On Wed 12 Aug 2015 at 20:04:41 -0500, David Wright wrote: > Quoting Brian (a...@cityscape.co.uk): > > On Wed 12 Aug 2015 at 16:57:33 +0100, Martin Smith wrote: > > > On 12/08/2015 14:56, Lisi Reisz wrote: > > > > >The care alone, even were there no societal cost, costs several orders of > > > >magnitude more money than the £145.50 cost of a TV licence. The trial > > > >alone, > > > >too, will have cost more than that! Then there is the cost of keeping > > > >her in > > > >prison. > > > > > > that is the problem, we have to punish sinners, we are after all obsessed > > > opinion. > > > I am led to believe it demonstrates our righteousness, but that is not my > > > > opinion. > > > > It's called upholding and enforcing the law of the country, not > > trangressing the will of some other entity. > > > > Incidentally. The tale you quoted and replied to is based on "When > > she goes to prison for non-payment of her licence....". This cannot > > happen. The maximum penalty is a fine. > > This may well be true. I'm not a lawyer: I don't know. However, the > public perception is that you *can* be imprisoned and so it colours > discussion of the licence fee. For example, here is a quotation by the
Incorrect statements colouring discussion hampers fruitful discussion. > Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, someone involved at > the highest level with the licence fee problem: > > “It's actually worse than a poll tax because under the poll tax, if > you were on a very low income you would get a considerable subsidy,” > he said. > > “The BBC licence fee, there is no means-tested element whatsoever; it > doesn't matter how poor you are, you pay £145.50 and go to prison if > you don't pay it.” Both the Secretary of State and non-lawyers have access to http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/21/section/363