$100k needed by Friday for Blimp or the media will have a field day laughing at us

[Mark]

Making it non profit perhaps?

They had that option and ignored it, and attacked the person who offered it, and had him banned.

 

[reduen]

Further, post these Blimp threads in the proper forum and you will hear no more from me on this topic. It is certainly not a grassroots effort to me anymore, it is just another business trying to make a dollar off of the good DR.

Having said this, I do not disagree with the notion of making a profit to the mutual benefit of the business and the campaign but promoting it to be a grassroots effort and then changing it is what turned me off of this project!

I think that the floks running this thing could take a good lesson in patriotism from our good fellow LLepard..

 

[areyou4real]

I'm sure there will be some people that will continue to fund it but im willing to bet more than half of the pledges dry up after the job it was intended to do is completed.

And if that happens, it will be what the free market wants. Their "business" will not succeed, if their customers are not satisfied with the product. No one will buy it.

I researched the Blimp project and I believe it is a worthwhile effort on the whole.

Would I have done the project differently? Yes.

Is anyone forcing me to support the Blimp? No.

Am I willing to start my own Blimp project, so that I can have it just the way I want it? No.

What I suggest everyone do is step back and look at the big picture.

Do you support the blimp concept in general? If so, then the immediate concern is to get it in the air ASAP for the early primaries. Time is critcal.

IMO, even with its flaws, this is the only Blimp project out there that actually has a legitimate chance to materialize in some form sooner than later.

 

[firebirdnation]

What exactly makes you believe this will turn into a business venture that will make big profits for it's owners? We see the salaries on the website, it isn't extravagant. What is your source?

What makes you believe they plan on folding up shop once they get their business off the ground? What is your source?

Do you think these folks quit their jobs and moved out of their homes in order to make $500 a week?

 

[Derek Johnson]

Blimp or no blimp, if Huck wins Iowa [and he might] we are stuck in butter.

Make your pledged blimp donation, make an appeal to someone you know with deep pockets if yours are not deep, Mr. Lepard, sir?

Then call Iowa, write to Iowa, visit Iowa.

If don't win Iowa or come darn close to winning, then Huck becomes the darling. The endorsements for Huck will go viral. Don't let this happen.

Do something about Iowa, do everything about Iowa.

 

[Mark]

Maybe there is some sort of FEC statutes that I dont understand, but since the official campaign is having so much trouble spending the millions that have been donated, why cant they just cover the 100,000 short fall. Would obviously be well worth the money- making sure the blimp happens would be more valuable than one more radio ad.

Yes, against FEC rules.

The campaign can not even be contacted or connected with the project
without being a complete cluster of trouble.

 

[torchbearer]

Two questions:

1. Are a few folks starting a business off this project?

2. Could they start this business without these "buying ad minutes"?

It was very sneaky because the original project was a grassroots effort and not a business venture. They continue to use Ron Pauls name in order to start this business, and the front page is almost identical to the one they presented to us at first, expect for the change in graphics and they are using the same domain name. I never said it was immoral, but it sure is sneaky IMO.

Before people build a strip mall, they first secure the leases(your ad time) before they begin construction to ensure they have the money to build the mall or office building. this is common business practice... may not teach that in school, but any successful business begin in this manner.

 

[firebirdnation]

Further, post these Blimp threads in the proper forum and you will hear no more from me on this topic. It is certainly not a grassroots effort to me anymore, it is just another business trying to make a dollar off of the good DR.

Having said this, I do not disagree with the notion of making a profit to the mutual benefit of the business and the campaign but promoting it to be a grassroots effort and then changing it is what turned me off of this project!

I think that the floks running this thing could take a good lesson in patriotism from our good fellow LLepard..

I agree 100%, I stay away from the blimp forum and discussions because its not something I am interested in, but why do they continue to spam the grassroots forum?

 

[adwads]

I just donated to the blimp.

 

[Mark]

"Huge paid staff?"....$500 per week?

They couldnt do this as a PAC...it would be a nightmare.

Remember, at first it was 10 staff members at $1000 each per week.

$520,000 per year, not counting their personal expense accounts.

They didn't need a PAC.

A simple non 501(c)3 non-profit was perfect.

They chose not to form one, or accept an offer from one.

Instead they created a for-profit LLC.

 

[louisiana4liberty]

These donation websites are probably selling email lists as I write. The Internet is a risky place to do biz. Donor beware! I seriously doubt anyone will ever see a refund if this thing doesn't get of the ground.

Just my honest opinion.

 

[nathanmn]

And if that happens, it will be what the free market wants. Their "business" will not succeed, if their customers are not satisfied with the product. No one will buy it.

I researched the Blimp project and I believe it is a worthwhile effort on the whole.

Would I have done the project differently? Yes.

Is anyone forcing me to support the Blimp? No.

Am I willing to start my own Blimp project, so that I can have it just the way I want it? No.

What I suggest everyone do is step back and look at the big picture.

Do you support the blimp concept in general? If so, then the immediate concern is to get it in the air ASAP for the early primaries. Time is critcal.

IMO, even with its flaws, this is the only Blimp project out there that actually has a legitimate chance to materialize in some form sooner than later.

