Distribution via the Unanswered Questions Wire
911Truth Finances: Belated Truths of Our Own
To all 911Truth list members and other visitors to our site,
Since our up-against-the-wailing-wall funds plea yesterday (12/2/04) we have already received quite a few hundred
dollars for which we are extremely grateful. We've also gotten a few notes telling us to go shakedown our alleged
"backers" Adnan Khasshoggi, Terry McAuliffe or George Soros which we found so hilarious we're sort of grateful for them
too. There was some legitimate questioning of our financial history though, the most thoughtful of which we reproduce
below.
In answer to the main money questions, we readily admit we should have been practicing a lot more of the transparency
that we advocate for everyone else. We have been quiet about our backing not because it is so sinister or powerful, but
because there has been so very little there at all. We have indeed been enormously effective and trying to look and act
"professional" despite the funder shortfall, and just presumed (and prayed) that we were also operating in a righteous
field of dreams zone and "when we built it they would come."
Since we first got our act together this year in April until the end of October, our entire operating budget for
rallies, projects, websites, PR, salaries, telecom and office supplies has been something like $75,000. (Our costs on
the other hand have exceeded $95 thou, the difference being foregone salaries and out-of-pocket expenses which we
certainly did miss but could hardly grudge given the circumstances.)
As for sources, our main backing ($50,000) came early on from 3 private families - an 80-yr-old semi-retired inventor & his wife (both Nader champions); a retired Midwestern doctor (whose recently turned Green in disgust), and a West Coast
writer/activist (liberal/independent). (All names will be released by law in our year-end financial statements, but for
now we honor their wishes for anonymity.)
Otherwise we have received $500 checks from a half dozen private donors around the country whose politics we know not,
about $5000 in small donations from the Affero site, and about $16 thou from an environmental visionary & 9/11 activist earmarked to help our Zogby Poll and the Spitzer complaint.
Compare this with the budgets of any other national activist outfit you've ever heard of and you'll understand why we
say with great confidence that we're the most cost-effective kids on the block and every donation we receive generates
an enormous bang per buck. (Contrast our working capital, for example, with the $6 million plus "average" annual budgets
of the top 40 groups working on Mad Cow disease this last year. Source: www.gmwatch.org)
We are obviously not thrilled by our financial straits and have been talking forever about enlisting pro fundraising
help. But every so-called pro we have ever approached has heard the words "9/11 crimes" and run for the door. There also
is the fact that we came to life amid an exceptionally bitter election campaign where all the "smart money" was flowing
exclusively to exorbitant ad campaigns and voter registration drives. Both the Kerry and even Kucinich teams prohibited
9/11 questions and that word went out loudly and all their backers fell in line.
(We don't in fact consider 9/11 a partisan issue overall even though the main cast of suspects happens to be neocon
today. We generally believe the 9/11 tragedy was just one vile enabling moment in a much vaster usurpation of democracy
by unbridled corporate power that both parties have been complicit in for most of recent history. If we have any common
political sympathies at all they are probably with the Greens, Libertarians and disgusted independents who have seen
through this takeover and are working to take back our media, economy and democracy from the grassroots up.)
So we have thus far not been blessed by fundraising genius nor do we have "important friends", but we do know our work
and we trust in the universe. In fact, one of our directors Catherine Austin Fitts gave us a great saying from the hills
of Tennessee, "if we can face it, God can fix it." We just pray that includes both our disastrous plight nationally as
well as our local poverty.
So that's our fiscal story in a nutshell to date. We remain a pretty lean mean outfit fueled less by bucks than buckets
of blood, sweat and tears. And although we may all dream of doing well by doing good, at this point just breaking even
would be incredibly fine indeed.
Yours in belated openness,
david kubiak
for 911truth.org
PS: Stay tuned for a new national media competition that we will be breaking by year-end. It is called "911 in 30
Seconds" and will expose democracy-threatening truth emergencies from 9/11 to election fraud. If you're creative and
broke yourself but want to aid the cause, participating in this contest may be a priceless way to help.
