As I've stated before, selling off assets, streamlining the org chart and laying off employees are typically done by organizations feeling stress. Their apparent greedy grab for cash flow strained from the local congregations suggests the same thing. They cloak it in supporting the growth. Since the 'growth' appears to be in under-developed and developing lands and the new borgs, regardless of where they are from, are typically poor and under-educated, it only makes sense that to serve this growth the cash flow has to come from somewhere. The new borg members are likely poor, they can't sell literature and the normal contributions clealry aren't working out, at least not in a manner to address cash flow concerns. They are not likely to use one red cent of asset sales to fund the world wide work. Not a penny. That, they consider, belongs to them and is re-invested in 'capital' pursuits for the borganization's leaders/command and control.
Also, it is of interest that they are scaling back assemblies. From my days in the borg and working behind the scenes with the financial guys, assemblies were one of the primary money making enterprises. Cutting them short suggests that well dried up a while ago. An educated guess would suggest that the length of the assemblies coincides exactly with when the contributions/profit margins are maxed out. So this suggests that the money grab is real; they are hurting. Good for them.
All of this suggests financial concerns, but none of it proves the borg is short for the world, which is what we all would love to hear. If the congregations decided to tell the dark lords in NY to shove it and kept their funds for themselves, it would be the one thing, based on what I hear you all say, that would be the acid test as to their financial fitness and illustrate what it has been all along - a publshing, money making borganization.
Add to all of this is that the increase is likely fabricated. They will be around, but it appears they are feeling the pain. Good for them.