QFT!

 

[Mark]

they need your help to survive. Take one for the team guys they need you over there.

Why. They didn't even talk to someone who offered to cover all expenses.

EVERYTHING. Do you understand? They didn't even bother to talk to the person.

 

[matthylland]

And if that happens, it will be what the free market wants. Their "business" will not succeed, if their customers are not satisfied with the product. No one will buy it.

I researched the Blimp project and I believe it is a worthwhile effort on the whole.

Would I have done the project differently? Yes.

Is anyone forcing me to support the Blimp? No.

Am I willing to start my own Blimp project, so that I can have it just the way I want it? No.

What I suggest everyone do is step back and look at the big picture.

Do you support the blimp concept in general? If so, then the immediate concern is to get it in the air ASAP for the early primaries. Time is critcal.

IMO, even with its flaws, this is the only Blimp project out there that actually has a legitimate chance to materialize in some form sooner than later.

agreed, everyone needs to read this!

I have gotten my parents to donate, i have as well, neither of us pledged

 

[torchbearer]

These donation websites are probably selling email lists as I write. The Internet is a risky place to do biz. Donor beware! I seriously doubt anyone will ever see a refund if this thing doesn't get of the ground.

Just my honest opinion.

I take it you missed all of the debate over the last few days? I mean it has to be the reason... because if you just read three days of bitching about what you just said... and the concessions that were made... and refund policies.... the fact that one of the guys heading the project has also done work for my congressional campaign... they have retained a former chair of the FEC... and trevor will not sale you email addresses. He doesn't have your permission to do it, you could sue him for it.

 

[newbitech]

shouldn't the blimp company be donating to Ron Paul and not the other way around?

Love the idea!

Hate the profiteering

Why I won't support it? Still have 1700$ to donate on Dec 16th. Blimp guys, kudos for making a splash with the people who have already pledged 2.3k. Please understand that you are bit players in history. I know that if you guys had time to plan this sooner it wouldn't have been so messy. If and when the blimp gets off the ground, I will give in to the sentiment. Until then, please market more wisely in the future!

 

[firebirdnation]

Before people build a strip mall, the first secure the leases(you ad time) before the begin construction to ensure they have the money to build the mall or office building. this is common business practice... may not teach that in school, but any successful business begin in this manner.

I posed two questions, why didn't you just answer them? Here they are again:

Two questions:

1. Are a few folks starting a business off this project?

2. Could they start this business without these "buying ad minutes"?

It was very sneaky because the original project was a grassroots effort and not a business venture. They continue to use Ron Pauls name in order to start this business, and the front page is almost identical to the one they presented to us at first, expect for the change in graphics and they are using the same domain name. I never said it was immoral, but it sure is sneaky IMO

You have introduced a red herring, but I will address it. First of all, those who plan to build a strip mall will not suggest its a non-profit venture for the community and then turn around and change their mind after they already have a bunch of people financially committed to the project. And if they did change their mind from a non-profit to a for profit venture, don't you think they would be obligated to not mislead those who were already committed? Do you see the difference? They may not teach you that in school, but it’s wrong to mislead people.

 

[dircha]

Further, post these Blimp threads in the proper forum and you will hear no more from me on this topic. It is certainly not a grassroots effort to me anymore, it is just another business trying to make a dollar off of the good DR.

Having said this, I do not disagree with the notion of making a profit to the mutual benefit of the business and the campaign but promoting it to be a grassroots effort and then changing it is what turned me off of this project!

I think that the floks running this thing could take a good lesson in patriotism from our good fellow LLepard..

Actually, they appear to be cleverly exploiting a legal loophole in the letter of federal election law that they believe allows them to do what FECA established PACs to regulate, but avoiding both the regulations and the need to register as a PAC.

Now, I believe those regulations are an unconstitutional abridgment of speech, and I suspect Ron Paul does too.

The only thing that bothers me is that the sole legitimate advantage of exploiting this loophole in the first place is to bypass the federal campaign contribution limits which the great majority of us can't afford to contribute enough to worry about anyhow. And in exchange for doing this, I tend to think they are putting themselves at substantial legal risk, so I sure hope those lawyers are as good as they say they are.

So if you are a potential contributor, what you should be asking yourself is whether you believe the decision to exploit this untested legal loophole to allow very wealthy individuals (who we are very thankful for) to exceed the federal campaign contribution limits for this project, is worth all of the negative reaction (which doesn't make a lot of sense to me).

And to my knowledge the salaries have nothing to do with being a PAC or not, so I think they are separate issues. They could use some of the proceeds to pay salaries for the project whether they are a PAC or not.

 

[mstrmac1]

Well who the hell pledges and doesn't pay? Asshats!

Look I'm convinced the MSM isn't going to do shit for us, this blimp is one of the best ideas we got. Seriously, think about how many people will see this thing! Jesus, if you pledged pay up!

Calling people asshats is a great way to get them to donate! Us asshats work hard for our money and want to make sure our investment will pay off... dickhead!

 

[Mark]

The Blimp idea has already caught the news media attention, .

Do you know why?

It didn't "catch" the media's attention.

They went to the media and told them it was going to happen before they had any money.