Why isn't Burning Man Free?

Mr. Woods · Post by **Mr. Woods** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 4:16 pm

Dear Good People of Earth,

I was wondering why isn't Burning Man Free?

helitack · Post by **helitack** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 4:20 pm

Since when?

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 6:18 pm

I was wondering why isn't Burning Man Free?

Because of the infrastructure required for it to be what it currently is.

An attempt at orchestrating a similar event yourself should teach you all you need to know.

Or you could come on out and check it out for yourself this year. You'll see what I mean.

Post by **mdmf007** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 7:12 pm

Maybe our good friend does not know that

Just for the honor of assembling 40 thousand of your friends on the playa will cost you 800 thousand dollars in BLM fees alone

required EMS is another 400k
Fire suppression is 150K
poopers is going to run just shy of half a million

then you have, permits, lawyers. ticketing, trash fence for 7 miles, support for the volunteers, bonds required to guarantee clean up, etc.

it all adds up and adds up quickly -

thats why BM< aint free. You get all of this fo the low price of a 200 dollar ticket and your own support.

later

Mr. Woods · Post by **Mr. Woods** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 8:42 pm

I see Burning Man as the most pioneering endeavor I've ever encountered in my life on this planet. To me, it embodies a strong vision for the future. I see it as a beacon and an example for the world. I once heard Larry Harvey ponder, "Is it a movement?" Last year when I heard about the increase from the BLM and the negotiations, I was hopeful that BORG would cancel the event. I wanted to see where all the people would have gone. See, I believe it is a movement. I think the 40K citizens of Black Rock would have found another way to celebrate life, together, perhaps in smaller gatherings. I also believe that we should constantly be working on a way to make it free. I will check out the Afterburn report again, but it really seems like fleecing, I don't mean burning man is fleecing me, I mean they are getting fleeced. It's all principle, I think outside influences try their best to maintain that Burning Man can not be free just to keep everyone's mind going along with the silly silly world. JOTS is the only thing I can think of that truly earns the money.

I believe we could make it free and I think after we did, the implications would be enormous.

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 9:06 pm

I hear what you're saying, but so far, the closest thing I've been able to come up with is getting together with some folks at my house. And then they always bring stuff too, so that it makes for abundance. Potlatch, donâ€™t' you know.

Burning Man is definitely moving into the regionals area. can't help but, since itâ€™s such a great vibe that it has to be shared with one's own immediate community. But even the regional events require funding, since we are all forced to subscribe to a society (at least part of the time) that requires money to function.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 6:31 am

Burning Man cost about 85¢ an hour..You get more per hour than any where else..Get off your dead ass and get with it..

Rocket75377 · Post by **Rocket75377** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 6:34 am

To keep away the gawkers. From what I hear, though, even the $250 isn't sufficient. Let's make Burning Man a $1,000-a-head event. What is that, like $40,000,000? Imagine the art grants...

EspressoDude · Post by **EspressoDude** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 7:24 am

BurningMan is FREE!!!!!

and so are you.......
FREE to attend,
Free to participate,
Free to enjoy,

Free to not go at all and stay at home....

pinemom · Post by **pinemom** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 7:46 am

the typical cost is 250.00 divide by 7 days, cheaper then a concert ticket for 3 hours of music...
35.00 a day 24 hours in each day (less then that if your there longer)
For a mind concert ...eyes ears brain stimueli!!!
Where a Blind man, a Deaf man, a Mute man could still expreience just as much....as a full-sensed man.

I think that is a hellaveadeal!!!!!!!!

Mr. Woods · Post by **Mr. Woods** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:13 am

I would guess that most citizens spend at least 1000 bucks each on the experience, so that they are well prepared to contribute to the community. Listen, I'm not approaching this from a stand point that the experience ain't worth it. It's f*cking magical.

However,

"Step right up folks, for just two hundred dollars I can sell you a ticket to a world without money!"

Mr. Woods · Post by **Mr. Woods** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:18 am

[quote="EspressoDude"]BurningMan is FREE!!!!!

[/quote]

Hold up. That's what I wanted to hear! Thanks espressodude.

Burningman IS free!!!

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:07 am

It keeps out the Shamans.

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:21 am

See, I believe it is a movement. I think the 40K citizens of Black Rock would have found another way to celebrate life, together, perhaps in smaller gatherings.

We seem to do that in addition to a big event that we don't mind paying a fair amount for the amount of resources and work that go into it.

EspressoDude · Post by **EspressoDude** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:27 am

Mr. Woods wrote:
EspressoDude wrote:BurningMan is FREE!!!!!

