The "how many dollars per member" is a difficult number to calculate, and a meaningless one at that; it depends entirely on what rate the member got. A $5 hike for an at-the-door member might just have meant a $2 hike for a voter converting at the early-bird rate.

I find the "where do my membership dollars go?" pie chart (major budget areas' percentages) to be an excellent tool when somebody asks why membership costs so much, or why the convention isn't spending money on something they're obsessed with. It's still a bit of voodoo, but it's more meaningful. When the tech budget is a huge wedge, but it's pointed out that nearly 2/3 of the convention will be watching the masquerade and the hugos, it makes sense. When the facilities cost is a huge wedge, and people see how well the space is being used (assuming it's not being used badly) they get it.

The whiners and crackpots will still complain. The fans who are first seeing what a con budget is like will counteract the crackpots to some extent.