Off Topic The Goodhand Arms

Anyone seriously believe that a tory government is attempting to undermine the BBC because they care about the poor? Do me a favour.

If you drive a car you have to pay road tax. Whatever you think of your local council you have to pay council tax. But just over £10 pcm is too much for public service broadcasting? Really? Does your friend have a phone Beefy? Or Internet connection?

Merry Christmas and a prosperous and peaceful new year.

 

Look it up there are many cases were people can't afford it. Why do you think 1 in 10 court cases are about the BBC license? I know the government also don't give a **** and have said that in many of my posts (I think how the Government allowed ATOS to get people so low that they killed themselves should be deemed a crime. But that is for another debate.). I just feel people should have a choice to pay instead of having to pay.

On your question about the guy I know. No he has neither he has a very cheap pay as you go mobile which he doesn't top up. It is basically so people can get in contact with him.

My mum who works at a play school also has to deal with mums and dads that have the same problem. Why should a less well off person who has managed to save up £30 for a 2nd hand tv have to pay £145 to watch it? Why do people think not having a choice is a good thing?

Yes the content the BBC air is of a high standard. But people should not be forced to pay for it.

 

For me what beefy is raising is the whole issue of poverty in this country and that is not the issue here. I support him in that as a society we have become uncaring of the poor. Just walk down the Above Bar and count the people living rough on the streets. Talk to our parks team about the number of people who sleep rough in our parks at night. Resolving the issue of poverty will not be achieved by destroying the BBC though. There are two agendas here let us not mix them up. Politically we have reached a point where we as a society are comfortable with the enormous income differential such that some people do not earn enough to feed, clothe and house there family while others earn more in a week many will earn in 30 years. Rooney being a case in point. Destroy the BBC and I can assure you the situation for the poor will get even worse.

 

The Government are scum for treating the poor as trash. Yet allowing the big companies and rich people carry on with no big hits. The BBC doesn't have to kick a person while they are down. The BBC should at the least make not paying your license a civil case instead of a criminal one. They should then help out people that are so poor they can't afford the £145 a yr. Either by waving the fee in the worse cases or reducing it big time for the others.

 

I'm sorry Beefy, are you suggesting that for the BBC to be fair it/they should means test people to see if they can pay, because that seems to be the natural corollary of your point. Otherwise the solution would be to pay for the BBC out of general taxation which would only make the corporation MORE likely to kowtow to the establishment. That the BBC is at least partly independent of the elite whilst having a limited guaranteed funding stream is at the essence of it's uniqueness. Something quintessentially British that reflects the serious arguments and issues in a balanced and intelligent manner. That this challenges the worst aspects of both the far right and far left is surely to be applauded as a central bulwark underpinning the democratic process.

I have considerable sympathy for those who cannot afford the BBC services to have access to them, how that is achieved is not the role of the BBC, it is the role of government to govern more fairly.

Best wishes to all on the forum for a happy and peaceful new year. It is a forum I am pleased to be a contributor to, but more importantly to read others views that are often thoughtful and thought provoking. Up the Saints!

 

Man some of you are all to ready to **** on the Government and rightly so. But nope BBC can do no wrong. The BBC taking people to court as criminals and even locking some up is disgusting. I will just leave the discussion here.

 

I'm with Beefy here.

 

The new Top Gear team...

Chris Evans
David Coulthard
Sabine Schmitz - (German racing driver)


Chris Harris, motorsport journalist, also to be involved.

 

Evans and Coulthard? Damn it is going to send people to sleep.

News of Chris' co-hosts comes after it was revealed executive producer Lisa Clark quit this week after just five months while script editor Tom Ford is to leave at the end of his contract.

An insider said: "Lisa is very well respected and her departure has been a real shock. There is a lot of upheaval at the moment."

http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/chris-evans-raises-concerns-top-7068463

This show is screwed.

 

Chris Harris is excellent, But DC?

 

I just don't get why in the modern era, if you buy a TV, you Have to have a licence. I think the BBC produces some excellent TV and Radio programmes, but if you don't agree, or don't want to watch it, you certainly should not have to pay for it!

 

If people genuinely can't afford a tv licence -as opposed to just trying to get away without paying for it- they do have another option; get a radio. Or is tv a necessity of life? Living without one for a while might actually have a positive impact on people's lives. Just a thought.

 

I could live without tv, or even the associated perks like badly streamed Saints games. I would struggle without radio, an age thing maybe. Radio 4 and 4 extra are alone worth paying for in my view. I have some sympathy with Beefy's view, but fear removing the statutory link between paid licence and public broadcasting would leave it even more vulnerable to political interference.

Best wishes to all on the forum and thanks for the entertainment during this year, much appreciated.

 

Oh no.

Football Manager 2016 is 25% off.

I don't know if I can do this. I'm a real grown up now with an actual job.

Help.

 

I wouldn't trust steam atm.
http://kotaku.com/steam-goes-nuts-offers-access-to-other-peoples-account-1749718979

I would look to see if you have been charged anything. Just incase.

 

What if you have a son or daughter? Why shouldn't you be allowed to buy a cheap 2nd hand tv to let them watch cartoons etc? Which you know is part of being a child. But nope you have to pay £145 on top. Which rules out some low income single parents.

What if a tv is the only source of entertainment in your life? You have no family so are basically stuck inside 24/7. Why shouldn't you be able to watch tv to at least have something in life?

Why should not being able to pay £145. Block you from watching channels that are free to view? You know the term freeview right?

Why should the poor who can barely feed themselves be deemed criminals for not being able to pay a fine? Why not just take it to a civil court?


People are so obsessed with protecting the BBC they aren't seeing the bigger picture. I have written post after post with facts on how harsh the BBC are and how it is just making the people effected by the crap government even worse.
But all I get in reply is either:

1. BBC is worth it for the content. Which is not what I am arguing about at all anyways.

2. It will destroy the BBC. How about the BBC destroying every day poor peoples lives? Have people forgot the BBC is a huge global broadcasting business?

3. Why have a tv if you can't afford the £145? Maybe because there are channels on a tv that don't charge for viewing.

 

But doesn't that sum up modern society - all about oneself. Yes, there is crap on the tv I don't watch but there are some good documentaries and radio (4 and 5!) therefore I am happy to pay knowing that collectively we all benefit, however now the government is interfering in this too.

I accept Beefy's point, however with all these austerity cuts, all of these policies will hit the poorest hardest; and those public services relying on funding will be less able to subsidise or offer concessions to those who genuinely need them.

 

Merry Christmas

 

And a Happy New Year to you, Pomps.

 

Hope you have a great New Year and that you also win today - we could both do with a win today!