[Topaz]

Heya Topaz....did I miss something or did Chuck Allens questions get answered for you? (you said you were uneasy about supporting donations)

My knee-jerk reaction is to defend chuck allen because I have known him to be good guy and friend of FR. I still am not sure what chuck's beef is, but it is not my beef. My statement was that I empathize with his questions and my preference would be as transparent an accounting of FR as possible(damn liberals and thier lawsuits!), and I don't think what I have seen of chuck's supposed transgressions were worthy of him being banned, but none of that changes my mind about JimRob and BADJOE being honorable men that try very hard to be fair and that Free Republic is very worthy of my support. I am content that the dollars raised for FR are spent wisely. Anyway, if JR put all the money on the floor and burned it I would probably still support the site. I would just like to know this so that when prospective donors ask me I could tell them.

I love this site and I think it has and will continue to make a difference in the causes that I believe in, I'm just dissapointed that chuck got mixed up in some kind of misunderstanding.

For all the good things that it does support Free Republic by secure server here

[francisandbeans]

that's cool...I was hoping chuck would come on to this thread and ask his questions, but it appears that he is taking the day off....I just thought I may have missed it.

[Jim Robinson]

Chuck Allen was never banned. I wish we could clear up whatever it is that is bugging him.

[Bob J]

Tope, Jim doesn't post all the laundry for many reasons, almost all of which I agree with. Can you imagine our detractors going over every expense with a fine tooth comb? On the cruise alone, they were going to every travel site on the net to see if they could beat our price by $5. When they did (really...$5!), they claimed we were "ripping off the FReepers". It's none of their business and they have no right to ask such a thing. Why invite headaches?

I'm sure Jim knows that by not publically posting every single expense of FR that it may tend to raise questions (almost exclusively from antagonists) about how the money is spent. The alternative is much worse and is just something we have to expect and trust Jim about. I do.

Anyway, if you want to give people a general breakdown this is what I would estimate...

Bandwidth - 45%
Site supervision (Jim) - 27%
Website management/programming (John) - 13%
Accounting and bookeeping - 7%
Miscellaneous (equipment, legal, office, etc.) 7%

The Afers keep making accusations that donations go to pay travel, hotel and bartabs of "organizers". This is a flat out lie. In the past, travel expenses may have gone to pay Jim's way to SOME events (for all I know he may pay out of his pocket), but, the only travel related expense paid for by FR that I can remember was a room at the March For Justice (Oct 98) that ANV decided to book for organizers and guests to meet/plan/execute the event (We were at different hotels). As it turned out it wasn't used much so we haven't done that since.

As far as I am aware, and I've been involved in just about everything we've ever done, all volunteers at EVERY FReep event we have had have paid their own way. For the malcontentents and cretins at the AF sites to claim otherwise is a lie and slanderous and one day may end them up in court themselves. As soon as we get around to deciding if they are worth it...heheh.