Can you answer my post found here so I can get back to my regularly scheduled freeping?
;)
Me too. By the way, I hope that my earlier posts did not leave the wrong immpression. Thanks for Free Republic and please keep the lights on!
First off Jim, did you read my e-mail to you last week or so? I ansewred to your e-mail to me. I thought I made myself clear, but obviously I didn't, or maybe you didn't read it.
Jim, in no way do I want FR to be gone, and I have never charged you or anyone else with fraud. Show me where I've called FR fraudulent an I'll send you $100 bucks. What I suggested to you was my opinion that full disclosure of the FR funds is the best way to shut up the Af'ers. It would also in my opinion bring in more funds from those who are undecided or afraid to donate. It's also just good business. I don't believe the lawsuits make any difference as all funds are solicited publicly here. They know how much money is raised, Joe posts it as it comes in.
Claims that I've turned into an AF'er is just plain wrong Jim. If you've read my posts over there, you would see that I have stood up for FR in most every instance. I have tried to fill those guys in on some facts about my knowledge of FR activities. I have also stated some of my displeasure with FR, it's a free country Jim, anyone can post on any internet site they want. Just because they do doesn't make them AF'ers. You know that right before Callahan was banned he was sort of warned by Bob J to quit posting on AF boards. A short while later, boom, he's banned from FR. I found that to be troubling.
Now, about this cruise business. Bob stated correctly that I was on the original cruise committee. As you probably know, the committee had had it's own secret site for committee members to plan the cruise on. It was on this site that Bob posted a thread one night titled "Don't mention the Travel Agent Fee Split". Apparently some people had asked Seeking the Truth some questions about the cruise raising money. As a member of the committee I could not in good consciense continue to serve if the fact that raising funds was going to be concealed. Call me goofy or what ever, thats just the way I am. After 6 or so cruise threads on FR, I urged Diotima to make this public, she did, but not completly to my satisfaction. All the thread said was "Proceeds to benefit FRN". No mention of the travel agent fee split. No mention of how funds were being raised. No accounting of how they were to be spent. So yesterday, about 6 weeks after the cruise, I ask Dio how much was raised. The standard answer of it's none of your business came back. Then I was slammed as an AF'er trolling for dirt. Nothing could be further from the truth. An accouting is owed to those who went on the cruise, and to the forum. At least you provide some idea where the FR money is used. So far, nothing from the cruise. I would also mention that 2 other FAB members requested of Bob to make the fundraising public, they were told to go to hell.
I was also troubled that Joe made my donation status available to Bob. I thought this was supposed to be confidential information. I refinanced my home and used some extra cash to close out my credit cards. I ask Joe to please stop my donation, fully intending to start back up as soon as I closed on my new loan. But I get a late night phone call from Bob asking me why I quit giving money to FR. This also troubled me. As you know there were/are some internal conflicts among some FAB members and I felt like Bob was trying to get me to align myself with him against Connie. I just wasn't into playing those silly games, so I left the FAB, and FR except for reading the news.
I see that Bob weighed in earlier and he thinks I want an accounting for me, not true, I think all Freepers deserve an accounting of some sort, just MHO. If it ain't coming so be it. Others are free to do as they wish. I helped this site raise alot of money and I decided not to be party anymore without full disclosure, thats my right. You have your rights as well, use em as you see fit. No hard feelings from me. I hope you raise a million bucks.
Best Wishes
chuck
ps, thanks Topaz for the kind words, you're right on the mark.