[ncdnhc-discuss] Guest Comment on Funding

[DannyYounger at cs.com]

The ISP Constituency today proposed raising the registrar contribution per 
domain name registration to the order of  "fifty cents" (policy paper posted 
to http://www.dnso.org/clubpublic/council/Arc10/doc00005.doc ).  Never mind 
the fact that the ISPs didn't offer to make any contributions themselves... 
the significance of their proposal lies in the fact that it would provide 
more than $15 million in revenues above and beyond what we currently receive. 
 Is this a wise course of action?  Do we in fact need as much revenue as 
Stuart Lynn has intimated in his plan?  As a tax-exempt organization, I 
thought that we were basically supposed to operate on a cost-recovery basis, 
and that a more narrowly defined mission would aid in keeping costs low.  
Before we address the general issue of funding (as in how do we get more?), 
shouldn't we be asking just how much more do we really need?

I suppose that we would be able to do that if we were ever allowed to 
participate on the President's Budget Advisory Group, but we have always been 
denied participation in this group (which is restricted solely to registries 
and registrars).  Now, the Board's Committee wants our counsel on funding... 
but still does not allow us to thoroughly examine the budget, or to 
participate in the Budget Advisory Group activities.  Clearly there is 
something wrong with this picture.

Without a better handle on budgetary items, how can we meaningfully 
contribute to the discussion on funding?  Just by way of example, can any 
astute reader point to the cost of the IANA function as articulated in this 
budget?  I, for one, haven't been able to find it...

I understand that funding is a critical concern to the Board, but perhaps 
it's time for the Board to understand that we shouldn't be shut out of the 
advisory process, and that the "books" should be opened to more than a select 
few.