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Is Free Republic a Fraud? Is it time for Free Republic to go away?
Free Republic | 11/28/01 | Jim Robinson

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


TOPICS: Activism/Chapters; Announcements; Breaking News
KEYWORDS: bushbabeslist; enviralists; hughhewitt; jimroblist; opuslist; usocanteen; zionist
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To: fallclassicus
No I am not a lawyer, that's why I have hired one (I guess it is not hiring if he is working for free- although I bet he is really interested in publicity), but the assets of this page are very much a concern of mine. Please give generously. And remember, if you were thinking about being stingy- your contributions are about to be a part of the public record.
Pray tell, exactly what issue in your little fictional not yet filed lawsuit will each freeper’s contributions be relevant too? Exactly how are you going to convince a judge that these numbers are relevant or likely to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence? You can’t, of course, explain either.

You are just a troll trying to stir up trouble and scare people away from donating. If your lawyer really told you that he can get that information you are getting exactly what you are paying for.

patent  +AMDG

1,461 posted on 11/29/2001 10:05:18 AM PST by patent
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To: Gargantua
Those ineffectual dweebs! They couldn't get themselves banned from a Bill Clinton rally! How the hell are they going to stifle a juggernaut like me?

LOL! Damn, it's good to see you posting again. It brings back all the good memories of the way FR used to be.

(Note to newbies: Gargantua is one of the all time FReeper greats, who, like all FReeper greats, bear the scars of multiple banishments. These irrepressible few simply cannot be bullied into dull conformity. Gargantua is one of these. He is a priceless FReeper gem who ought to be cherished and embraced by all who love freedom, NOT abused, trampled upon, censored, silenced, and discarded.)

1,462 posted on 11/29/2001 10:05:44 AM PST by Arator
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To: Z2
FR donors won't be asked to pay for any of it, since RadioFR is not run by Free Republic but rather the Free Republic Network. (But you knew that already, didn't ya?) The cost of running it will depend on how much time we buy and we have not yet settled upon a regular programming schedule for the future. I promise you'll be the first to know once those costs are determined.

Thanks for asking!

1,463 posted on 11/29/2001 10:06:00 AM PST by diotima
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To: Z2
While we're on the subject of funding, who occupied the free berths on the cruise, if you know?

I occupied Bertha... but she wasn't free.

1,464 posted on 11/29/2001 10:06:13 AM PST by OWK
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To: Jim Robinson
{{{{{{{{{{Crickets}}}}}}}}}}}}}
1,465 posted on 11/29/2001 10:07:37 AM PST by Inspector Harry Callahan
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To: Jim Robinson
also made lots of bitter enemies

I don't have to tell you, but the liberals number one agenda is to control the hearts and minds of everyone (along with just about everything else).

If this is your goal, the first thing on your to-do list is to control the information flow and silence dissent.

They darn well may have succeeded if not for people like Rush, yourself, and, as of late, the people at FOX.

They will try to bankrupt you, try to get your ISP to drop you, sue you, call you names, and probably accuse you of stealing their dog.

If none of this works, they will just try to irritate you to death.

You are not alone, just ask any well known conservative figure.

Keep up the good work.

FRegards, Al

1,466 posted on 11/29/2001 10:09:12 AM PST by ahariail
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl; fallclassicus
You agree with me that you're a greedy hypocrite and that your lawsuit is an attempt to silence legitimate American voices? I guess you'll be dropping that frivolous lawsuit, then.

She won't need to drop it, the Lawyer will, once he see what an idiot he has as a client.

That of course is contingent on the fact that there is a Lawyer and a lawsuit, both of which I doubt.

Marine Inspector

1,467 posted on 11/29/2001 10:09:32 AM PST by Marine Inspector
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To: Z2
Sure I know, cookie puss. Since the cruise was a fundraiser and we could either give the berths away, as we did to TAXMAN since he won our contest, or take the monetary value, we chose to take the monetary value. Everyone else paid for their accomodations.
1,468 posted on 11/29/2001 10:09:38 AM PST by diotima
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To: Z2
Lets see still less than 10 morons against 1000's of FReepers. I would run and not crawl back to the rats nest the 10 of you live in, if I were you.

So which moron posting here today is eschoir?

Step right up.....
1,469 posted on 11/29/2001 10:09:49 AM PST by TLBSHOW
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To: patent
No, I couldn’t think of any others. Do you have any suggestions?

