I have little doubt that it weren't for Freepers taking it to the streets late last year; we would be looking at an AL GORE presidency. If you agree, then HOW MUCH was it worth to you to help keep AL GORE out of the White House? Think about it...
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
PLEASE let's work together find away to keep it going. FR is critical to the truthful exchange of information that the liberal media often distorts, revises or ignores!!
I believe most FReepers would be willing to pay a monthy fee for membership and posting privileges!
Many thanks for creating & sustaining FR....Here's to you....Mr. Robinson!!!
All things considered, I believe the Free Republic provides a valuable resource to people who want to know what is really happening in the world today.
Keep up the good work :)
By the way, like Michael Savage, I consider liberalism to be a mental disorder.
Long live FreeRepublic.com
Jim, and many of us began our opposition to Clinton corruption as early as 1993. Back then, it was on a forum called "Whitewater" and on a now-outdated service called Prodigy. Liberals dominated Prodigy. And as our sharing of information on the Clintons became larger (a newsgroup alt.clinton.whitewater(actually took hold from these discussions) leaders like Jim started their rise fame. It wasn't so much that Jim was the most vocal. Let's just say he was the most activist among us. And as Prodigy began to actually censor some of the conversations surrounding the Clintons, Jim and others started looking for a new home for us. Free Republic in those days was yet a word or words one would put together to identify this calling we now all proudly claim.
. Anyway, and this is only going on recollection, and not on any written history, somehow we all - or most of us landed at another place. It was the newsgroup, clinton.alt.whitewater, I think. Anyway,around 1996 or so - decades now it seems like - Jim founded FR.
Over the years some of us have come and gone. Jim and his family have stayed with it. It has become so large and well known that it is no longer unusual to hear Rush or some other talk radio host mention it on their show. None the less, it is important to remember that Jim started it, and he has tried valiantly to regularly remind us that we are generally all on the same side. Obviously he does a far better job of that that I can do here. The point of all this is such:
1. Mr.Robinson is the man behind the idea and success of FR.
2. Many others devote time and money to the cause, but it is Jim's risks and devotion that have made it what it is.
3. We have collectively made a difference. In the Impeachment of a most unworthy man - X-42 - and have helped elect our current president.
4. We have added and lost many, most of all growijng far beyond waht many evet thought possible. And in the growth has come a great amount of unfamiliarty. That means a lot of people have no idea who they are "talking" to. We have also had a fair share of fifth columnists aka disruptors.
5. With the success of FR has come a good amount of newbies. People with the best of intentions that are unfamiliar with FR ways. Vanities, vanities of vanities, and genral offenses of a decorum that is always in flux. In short, mob rule but with some limits to civility.
That is my take on FR. Sometimes an active role. Sometimes a breather, particularly after the previous crisis of X=42. We can all do better in life. But chances are good we will never reach the level of impact one James Robinson, USN (ret), will ever make on this nation's political framework.
One can certainly hope though.
I thought you were going to tell everyone what happened the time Eschoir took Viagra.
I just want to make sure no one misses your comment.
Please keep up the excellent work- we all appreciate it very much. And you can now count me a regular contributer.
If I knew that when I met you, I'd have punched you in the nose!
I agree. Donations are too sporadic. Jim needs a reliable source of monthly income to keep this place running. Where do I sign up?
I have little doubt that it weren't for Freepers taking it to the streets late last year; we would be looking at an AL GORE presidency. If you agree, then HOW MUCH was it worth to you to help keep AL GORE out of the White House? Think about it...
Get out .. I'm ready .. SHOW ME THE MONEY .. hehe
Hey BadJoe .. got a question .. I signed up for the monthly donations .. do I have to redo it for the next quarter .. or will it just roll over??
And Jim ... oh please don't get rid of FR .. I'll be force back to yelling at the TV .. I don't know if my marriage could take .. lol
Over the years I've noticed that a small minority of conservatives actually do not like success.They bitch,moan & criticize everything without ever really doing anything themselves.
You have become a leader of the conservative movement.
The vast majority of Freepers would follow you into hell
The money will be found. BTW, since when is there something wrong with making a buck.You should pay yourself a good salary.Anyone who objects is a jerkoff and in my opinion not a conservative.You have the best site on the internet and should be compensated for it's use.
Sound corny? Perhaps, but I challenge anyone to refute that statement. Think about it, this is a clearinghouse of info, if it involves politics, it passes through here. The dynamics of 50,000+(or whatever the number is) patriots, some of the wisest and savviest persons alive, insure all significant bodies of thought are revealed, addressed, analyzed, or exposed. In effect, FR is to conservatism(and national and world politics in extension) what the Left Bank was to the Literati a century before. "The Right Bank of the Sane", if you will.
As much as I love and appreciate Rush Limbaugh's show, I can make do without him. I'd have a much more difficult time giving up FR, it is to political efficiency what the computer was to scientists. Its hard to imagine life without FR, would be like getting rid of your air conditioner, refrigerator, and electricity.
If money is a problem, please go to some sort of pay system. Maybe $12 a year(a measly dollar a month), keeping at least half the registered users should bring in $300K, and I bet you'd get at least 35,000 to start with. Any freeloader who can't recognized the extreme value of this site might be doing us a favor by opting out, I'm not sure someone with such lack of judgement would really have anything meaningful to contribute(other than perhaps breaking news that the trailer down the street was hit by a tornado).
So yes, this site is certainly valuable to the point of being near indispensible, a cornerstone of my continuing education. Thankyou Jim Robinson, your creation has placed you in the company of Rush Limbaugh, Ronald Reagan, Bill Gates, and Henry Ford.
I guess I'll have to buy the daggon site to keep my wife from committing suicide. Whadaya say, Jim?
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