Hold up. That's what I wanted to hear! Thanks espressodude.

Burningman IS free!!!

it's just the parking and gate fee that you have to pay money for

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:39 am

Well put, ED...

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:39 am

Well put, ED...

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:41 am

Huh... so true I had to say it twice, I guess.

The CO · Post by **The CO** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:28 am

Mr. Woods, how would you make Burning Man free?

I run a small event (100-200 people) each summer, and even that is not possible to do for free. Land use costs (private or public), JoTS, advertising, electricity, these all cost. For the first few years, my event was free, but I could not afford it any longer. The only way for Burning Man to be free is if there was a billionaire willing to donate everything financially.

Lassen Forge · Post by **Lassen Forge** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:52 am

The CO wrote: The only way for Burning Man to be free is if there was a billionaire willing to donate everything financially.

That's not free... it's subsidized. Section 8 event. --giggles--

bb

Blackbird · Post by **Blackbird** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 12:45 pm

Rocket75377 wrote:To keep away the gawkers. From what I hear, though, even the $250 isn't sufficient. Let's make Burning Man a $1,000-a-head event. What is that, like $40,000,000? Imagine the art grants...

I do see the logic in this (only people who REALLY want to go would spend so much). But to me this just screams elitism. Only people who can afford to dump 1000(+gas, supplies, etc) into a week long trip every year are allowed to go...? I already can't afford it.

A similar mentality is what increased the training time for psychologists from 1000 hours (like the rest of the US) to 3000. They like to pretend it makes them better counselors, but there is zero proof of that. It's just elitism.

That's my rant. . .

SnowBlind · Post by **SnowBlind** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 12:51 pm

Mr. Woods wrote:I was wondering why isn't Burning Man Free?

Its not free because it cost $8,397,178 (in 2005) to run the event. Here is a detailed list:

http://afterburn.burningman.com/05/financial_chart.html

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 12:52 pm

Dear Mr. Woods,

If you have to ask.....

helitack · Post by **helitack** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 12:55 pm

Hey this is free:
http://www.welcomehome.org/rainbow/index.html

sputnik · Post by **sputnik** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 12:56 pm

Yeah, don't even get me started on how I am welcomed home to BRC every year. That irks me. Let the hippies keep the welcome home crap.

misfit · Post by **misfit** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 1:39 pm

elite â€” a select group of people with outstanding personal abilities, intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, or other distinctive attributes

yes, blackrock is a city of the elite. but to build a city, you need more than cash,,, you need vision and skills, which i'm sure you have to offer.
so we are the elite, but only as a whole city.[/b]

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 2:12 pm

Why isn't the San Francisco Museum of MOdern Art free?

$12.50 is a lot of money, more than a movie! (although, not more than a movie with popcorn.) And I get image saturated after an hour, meaning that I can only see a tiny fraction of the collection after paying that. Sure, they have a free day once a month, but that's not necessarily the most convienient day to visit on. Besides, it's in San Francisco, which is a little inconvienient for me, cause I live in Berkeley.

And don't get me started on the Academy of Sciences or the Exploratorium!

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 6:09 pm

sputnik wrote:Yeah, don't even get me started on how I am welcomed home to BRC every year. That irks me. Let the hippies keep the welcome home crap.

I know exactly how I'm going to greet you when I see you this year.

dragonfly Jafe · Post by **dragonfly Jafe** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:47 am

theCryptofishist wrote:It keeps out the Shamans.

!!! WORD !!!!

(cleaning off my monitor screen)

There is a "free" event in Idaho each summer (not related to BM), but only because of over a decade of careful relationship building with the local authorities and volunteer efforts. Radical LNT & extreme land stewardship has taken it along ways, but if the event grows any bigger it cannot remain "under the radar". The hassle with formalizing it would probably kill it.

Last year there were almost 300 in attendance. As this event grows it is experiencing pains (like what BM experienced in it's formative years) - I cannot imagine it going on much longer as the size is already about as big as it can get (limits on camping space) and the mainstream folks are just starting to hear about it (last year there was even a write-up about it in the local press, which had to be quashed). If it does survive, it will be at the expense of the life of a different event that birthed it....

There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.... (TANSTAAFL)

Post by **Eric** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 10:04 pm

The CO wrote:The only way for Burning Man to be free is if there was a billionaire willing to donate everything financially.

If we could only get the guy who does the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in SF every year to fund it.

Is it October yet?

Why isn't Burning Man Free?

Why isn't Burning Man Free?

Re: Why isn't Burning Man Free?