First of all, the General Mobile Radio Service is not a Hobby, which I'm sure you're aware of. Neither was the Citizen Band Radio Service, which became two things. One, CB became an introduction tool for 2-way radio for individuals, such as me. Two, CB radio for some, became the Wild West, since the FCC dropped the individual licensing.
As far as charging fees for using repeaters, you're right, the FCC has strict rules when it comes to fees for using repeaters. You can legally charge fees, but as long as the money goes towards maintaining the repeater and not profiting from it.