Kari tracked this down for us:

"I just spoke face to face with Scott Heiferman. Scott hosts the NY Technology MeetUp at the Apple Store in Downtown Manhattan where I'm sitting right now. I asked Scott, point blank, if the $9 was instituted to help them from going out of business. Basically, he said that if they didn't do something -- sell banner ads, etc., -- that, yes, eventually, they would go out of business. They felt that if they had to generate revenue to stay in business, it should be a small fee that would come from their member-supported community."

But, still the charge will get in the way and the DNC should so something, create a meetup type tool at democrats.org. I've liked meetup.com since Dean for America used it in the early part of 2003 to basically launch their campaign, but with the $19 a month charge by next year, it has outgrown its usefullness as a political organizing tool.