Let me sum it up for you Andrea -
You are attempting to make a living off of primitives and moles.
Primitives spend most of their lives mooching, because they believe the government and the wealthy owe them a living. many believe internet service is a right, so they aren't going to pay you.
Moles aren't going to pay either.
The only reason DU has had any success in the past is because they were among the first big liberal websites. OET is not, nor will it ever be DU - So, I would suggest running the site as a hobby, because that is all it will ever be.