From Michael:

Hello everyone,

Currently (thanks to donations) CGCS is solvent until the end of December 2009. The cost of keeping the forum running is $120.00 per month. This is $1,440.00 per year. I have never taken any money from CGCS and have spent quite a bit. Generous donations from subscribing members have really been what is keeping the forum going. The subscription fees aren't really covering expenses.

If the forum is to continue into 2010, we need donations to make us solvent. Most subscriptions won't need to be renewed until April 2010 so we can't count on much help there. What we need is about $1,500.00 per year to keep going. I know some have suggested increasing subscription fees, but I don't see that as a sure source of income. Some have suggested advertising, but we only get money if people click through the ads and I really like that the site is ad-free.

Therefore, I see the only realistic means of keeping going is donations.

$150.00 each from 10 people would do it.
$75.00 each from 20 people would do it.
$50.00 each from 30 people would do it.

I know this is a tough economy, I can attest to that personally because I have been struggling to find work for over a year and my personal savings are just about depleted. This is mainly why I have not been around much, but thankfully it seems that the number of disputes that needed to be resolved (those that can be) have been very few over the last year. I have been struggling for my own survival, have no health care and have been battling serious illness for over a year and paying out of pocket for prescription meds.

I really don't want this to be a discussion about the shortcomings of the forum, just a call for donations. Are there 30 subscribing members than can donate $50.00 each to keep this forum going, or some combination of the above list?

Please respond here or feel free to PM me if you would rather contact me privately.

As always kindest regards,


Michael

For those of you guests who visit CGCS and enjoy reading the commentary, articles, Cafe, issue disputes among members, we need your
contributions as well. There is no such thing as a free lunch, and this is especially true in recessionary times. Without financial donations,
CGCS will not continue after December.

Will people see this up here, Snuf?

I just noticed it myself ....

A quick tally of some back channel things shows that about 1/2 is already attainable (though its only in writing so far)...

We need to on paper get the pledge total to as close to the amount as possible...

I think pm either snuff or me and lets see how close we can get to the $1440.

We need a TELETHON, graham ...

believe now about $725 is accounted for
that is a little more than 1/2 way there

$1440 needed
$725 pledged

$715 still needed...

Are you the contact person, graham?

How do people contact you?

people can pm snuffysmith or me right here by hitting the new messages above then sending a PM to either of us

(and at some point they need to send in the money through paypal or money order to michael)

So feel free to PM either of us, and names can be and will be kept off this thread

Sent a little a day or two ago. Will most probably send more soon.

Same here

from what I can gather, I believe the total is now around $1000.00 (may be a little higher), and comes now from 8 people

So that leaves about $440 more

there are 2 I don't know the exact totals, so this is an estimate, and some of this is in pledges, some actually sent...

Those that haven't please email snuffysmith or myself and let us know totals, so we can know how much more we gotta dig up

I wish I could help... I have not been paid in three weeks...

And for anyone like me who does not use PayPal, simply go to the Post Office and get a postal money order and send it to this address:

Common Ground Common Sense
944 N Street
Springfield, OR 97477

I'll chip in. I haven't been online much the last week or two because of a heavy workload.... but I'll send some $$$ in the next few days.

Are we supposed to let someone know... ie Graham.... since it looks like he's keeping a tally of pledges ???

OUCH !!!

If they are sent in direct, Michael will let graham know ...

you can pm me if you want...I got a running total that includes pledges
michael knows the actual amount already paid
add the two together and it should be approx. what is needed for the year 2010

I haven't decided how much I'm going to donate yet. To be honest, I'm not sure this forum is worth saving. If it's come down to donations, we should just make membership free again and do more frequent calls for donations.

Or maybe we should charge money per post.

the forum will be saved, its just a matter of how many or how few different people donate to get that amount (and is it fair to make just a handful pay a much larger amount?)


I did suggest to Michael though, that anyone who donates now should then have their entire 2010 paid for (so one doesn't need to send in the $7.95 in the late winter/early spring or whenever in 2010, and maybe make it a calender year from then on.

I also suggested maybe some of those donating can forward a subscribers name or three for ones in the past who haven't the funds right now to have signed back but that is just a suggestion. Maybe a prior posting core group of 25 to 35 can be brought back, and that may inspire one of them towards end of next year to pass it forward too (but it's just a suggestion).

I don't think we should be paying much more than $50 per member. If we are below the 30 members willing to pay at least $50 and shrinking, then we are in denial about how uninteresting we are as a discussion forum.

billfmsd ....

You yourself may be uninteresting ....

But like graham, I believe that the forum is well worth saving ....

And I am going to make a donation to help that happen, saving the forum, I mean ....

And so ...

on the "future of" thread, michael has made an update

come on folks-many have still not been heard from
any amount would be fine

Well, graham ....

I'm just now coming here from the post office where I put my donation into the mail today ...

And so ...

Is it worth donating extra money beyond my yearly dues to make sure that CGCS is still going to be here tomarrow?

Obviously yes, since I just put a donation into the mail for that very purpose ...

CGCS is something very unique in my life as an older disabled veteran living out in the countryside who is more or less homebound ....

I get to travel around in here ....

Buzz on down to Arkansas to chat with rla, and jimiray, who incidentally is COUNTRY MUSIC MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR, and yet, is still humble enough to come in here with us common folk and hang out and act just like any other regular person would ....

If it were not for CGCS, I wouldn't have met these people, and many others in here as well over time, names too numerous to mention ....

And the chat is good in here, I find, even if there are those who feel that it is just too dull and uninteresting for their tastes ....

That is still the beauty of being an American ....

