[Nottingham] BBC iPlayer petition

[JJSH]

Graeme Fowler wrote:
> On Thu, 2007-07-05 at 16:56 +0100, Andy Davidson wrote:
>   
>>> I could understand you if the TV license was a tax.
>>>       
>> It is.
>>     
>
> It isn't. You could choose not to have a telly. Ergo, you wouldn't need
> to pay the TV License. Your choice.
>
> [OT: This is why "car tax" is a misnomer; it's Road Fund License. If you
> don't have a roadgoing vehicle, you don't pay.]
>
> Tax is something you can't avoid unless you have a clever accountant. Or
> are mates with Gordon Brown.
>
> Graeme
>
>
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>   
Ok, I think we may be going OT on this, but the Telly license is a bona 
fide tax. I can chose to drive a car and not pay car tax, I simply 
cannot choose to drive it on the public roads that the tax (is meant to) 
fund. I can avoid alcohol and tobacco taxes all together by not using 
that product at all, and I cannot own a TV and choose not to watch or 
receive the Beeb, I still have to pay the tax. It may be called 
otherwise, but it's a tax. A ring fenced one, perhaps, but it's a tax.

Now, above we have ~ a choice as long as you don't use the tax funded 
resource (roads), total choice ( i.e. don't smoke or drink) or no choice 
( i.e. compulsory tax even if you never want to watch any BBC output but 
own a telly). They are all taxes ~ usage restrictions don't make any 
difference ~ the name given to them is irrelevant. You cannot argue, for 
instance, that the broadcasting infrastructure wouldn't be there without 
the Beeb and thus it is a usage charge, else there would be not Sat or 
cable, or ITV, if you see what I mean. The only way the licence fee 
could be considered 'not a tax' would be if it were possible to 'opt 
out' of BBC usage. It would then be a subscription.

Now, the argument as to if the TV tax is  right and proper is, I 
propose, not one for the NLUG. My objection is that they are dictating 
what OS I will have to use for all computing purposes if I still wish to 
receive, via the iplayer, content that I have already paid the 
appropriate tax on . If this was a subscription, fair enough, it would 
be their product to specify whatever terms they liked. However, it 
isn't, it's tax!

I'll go and lie down now and take my pills.

(contrary to appearances, I'm not getting sponsored by google ad's to 
place the word 'tax' in as many sentences as possible ;-)  )