do not want to do this is that I have been sued, both personally and as Free Republic, LLC. The people suing us want to bankrupt us and shut us down. They subpoenaed our financial records, but we refused to turn them over. The judge agreed that the plaintiffs have no right to the information, thus I have no intention of making any more of it public than I absolutely have to, until this lawsuit is resolved. You all know the amounts of money we raise if you follow the fundraising threads. It is all above board and out in the open. The totals posted by BadJoe are usually pretty close to the actual cash received and the amounts expended are pretty close to the amounts projected. No one is getting rich here and no one is being ripped off. The funds raised are being used for the purposes stated, and that is keeping this website on the air and that's it. Nothing fraudulent about it. Those who want to help fund us freely do so with nothing expected in return. Those who do not want to contribute do not have to.
There was a thread running this morning where people were making all kinds of accusations about Free Republic "hiding the truth" or whatever. These accusations are being made by Chuck Allan and others and fall along the same line with the accusations being made by some of the earlier banees or AFers including Mojo, Inspector Harry Callahan, Arator, keep U.S. Sovereign, TKEman and others. Some of these people are existing FReepers and some are banned. I am going to reinstate Mojo, Inspector Harry Callahan and Arator's accounts so they can join Chuck Allan, TKEman, K.U.S.S. and whomever else wants to get involved, and I invite them to come onto this thread and make their accusations public. As long as they do not go onto other threads and make a nuisance of themselves, I will let them have their say.
Like I said above, if it is time for Free Republic to go away so be it. Those who want to keep it going speak up. Those who want it to go away, tell us why. But if those who want it to be gone lose out in the debate, then I'd say they should just go away themselves, or, in the very least, shut up and quit whining about it.
Thanks,
Jim
LOL!
I come here for the breaking International News stories, and the commentary and exchanges that develop. Some of the cultural/social/religious threads that develop are interesting, too, but the point is not everyone who logs in here (and who would be willing to contribute a nominal monthly or quarterly fee) is also a Ditto-head/AMtalkRadioListener/etc. I value the exchanges of different points of view, but most especially when they're conducted respectfully and rationally. Minority viewpoints aren't always tolerated fairly. (And come to think of it, "ethnic minority" points of view, specifically, are often badly received. That's my one admitted domestic "hot button" issue; otherwise, I tend to drift across the 'independent' center-line from either direction.)
But anyway, here's my two cents:
1.) If you need to impose a user fee, I hope you keep it nominal. The regulars here are mostly a pretty interesting crew, but you're just going to be preaching to the choir and the already-converted, if it gets too high.
2.) Along with the paid-for 'right' to access the website (Please, keep it going!), I hope all y'all can work out a responsible set of ground rules that encourage civility, and help to minimize the flaming, innuendo and character assasination. Personality issues should not be automatically confused with dissenting ideas.
All that being said, I really got a surprise when I got near the bottom of your letter...
There's someone out there with a screen name not unlike my own (MoJoWrrrk'n)! And he's been banned? How many people have confused me with him?
Oh, well; it's not that big a deal, I guess...
Please read again:
just as entrenched as the liberals on some issues and stands just as ready to silence opposition to that mindset even when it comes from well meaning conservatives
Where did the above statement say, It did silence or will silence? It doesn't. It states, "and stands just as ready to silence opposition". You need to learn the difference between a phrase and an absolute literal statement.
Of course know one meant that someone was going to tie their fingers together and stop them from typing! LOL.
Get real. I am confident that no one believes that is going to happen here or anywhere else in this country anyway.
For definitive proof of harrowup's insanity, one need only look to this, his latest nonsensical rant. I rest my case.
After 9/11 FR has been a MAJOR source of my online news and thanks to FR I have met some wonderful people (RIGHT IN SEATTLE, constable tom, and two marvelous, beautiful women: rintense and classygreeneyedblonde.
I look forward to meeting many new FReepers that I would be proud to call friends.
That being said, a donation will be in tomorrow's mail.
I for one sure would be interested in how many on this thread that say they are going to donate actually do.
Is Free Republic a Fraud? Is it time for Free Republic to go away?
The thread is showing Laz talking to CL.
LOL!
I'm glad I didn't fall in with that stink-pit.
Absolutely agree with Bille that now is the time for all good FREEPERS to come together to keep our FREE REPUBLIC up & running......whatever it takes.....we must all make a contribution.....monthly or quarterly....whatever it takes to continue FR!
Howler, I was one of "us" before you were provided, of course, that "us" is more broadly defined than the narrow confines of the Guild.
The funds to incorporate the three new Free Republic entities that were to become 501(c)s came from FR. We ended up hiring two different lawyers to get these set up. One of them got Free Republic Institute incorporated and I believe got the paper work filled out for our 501C filing. As far as I knew at the time, he had filed it. We found out later that he did not. He also did not get the other two corporations started. Then he quit. The second lawyer did not turn out any better. For one reason after the other, he drug his feet for months. All of this drug out over a period of a year or more until I finally got tired of it and decided to abandon the project. During this period, I thought that our filing was in process and even started developing the websites for the organizations. I have since taken them down. We may revive it later, but I'm in no rush. The current FRN is Bob's project. I gave him permission to use the Free Republic name, but I am not involved in it in any capacity. He's paying the bills himself. As far as I know, the corporation is organized and the 501(c) is in process. Hope he has better luck than I did.
It's no act. Arator is much more a part of FreeRepublic than you, and that the sheep here might bleat in fevered denial changes that fact not one iota. You included.
http://www.tothecontrary.com/discus/messages/28/31.html?960863639
Nice, huh? I'm sure Mr. Keyes would appreciate these types of statements.
Get over yourself. In case you haven't noticed, we've been getting along just fine without your sorry A$$, which is what is bothering you, I'm sure.
BTW, I see I am not the ONLY one on here who thinks you're a fraud and a liar.
If you're more FR than I am, how come most people that respond to you have something nasty to say about you or to you, other than Harry and Z2?
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