If you don't like the product, you don't have to buy it ....

And so it is with CGCS, as well ....

And so ....

Can they do it, America and the world?

Can a virtual handful of dedicated people keep CommonGroundCommonSense, a bastion of freedom in America, on the air for another year despite all of the odds against it?

I for one believe so .....

And so ...

I'm not here much but will try to send something when I can. Sorry but it's been a terrible year for us with medical expenses (and other stuff). On a bright note I started an Avon biz on the side so maybe I will make some extra money above and beyond my regular job (no raise in 2 years there).
It may be another week or so though before I can send anything.

It's nice to hear from you, RWS ....

Whether you can give or not, it is nice to hear from you ....

And thanks for caring, RWS ...

As an older person whose quality of life is greatly enhanced by CGCS, I would like to thank Snuf and graham for stepping up to the plate with this CYBERSPACE TELETHON in here to let us know that CGCS needs our help to stay on the air as a bastion of freedom here in the USA ....

And the candid world as well ....

Since we are uncensored in here or unedited by either political party .....

Nor are we beholden to some corporate interest .....

And so ...

heylivyjr-
did you ever notice when it's Money time,
nice people like you and RWS, who don't have extra and are going through hardtimes, make sure to acknoledge this thread and send in something

did you ever notice that others, WHO CAN AFFORD IT MANY TIMES OVER sheepishly dive under the covers when the doorbell rings like at halloween,
thinking they can fool the people into thinking nobodies home, so to say?

then after the money is confirmed in and enough, they will come back out in the daylight???
(this only refers to those who can, not those who can't).
just a thought.

Well, graham ....

In the end, it is a question of values, in part ....

Is CGCS of great value to me in my own life to the point of where I would go a bit of an extra mile to make sure that it is here?

I have answered that question in the affirmative above here, because it is true ....

For the money it costs me to register in here each year, I couldn't buy something of equal value ....

Here, for $7.95 a year, I have a very sophisticated COMMUNICATION SYSTEM that allows me to carry on running conversations with people such as yourself and Snuf and rla and jeffmoskin and TROU and IS4U and that list goes on and on and on ....

So, in a sense, it is a social gathering with a high intellectual content and a fun factor as well that I am willing to keep supporting with my donation ...

I guess the real question is what would it mean in our individual lives if CGCS were no longer to be here, readily available to us, as some people certainly wish ....

CAN THOSE WHO WISH TO SEE CGCS STAY ON THE AIR AS A BASTION OF FREEDOM PREVAIL OVER THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SEE CGCS OFF THE AIR FOREVER?

That is what it comes down to, to me, graham ....

One of those "which side are you on" kinds of questions that come along every now and then in one's lifetime ....

Only a few prefer liberty, perhaps, graham ....

As for the rest, all they seek is a kind master ....

Those we are not likely to see here at CGCS ...

And ....

HATRIOT: someone who professes to love America but who hates CGCS for the freedom it allows us common folks to express ourselves ....

- People's New World Dictionary

now that is a definition we can all agree on

those who want CGCS shut, don't want people to have the ability to communicate.

COMMON GROUND, graham ..

What a loss it would be to not have CGCS in our lives ...

I wouldn't get to find out what rla is on about each day ....

And what a loss that would be ...

And so ...

what is a shame is, some of those out there (who can afford it many times over) feel that only a few should pay
and not them

remember,

make believe I am sitting in a dunking pool and you are thrrowing the ball at the arrow
only way you can dunk me is by having it stay around

3 verbal dunkings for each $8.00

It is what it is like it always is, graham ....

So be it ....

Any updates on how the TELETHON is going?

Will the HATRIOTS win?

Will our voices finally be suppressed?

And so ...

We interrupt your regular reading habits to bring you the following important announcement: ConnonGroundCommonSense needs your financial support!

We're not in the habit of making idle threats and this isn't one. Either we meet our fundraising goal over the next month or we'll be forced to close or drastically curtail the operation of our website. It's near the end of our year and the wolves are gathering at the door.

CommonGroundCommonSense has been supported almost entirely by subscribers to the site who wish to post comments. We don't clutter the site by selling annoying popup ads. We aren't on the receiving end of six-figure grants from big foundations. George Soros doesn't have us on retainer. And we don't sell tickets on cruiseliners or to rock concerts.

The continued existence of CommonGroundCommonSense depends solely on the support and dedication of our readers. And we know there are a lot of you. Our website receives thousands of hits and readers each day-and those readership numbers are growing by the month. Of course, all these readers chew up a lot of bandwidth and that costs money.

Barack Obama came into office preaching hope and promising change. Nine months later, hope is diminishing and change has yet to arrive. From the cratering economy to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, from warrantless wiretaps to a fatally compromised health care plan, from banker bailouts to ongoing rendition flights, this new administration governs a lot like the old. In spite of this, many progressive outlets have gone soft on Obama. We haven't, you haven't, and CGCS encourages debate and commentary on what is going on in this country.

Unlike many other outfits, we don't hit you up for money every month ... or even every quarter. This is the first time we are asking for your support beyond a subscription, and going forward may likely be a one time annual request. But when we ask, we mean it. Please, use our secure server make a donation to CommonGroundCommonSense today .

CGCS has receivede $775.00 towards its goal. In short, we are only half way there. Please help to make up the difference.
We would like to be in the position of being able to finance CGCS for the entire 2010 year. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.
The Snuff

Thanks for the update, Snuf ...

Hey Guys
Where else are you going to get a heads up on some news items that are especially relevant to many readers here? See:

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/11/09/ta...ry5595506.shtml