While I understand your position, if you're basing this decision on "bitcoin is dying" I'd recommend you reconsider.  Bitcoin is returning back to a reasonable value, and the latest difficulty adjustments show that.  Difficulty will -always- lag behind the price curve, since it's calculated reactively to the changes over the last 2 weeks, rather than as a prediction.

Every pool op has felt the pressure as the prices shrink, the problems rise, and the difficulty seems too slow at catching up to a reasonable level.  Obviously at these prices/difficulty, 0% is basically impossible.  Over the next few months you will likely see the majority of free pools either close, or change to fee structures.  Perhaps you should try implementing a fee and trying to keep your presence known?  If you play your cards right, who knows what position you'd be in if we see another bubble 6 months down the road?