Foundation for Rational Economics and Education

The Foundation for Rational Economics and Education (FREE) is an American nonprofit, nonpartisan foundation dedicated to public education on the principles of the U.S. Constitution, free-market economics, sound money, limited government, and foreign policy. It was founded in 1976cite web|url=http://www.allbusiness.com/membership-organizations/membership-organizations/4047425-1.html|title=Foundation for Rational Economics and Education (FREE)|publisher=Gale Group|year=2008|accessdate=2008-03-07] by U.S. Congressman Ron Paul while he was serving on the House Banking Committee, as a vehicle to increase understanding of the economic principles of a free-market society. President is Henry K. May and Vice President is Mary Jane Smith, both of Lake Jackson, Texas. Current administrative contact is Lori Pyeatt of Lake Jackson.

Publications

At its inception, the foundation began publication of a monthly newsletter, "Dr. Ron Paul's Freedom Report",cite journal|url=http://www.tnr.com/downloads/freedomApril1978.pdf|journal=Dr. Ron Paul's Freedom Report|title=The absence of force and toleration of others is the key to peace and prosperity|year=1978|month=April|author=Paul, Ron, attrib.|publisher=Foundation for Rational Economics and Education|volume=3|issue=4|accessdate=2008-02-13|format=PDF (reprint)] which claimed 100,000 subscribers by 1984. It also publishes monographs, books, and (since 1997) a new series of the monthly newsletter, "Ron Paul's Freedom Report" (also called just "The Freedom Report").

In 1989 FREE established the National Endowment for Liberty (NEFL) in order to develop programs that take advantage of electronic media. NEFL developed and produced the "At Issue" television series that was seen on the Discovery Network and CNBC, which examines American institutional interaction with Constitutional principles. The endowment has received three grants from the Rodney Fund, [cite web|url=http://www.mediatransparency.org/recipientfundergrants.php?funderID=34&recipientID=8630|title=Grants to National Endowment for Liberty from Rodney Fund|publisher=Media Transparency|date=2008|accessdate=2008-03-07] operated by Mackinac Center for Public Policy board member James Rodney. [cite news|url=http://www.ourmidland.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18449402&BRD=2289&PAG=461&dept_id=472542&rfi=6|title=Free-market group seeks audience through fiction|author=Wade, Cheryl|date=2007-06-08|accessdate=2008-03-07|publisher=Our Midland] FREE also has continuously published 30-second radio spots for economic and social-issue education.

In 2006, the organization had Form 990 revenue of $632,396 and net assets of $458,996.cite web|url=http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2006/742/066/2006-742066841-03661e92-9.pdf|format=PDF (registration)|title=Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax|publisher=Foundation for Rational Economics and Education|quote=Statement of Program Service Accomplishments .... CONTINUED EMPHASIS ON THE EDUCATION OF ECONOMIC & SOCIAL ISSUES THROUGH PUBLICATION OF THE FREEDOM REPORT AND 30 SECOND RADIO SPOTS|date=December 2006|accessdate=2008-03-13] It is categorized for tax-exempt purposes as "religious organization", "publishing activities", and "television" (National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities). [cite web|url=http://www.charity-charities.org/charityinfo.php?ID=331162|publisher=Charity Charities|work=Charity Guide|title=FOUNDATION FOR RATIONAL ECONOMICS AND EDUCATION INC|date=December 2005|accessdate=2008-03-13] [cite web|url=http://www.taxexemptworld.com/organization.asp?tn=1133561|title=FOUNDATION FOR RATIONAL ECONOMICS AND EDUCATION INC|publisher=Tax Exempt World|date=December 2005|accessdate=2008-03-13] Its publications are distributed by Partners Publishers Group. [cite web|url=http://www.partnerspublishersgroup.com/ourpublishers.html|title=Current PPG Publishers|date=2008|accessdate=2008-03-13|publisher=Partners Publishers Group] FREE obtains graphic design services for its newsletters from Mark Elam, [cite web|url=http://www.crpolitics.com/mmgraphics/html/client_list.html|title=Client List|publisher=M&M Graphics and Advertising|accessdate=2008-03-18|author=Elam, Mark] as president of M&M Graphics and Advertising; Elam also printed more politically-charged newsletters as an officer of the for-profit group Ron Paul & Associates (RP&A).cite news|url=http://www.reason.com/news/show/124426.html|title=Who Wrote Ron Paul's Newsletters?|work=Reason|author=Sanchez, Julian, and Weigel, David|date=2008-01-16|accessdate=2008-02-13]

Activism

The "New York Times Magazine" credited FREE as part of the nationwide free-market network which won "one of the stranger Congressional elections of modern times", when Paul defeated incumbent Congressman Greg Laughlin in 1996.cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/magazine/22Paul-t.html?ei=5124&en=22ee37525a9fc4f5&ex=1343016000&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink&pagewanted=all|title=The Antiwar, Anti-Abortion, Anti-Drug-Enforcement-Administration, Anti-Medicare Candidacy of Dr. Ron Paul|author=Caldwell, Christopher|work=New York Times Magazine|date=2007-07-22|accessdate=2007-07-21]

"Media Transparency" reported, without further elaboration, that the 9/11 Public Discourse Project was connected with FREE and NEFL.cite web|url=http://www.mediatransparency.org/recipientprofile.php?recipientID=8631|title=9/11 Public Discourse Project|publisher=Media Transparency|date=2008|accessdate=2008-03-07] This project, a nonprofit organization of the ten 9/11 Commissioners, [cite news|url=http://www.9-11pdp.org/about/index.htm|title=Overview|publisher=9/11 Public Discourse Project|date=2005-12-31|accessdate=2008-03-07] received a $25,000 grant from the Smith Richardson Foundation on December 31 2004, to allow Commissioner Christopher A. Kojm to "lead an effort to educate the American public on the findings of the 9/11 Commission. He will organize a series of nationwide briefings by the members of the commission at which they will discuss the implications of their findings for U.S. national security."

In 2007, FREE published "A Foreign Policy of Freedom", a collection of thirty years of Paul's statements on foreign policy. Paul and the book were featured on a crowded "Tonight Show" on October 30 2007, and host Jay Leno was able to get Paul to autograph his copy after the show. [cite news|url=http://www.reason.com/news/show/123905.html|title=Scenes from the Ron Paul Revolution: The rise of an eclectic anti-statist movement|work=Reason|author=Doherty, Brian|date=February 2008|accessdate=2008-03-13]

On January 8 2008, FREE was implicated by James Kirchick in the controversy surrounding several newsletters published in Paul's name, in that they contained language showing "obsession with conspiracies" and "deeply held bigotry".cite news|url=http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=e2f15397-a3c7-4720-ac15-4532a7da84ca|title=Angry White Man|work=The New Republic|author=Kirchick, James|date=2008-01-08|accessdate=2008-01-17] While most of the more serious newsletters were published by RP&A (the for-profit group) between 1987 and 1992, Kirchick also cited the original FREE newsletter's accusations of conspiracy, such as its statement that the Trilateral Commission "is no longer known only by those who are knowledgeable about international conspiracies, but is routinely mentioned in the daily news. Evidence of its influence on the Republican and Democratic administrations is all about us."

When Paul referred to the "winding down" of the GOP primaries on March 6 2008, he referred listeners to the continuing fundraising work of FREE and that of his political action committee. [cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/07/AR2008030703061.html|title=Paul Ends His Campaign|date=2008-03-08|accessdate=2008-03-10|author=Mosk, Matthew|work=Washington Post]

References

External links

* [http://www.free-nefl.com/index.html Foundation for Rational Economics and Education]