I don’t know if this will help, because I know that what you really need right now is money – so I will send along a little of that, too.

But I wanted to address your “root canal” aversion to asking for it. I understand the sentiment completely, believe me. As Americans, we are brought up to believe that asking for money is somehow distasteful – in a culture that defines success by the size of your paycheck and the worst thing many people can imagine is being homeless, having to ask total strangers for money just plain seems about the equivalent of inquiring as to whether they’d like their grandmother machine-gunned?

I ran a progressive canvass in California for almost two years, though, and doing that, you get over your fear and revulsion of asking people for money pretty quickly. Essentially, it lies in returning to why YOU are doing what you are doing. I would listen, daily, on people’s doorsteps, to various excuses as to why people “couldn’t contribute.” And at first, I turned away, even though the people who taught me how to canvass told me to “push past” an objection or two before giving up. It just seemed wrong: they SAID they couldn’t, right? Who am I, a total stranger, coming hat-in-hand, to question them. I don’t even like to DO this, I thought.

But you don’t do very well, for yourself or for the cause you’re working for, if you let that be your guiding principles while your out on the streets. Eventually, what I came to realize is that, even in poorer communities, people will not give you what they don’t have. No one will take food out of their kids’ mouths or shoes off their feet to contribute to a cause. Virtually everyone’s first inclination when asked for money is “no.” But that’s why you’re there – to remind them that this is as important to them as it is to you. Or perhaps not, but no one’s asking THEM to work for it all day as a full-time job; you’re just there asking them to put their money where their mouth is. If they believe the product, whether it’s ballot initiatives or first-class commentary and original reporting on an issue, has value, how do they think it gets from the “man, wouldn’t it be GREAT if….” stage to the “yay, we DID it” stage?

And for you, here at FDL, you’ve got a self-selected audience of supporters. They ALREADY come here because they feel it’s a necessary or at least valuable part of their news and information day; something they’d be poorer without. Well, you’re asking them to be a little poorer in a very small financial way. And judging by the responses I’ve already seen before I got here, people understand: you’re not trying to get rich off this blog, you’re just trying to avoid going broke, and to spread some of the costs around to the people who enjoy and benefit from this blog.

Don’t ever be ashamed to ask for money for this blog – after all, if YOU don’t believe in it enough to bite back your distaste for asking for money, why should THEY believe in it enough to think it’s worth supporting financially?

How to contrib through paypal? Help!

[Mod Note; check out the Late Night thread. They’re talking about that right now]

Here’s the direct link to that conversation.

[Mod Note; check out the Late Night thread. They’re talking about that right now]

With respect to the color coded (gold star), I do NOT think it is an idea in keeping with the spirit here at FDL: everyone here is treated as an equal (same color text) and encouraged to participate. That is something the MSM has not been known for.

Stratifying comments by color (i.e., ability to pay) reminds me of “play to pay” politics of the Republicans, too.

Better to thank everyone generally when a donation period has ended. Allow people the possibility of recognition by the consistency of their excellent posts.