Yes, indeed. I suggest that, when you are confronted with an irritant, you a) refute his argument with a better one or b) ignore him. The c) scream your head off for someone in authority to deal with it for you option is embarrassing.

1,470 posted on 11/29/2001 10:10:16 AM PST by Ratatoskr
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To: patent
No, I couldn’t think of any others. Do you have any suggestions?

Yes, indeed. I suggest that, when you are confronted with an irritant, you a) refute his argument with a better one or b) ignore him. The c) scream your head off for someone in authority to deal with it for you option is embarrassing.

1,471 posted on 11/29/2001 10:10:42 AM PST by Ratatoskr
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To: RightThinkinDood
"Stay on, but I don't contribute to any entity that doesn't disclose its finances."

Like the Red Cross and the United Way, who disclose but are disingenuous????

$22,000 per month for FreeRepublic 24/7 and what Jim disclosed in his post are plenty of disclosure for me. If Jim and John were to make $100k apiece, which they don't, they'd still be underpaid, IMHO.

A total budget of $264,000/year for what we FReepers get cannot be anything but 'barebones' if you think about it.

1,472 posted on 11/29/2001 10:11:06 AM PST by d14truth
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To: Clinton's a liar
The anti-freepers have crawled out from under their moss-covered rocks. LOL. Right on cue!

Isn't that right?

1,473 posted on 11/29/2001 10:11:09 AM PST by Inspector Harry Callahan
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To: diotima
Thanks for answering!

BTW, have you read Jim's affidavit in the LAT/WP matter about Free Republic's involvement (or lack thereof) in chapter activity, activism and such?

1,474 posted on 11/29/2001 10:11:18 AM PST by Z2
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To: Inspector Harry Callahan
I have to agree with you,Inspector.

I taped the thing that was on either Discovery or the History Channel.

1,475 posted on 11/29/2001 10:11:28 AM PST by carenot
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To: fallclassicus
Actually, I am the person that I refer to in this post.

You posted on government time, using government property. You got the firing you deserved. Your problem is with them, not with Free Republic.

Hope you missed your payments and your credit rating suffered greatly!!! :o)

1,476 posted on 11/29/2001 10:11:37 AM PST by Lazamataz
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To: fallclassicus
What proof do can you give to support your (absurd) claim that Free Republic cost you your job?

If you actually had a lawsuit, would your attorney actually say it would be okay to come and post provocative messages on the very forum against which you are taking action? Any real lawyer you hire would tell you to not discuss the case.

So either you're a liar, an idiot, or both.

1,477 posted on 11/29/2001 10:12:05 AM PST by Liberal Classic
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To: Ratatoskr
You forgot: d) Post everything twice!
1,478 posted on 11/29/2001 10:13:08 AM PST by Cyber Liberty
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To: Jim Robinson
This Robinson guy, what a character...

Tell me Jim, what does it mean FreeperMailbox Full?  Heh heh heh...

Either this is a ploy to create the longest thread in human history, or it's an exercise in watching more people overstate the obvious than most of us have ever seen at one time.

FreeRepublic is an interesting phenomenon.  Yep it's Jim's baby.  And no it isn't Jim's baby.  Jim had an idea.  He launched that idea.  Then he and John tried to keep things held together as the ravenous "Freepers to Be" stormed the place much like those movie scenes where the women flood the department store when the doors open for that big sale.  Jim and John have done a lot of work along the way.  And along the way they have been joined by volunteers and forum participants to help create what FreeRepublic is today.  And it's something that none of us are going to let go of.  Hell, we're addicted.

How many times have you been reading an article on the internet outside of FreeRepbublic, then scrolled down to the bottom so you could make a reply?  Then you realize there's not place to reply.  It isn't FreeRepublic.  Well, I'll admit it doesn't happen all that often to me, because I get most of my internet information from FR.  But when I do venture off, it does happen.  FreeRepublic has become a part of my life.  It will likely remain so until I'm pushing up daisies.

Let's get something straight around here.  Jim doesn't live a lavish lifestyle.  He doesn't tap the FR membership then run off to Bermuda.  He isn't living in a mansion or hitting the pits in Vegas.  We know this because his nose is buried in this forum about 23 hours and 59 minutes each day, 365 days per year, year after year.  He isn't driven around in a limo and there aren't columns on his front porch.  Jim is able to feed and clothe his family.  He is able to keep a roof over his head.  And that's a comfortable feeling when you consider the hardship Jim has endured to keep this forum going.  No, Jim isn't abusing the funds received to run this forum.  And no, Jim doesn't have to tell me what he's doing with every cent.  I know enough to know that I am very comfortable with how things are run around here.

