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
Laz, quit posting my email address as a sample.
That's the American Dream!
Hang in there Jim and I promise to continue doing EVERYTHING I can to help!
"A people may want a free government, but if, from insolence, or carelessness, or cowardice, or want of public spirit, they are unequal to the exertions necessary for preserving it; if they will not fight for it when it is directly attacked; if they can be deluded by the artifices used to cheat them out of it; if by monetary discouragement or temporary panic, or a fit of enthusiasm for an individual they can be be induced to lay their liberties at the feet of even a great man, or trust him with powers which enable him to subvert their institutions; in all of these cases they are more or less unfit for liberty; and though it may be for their good to have had it even for a short time, they are unlikely to long enjoy it."
John Stuart Mill Essay on Representative Government
Yes, you are correct. I replied to all posts to me on the thread, directing them here.
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tekman wants us to freep their scumbag site but GOOD
now lets freep these rats but GOOD...redrock is over there now freeping em but we need all that can spare the time.
http://forums.delphiforums.com/n/main.asp?webtag=frureform&nav=messages&msg=633.1
1. Earnings of 501(c) organizations can't inure to the benefit of individual shareholders.
2. 501(c) organizations can't actively engage in politics and influencing legislation.
3. Public disclosure requirements and accountability.
Just to name a few of the more obvious problems. Of course, some of these problems might exist as a matter of law, regardless of 501(c) status, by accepting donations and holding one's self out as a non-profit or charity.
I gave you the money to do with what you want. You could spend it on a wild, raunchy weekend in Vegas, if you wish. That's up to you.
I give what I feel I am willing to pay for this 'service'. I don't consider this a 'charity', in any way.
Thank you for your time and energy. I like what another person said before -- you're the 'Rush Limbaugh' of the internet. You've truly taken the message board to a new level.
afSS Translation:
If I can't run the show, I'm gonna blow
Yep, you blow. Now, you lying little twerp. You had your own site. It is still a home for bigots and has spawned alternate sites in favor or opposed to your peculiar bigotry. You lied on your own site and now you think you have the right to call everyone else a liar? You're useless...but irrelevant, so no harm no foul. I say keep you around with Hairy and the TauKappaEpsilon freak and I'll be able to go easy on Kevin.
He's not a "liberal",and there is nothing the slightest bit liberal about him. He is a whiney leftist.
Doesn't seem to fit. Maladroit would mean clumsy or inelegant.
Malsentient would mean able to think and reason, but unable to do so correctly.
I would hope he (it is a he) would be so kind as to EMAIL you instead of FREEPMAIL you, so that the person in question might be coaxed to avoid the use of federal equipment and time.
Unless, of course, this is merely Eschoir violating an injunction......
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