[lir-wg] Re: 50% increase in RIPE fees ? Since when ?

Hi,

On Mon, Nov 25, 2002 at 04:44:45PM -0000, Peter Galbavy wrote:
> > Activities of the RIPE NCC, including its operation and
> > yearly fee structure, are approved by the membership as
> > proposed in the annual RIPE NCC Activity Plan. The RIPE NCC
> > Activity Plan is formed on input from the RIPE community
> > and users of RIPE NCC services.
> 
> you forgot to add "... and can be read in a locked filing cabinet in the
> basement, stored in a disused lavoratory marked beware of the leopard." Or
> whatever the full quote is.

But that's not true in this case.  The proposed activity plan was
announced *right not this list*, and in good time to add comments and
eventually make people vote on the AGM against it.

[..]
> But the costs are increasing ? No, that's not right. Less 'customers', less
> 'costs'. A drop in membership results in a 50% increase in costs ? I charge
> that there must be some gross inefficiencies, bad management practicies and
> even potentially some nest-feathering going on.

While I can understand your anger - why don't you just go and *read*
the RIPE document with all the numbers in it?  This year there was a 
net *loss*, as the "new members" rate was far lower than planned - and
much of the budget (like RIPE training courses) is planned to be paid
from thoese fees.

> I *know* I am out of touch, I do not have the time or money to attend ever
> broom-cupboard meeting held by RIPE. Is there an independent board that is
> charged with overseeing that money is not wasted in lean years ? 

That would be the RIPE board.

[..]
> For example, how do we seperate the entitities that are RIPE and RIPE-NCC ?

Ummm.  They are separate.  RIPE is "the community".  The RIPE NCC is the
body that does the work for us, and is paid for doing that.  They do what
*we* put in their activity plan.

Gert Doering
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