But then I'm not everyone, am I.  There are others who are not comfortable with the way things are run.  Well, I'll simply state that nobody is forced to participate on this forum.  Look folks, do you spouses, children, parents, siblings, neighbors, businesses you come in contact with and everyone else do everything the way you'd like them to?  Where was it written that FreeRepublic would be run exactly the way you thought it should be?  It's Jim's baby.  He's the ultimate decision maker.  And as long as he is, you're going to have to come to terms with the fact that he's the guy.  Whoever you are, whatever you have become here, no matter how important you think you've become to the operation you don't run the show here.  And if you think you do, you're in the wrong place.  Jim Robinson runs the show here.  End of story.  If you think otherwise, get a dose of reality.

This forum is frequented by tens of thousands of posters and lurkers.  That means that Jim, the forum and the posters here have affected many people.  I don't think we have any idea how many they have.  My wife attended an interest conference yesterday.  It was a conference attended by about 70 people.  A little over half were high school students from around the area.  Others like my wife were members of service organizations from the community.  This was a program to allow the attending high school students to give their thoughts on issues of the day, and how they affected their lives.

My wife was amazed by some of these students.  Now my wife doesn't frequent this forum.  She hears my comments after I've read about issues on the forum.  So she knows the difference between liberal pap and rock solid conservative stances on the issues.  She knows what goes on in our schools.  She's heard about those that won't allow flags here and there.  She knows about the ones who've refused to say the pledge.  She knows that many of them are pumping the kids full of comparative values horse puckey and destroying the kid's abilities to discern right from wrong.  So let's just say she didn't expect to hear what she did.

A number of these kids were rock solid on the morals issues.  Given morals questions, they came down with the right decisions.  When asked about what is going in our society today, a number of them stated that they feared a police state.  They did not like the face identity programs being installed at the airports.  And surprisingly enough, they came down squarely on the conservative mark on a number of other issues as well.

Let me ask you, where do you think they heard of these issues?  It sure couldn't have been the media.  When face recognition programs are mentioned on the tube, there are accompanying interviews with "the common folk" who praise their worth.  I would say that there are very few places alerting our fellow citizens to the potentials of rights abuses in this nation the way FreeRepublic does.  I would submit that either these kids, the parents of these kids, their friends, their friends parents or even some of their teachers are visiting FreeRepublic.  And so these kids, like my wife, learn the core values of this nation second hand from closeted or outed Freepers.  And they are not the only ones.

There isn't a question of whether this forum is important or not.  Therefore there isn't a question of whether it should remain viable or not.  When the campaign drives come, it's time to reach for the pocket book.  Better yet, I hope more Freepers will begin to think of FreeRepublic on every pay day.  Who of us can't afford to fork over $14.00 per pay day?  That works out to $364 dollars per year.  If 10,000 Freepers paid this paltry amount every two weeks, this forum would generate $140,000 every two weeks.  Some have doubled or tripled up on this plan.  Each of us knows what we can afford.  I would ask that each of us do a little soul searching and devise a personal contribution level that we can be comfortable with.  Then over time, increase the amount you give by a buck or two per pay period.

This forum is not the be all end all of Freeper dreams.  We want to become active in more visible ways.  There are plans to expand on what FreeRepublic is today.  That requires the life blood funding of conservatives who understand what the ultimate goals are.  We are seeking to role back the socialism that is washing over this nation.  We are seeking to become a major player, to return this nation to the ideals of our founding fathers.  This isn't about Jim Robinson.  If you're focusing on him you're missing the whole point.  Get off your a-- and do something important for this nation.  Support FreeRepublic.  As for the carping, go somewhere where carping is king.  Around here a return to the core values of this nation is.

1,479 posted on 11/29/2001 10:13:29 AM PST by DoughtyOne
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub; davidosborne; kayak; Billie; Jim Robinson
Thanks for the pings...

Wow! Everyone's back! Is A+Bert back too?

FreeRepublic isn't a fraud. Folks like me contribute because we want to. I don't want to see a list of how much everything costs either. As I've said in the past, I wish Jim Robinson could/would get rich from this. It would make me very happy.
1,480 posted on 11/29/2001 10:14:08 AM PST by firewalk
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