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BEST OF THE LETTERS THAT PROMPTED OUR RESPONSE
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Hi David, Your email is extremely interesting - and timely. And here's why....
With the fact of your gorgeous web site and the fact that you have "staff"....I have to be very very honest with you -
there has been discussion as to "Where DO they get their money???"
As I am sure you know, for any individuals skeptic of the government... there is always the worry of "If they are so
polished and have a staff, just who in the world is funding them?????" You get my drift? There are many supposed
"liberal" organizations which...if you follow their money trail...are being financed by many large corporations and
foundations and the money trail often suggests the "leftgatekeeper" syndrome...that, is, the left is perceived of being
there in a controlled way, so as not to get into the "real" stuff, ie, the nitty gritty actual very un-attractive truth.
So the timing of your email is very good. But it should have been "out there," I do think, quite a few months ago.
Because with the appearance of having a very strong movement (ie, expensive website and "staff" per se), it has appeared
that you are heavily funded.
I think now - well, you can't undo the past. The finance issue should have been addressed initially, I think, so that so
many would have felt more comfortable helping with your movement. I mean, who wants to help an organization when it is
feared it could be funded by the very beast that actually itself arranged for the attacks to happen? Do you realize that
this is why more than just a few people have not stepped forth to help your efforts in a greater capacity? If there had
been a mom & pop makeshift website and only "volunteers" listed (vs. the word "staff") it would have made many more comfortable with
participating...
Let's face it. The 9/11 truth movement stands to hurt not only W & Co. It stands to hurt, in a major way, all the legislators who know or even suspect something is wrong with the whole
official story. By blowing open the 9/11 truth... the entire government (almost) is blown wide open. That whole thing
has major implications.
Therefore, many "truth activists" work silently and behind the scenes, not ever really knowing who is working for the
government and who can be trusted.
Okay, so the past is past. I am not writing to criticize but hopefully to help you better understand why no one
previously was participating as much as you might think that they would... You have to somehow let the world know how
you were funded... How you got the money to pay for the glitzy website, and the court filings, and the "staff" etc...
People can not place blind trust in anyone anymore. Isn't that sad? Used to be that when someone started an
organization, we would all believe that their motives were good and honest and pure. Now, we tend to think right off...
What are they trying to really do? Who are they trying to protect? What are they trying to cover up? What disinfo agent
are they working with?
My family had a cousin's kid narrowly escape death while working in the second tower. He and one co-worker were the only
ones in his office who decided to ignore the PA system that told them to stay put. Imagine the thought that must always
stay with him about other co-workers who stayed behind? That feeling must be horrifying, and it never goes away. And
even though reportedly he is handling it okay... he will never be the same again. And my godmother and her brother in
laws had bar/cafes that had not yet reported to work, as they had cafes open only at lunch. So they lost their 2
businesses not once but twice (first time in 2/93). And my relatives lived in Stuyvesant and I know that since they
didn't have A/C, they were breathing in the bad air and my aunt died not long after it... Coincidence? We'll never know.
So as you can imagine, I want the truth to come out because my family was personally affected that day - as well, as, of
course, all the other reasons why people want truth and justice in government.
Okay, so now I've told you a bit about me. And I just might suggest that you write a bit more about your funding in the
past months... so that people feel more comfortable pitching in to help.
Next question - Do you have a fundraising department, per se???
Thanks for listening. It would have been easier for me to not write at all, but I don't know if others have been telling
you about the perception of your organization - and hopefully this may give you a clue why participation isn't even
greater than it is. And also, hopefully, if you realize this is a problem, you can try to make the finances quite
transparent - maybe even prepare a public accounting of finances, such as $10 donation by Mary S, Austin, TX, something
like that? That way, if you make it available (upon request) then people will be more inclined to feel comfortable with
the group... again, just a suggestion to help you.
And thanks so much for all you do,
Cathy G in MD
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