[members-discuss] [ncc-announce] [GM] Consultation on RIPE NCC Charging Scheme 2024

On 08/03/2023 15:14, Daniel Pearson wrote:

> You are not for profit, and as such I would recommend instead of 
> increasing the LIR pricing, we acknowledge that the world is a much 
> tougher place and review not only the budget expenses of the 
> organization but additional expenses that are not necessary. You're 
> offering up to €250,000 per year funding projects with presumably our 
> registration fee's and funds of which you selected 8 recipients, for a 
> presumed funding of €2,000,000 of our funds..... If that program was cut 
> or reduced, how much would that make up for your budget short fall?
> 
> Otherwise how about we also investigate other avenues of budget 
> expenditure from RIPE and determine your total projected short fall.
> 
> Ripe appears to have Approx 190 Employees on payroll as well, but yet 
> RIPE only has 23,397 LIR's and 20,244 members. That is a significantly 
> high ratio of employee to members, - 106 Members per 1 employee - why is 
> this so high, what audits have been conducted recently to ensure RIPE is 
> not suffering from technical creep and employee bloat?
> 
> Your own budget for 2023 shows you've assigned less IPv4 resources in 
> 2021 and 2022 than in prior years and have completed significantly fewer 
> registry checks. The only real increase seen has been in RPKI's created.
> 
> You're also projecting more trips this year than previous as well, a 10% 
> increase. I'm sorry but this feels like a huge cash grab to maintain 
> your current life style and I fully reject both Models. If I have more 
> time I'll continue to dig into your financials and we can all have 
> discussions on how as an organization you can be better stewards of our 
> Money. You have to remember, at the end of the day your job is to manage 
> a registry of finite resources. Spending money on events, trade shows, 
> travel and excess employees is not a necessity to conduct your original 
> goals and objectives.
> 
> The rest of the world, and all of the small companies who utilize your 
> services often times do not have the liberty to simply talk about 
> raising prices, especially in many of the economically impacted areas 
> that RIPE services. RIPE should follow the same course of action as many 
> of their customers do, evaluate internal expenditures and operate within 
> the budget provided by your members, not come to the membership and 
> request we continue to pay for donations to random projects, or a 10% 
> increase in employee travel.
> 
> Sincerely
> Daniel C Pearson
> Private Systems Networks~

Yet another well written and detailed response that I totally agree 
with.  Where I have worked in previous years, when there is a budget 
shortfall, trips are curtailed, salaries are frozen and expansion 
projects are cancelled.  I think RIPE needs to change its mindset and 
remember it is a non-profit and can't keep raising membership fees for 
all its grand projects.

Regards,
Hank