Re: [wg-review] 3. [Constituencies] Partitioning of interests

["Bret A. Fausett" <baf@fausett.com>]

Ken Stubbs wrote:
> frankly, i am getting a bit tired of this blanket "avoidance" of financial
> responsibility by some parties (no slur intended at bret here !!) . it would
> seem that some reasonable membership charge could be imposed for all
> members-at large.

No offense taken. As I recall it (others will certainly remember it better),
the central problem with the ill-named "domain name tax" that prompted
Congressional hearings in 1999 was that it was implemented without
consultation with or approval of the larger community. I wouldn't consider
it an avoidance of financial responsibility -- quite the contrary, in fact
-- for the ICANN community to reach a new consensus that ICANN's funding
should come from fees attached to domain name registrations in gTLDs and
open ccTLDs. 

To reach that consensus, you'd need the consent of the registrant community
(IDNO, NCDNHC, and B&C) and support from the At Large (as reflected by their
elected representatives), but that agreement would reflect a significant
assumption of responsibility for ICANN.

As a practical matter, I wonder whether any other option is feasible.

       -- Bret