This is something I have difficulty understanding.  Your mining rig isn't going to run any faster in another pool, and it's definitely going to cost you more to mine somewhere else.

So, you can stay and get the exact BTC you should get when things are back online (they have always paid in the past), or you can leave and lose a percentage in fees, and have less BTC at the same point in time as Eligius will eventually pay out.

It makes absolutely no sense to me that anyone would leave, unless you like paying a fee to see pretty numbers and charts.  The end result of leaving is you end up with less BTC.

Oh, and if getting ripped off is a concern, Eligius has a history of always paying out, and I can't imagine they would stop all of a sudden.  Heck, ANY pool could pack up and bail at any moment, stealing from all the members even if their stats are working perfectly.  Stats being down on Eligius certainly isn't a sign that there's a higher risk of being ripped off.