On Saturday 15 August 2015 00:00:57 Brian wrote: > On Fri 14 Aug 2015 at 22:52:05 +0100, Lisi Reisz wrote: > > On Thursday 13 August 2015 09:38:03 Brian wrote: > > > 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 > > > > Yes, but they also have access to common sense. > > > > You cannot be sent to prison for non-payment of the licence. But you can > > be sent prison for non-payment of the fine for non-payment of the > > licence. So in effect many are sent to prison not for non-payment, if > > you wish to quibble (and this is not a court of law, where one has to > > quibble), but because they haven't got any money and haven't paid. It is > > not too great a stretch of the imagination and language to call that > > going to prison for non-payment of the licence. > > > If convicted, you will get a criminal record, > > </quote> > > http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/sep/24/in-court-non-payment-tv-li > >cence-television-desperate-cases > > Obviously. Whether it is ever disclosed is another matter. Perhaps if an > application to become Director General of the BBC was made it would be.
That is just when it wouldn't! ;-) > > > Then: > > <quote> > > Culture Secretary Sajid Javid reports that 10% of magistrate court cases > > are for non-payment of the BBC licence fee. Non-payment is a criminal > > offence, punishable by a fine of up to £1,000. Every week about 3,000 > > people are fined for non-payment, and *****about one person a week is > > jailed for non-payment of the fine.***** (my stars) > > > > Women make up about 70% of those prosecuted and convicted, and half of > > those jailed for not paying the fine. > > > unable to pay the fine for > > the same reason they couldn’t afford the licence fee; they don’t have the > > money. > > </quote> > > http://www.adamsmith.org/blog/media-culture/non-payment-of-bbc-licence-fe > >e-accounts-for-10-of-prosecutions/ > > > > Young single mothers are sent to prison because they have not got the > > money to pay their TV licences, with the consequences I have already > > described. > > I had a compassion bypass operation a few years ago. Sorry. :) And a tolerance one.;-) But I in fact outlined the monetary and societal cost, and therefore inefficiency. You don't need compassion to understand that, just a calculator. Lisi