I hope our Legislators are Proud

Specialun · 27-09-2013 9:56pm

jetsonx wrote: »

So this is what our police force are doing.

Our cities and towns are awash with crime. Burglary is rife. Muggings have become commonplace. Old people are living in fear. Homicides seem to happen on a daily basis now.

And our An Garda Siochana are pushing people in wheelchairs into prison.

Well done boys. I hope you're proud of yourselves.

Exaggerate much????

MadsL · 27-09-2013 9:56pm

My name is URL wrote: »

Whatever about the age of the couple, or the specific circumstances of their case; the fact that people are jailed for not paying for TV licences is just absurd. There's no way anyone could logically defend the practice. It's wasteful in the extreme and doesn't serve society in any way.

Wasn't the whole issue of jailing people for non-payment supposed to have been dealt with a few years ago? What's the hold up?

What do you propose as a sanction for non-payment? Name and Shame? The Pillory? Burning crosses in the front yard?

Guy:Incognito · 27-09-2013 9:56pm

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

Everyone pays their bills don't they but this is a pissing charge that dishes out massive salaries to people with mediocre talent.

Hey, guess what happens if I don't pay UPC? I get cut off.
Guess what happens if I don't pay Bord Gais? I get cut off.
Guess what happens if I don't pay my rent? I get thrown out.
Guess what happens if I don't buy food? I will go hungry.

But...

Guess what happens if I don't pay my Tv license? I go to jail!!!

It's just ****ing wrong.

UPC, Gas and rent are paid a month in advance are they not? So if you don't pay and they cut you off you don't owe them.

Same with food, unless you steal some.

If you do run up a bill and don't pay, companies can get court judgements can they not?

If you don't pay court fines you eventually get taken to prison for contempt of court. That's what they were sent in for. The fact that the first offence was a tv licence is irrelevant, they disobeyed the court issued fine.

PingO_O wrote: »

just to take their details and send them home, but femme fatale explained that above.

That's what happens the first time. Your sent a fine. Then you ignore/refuse to pay that, then it drags on and on and when you refuse to cooperate , then the court has no other option. How long should they continue fining people pointlessly?

yoloc · 27-09-2013 9:57pm

30Mins inside for a 1200 bill, come and get me because i aint paid mine in 10 years llf.

Specialun · 27-09-2013 9:58pm

yoloc wrote: »

30Mins inside for a 1200 bill, come and get me because i aint paid mine in 10 years llf.

Reported

MadsL · 27-09-2013 9:58pm

yoloc wrote: »

30Mins inside for a 1200 bill, come and get me because i aint paid mine in 10 years llf.

Can you post up your address so those of us that have paid your share can tell the Gardai where to find you?

Femme_Fatale · 27-09-2013 10:01pm

Shur loads of people haven't paid it for years - nothing bad-ass about that. You don't get caught until they call to your address, and that might not even happen, or you could bluff.

yoloc · 27-09-2013 10:07pm

MadsL wrote: »

Can you post up your address so those of us that have paid your share can tell the Gardai where to find you?

The gardi cant cross the border

TBH, where i live, they dont call to the doors. Their cars have been burnt 6times in last few years so they dont return lol. Next time they should be tied to the chair doing the queens work on our island

MadsL · 27-09-2013 10:09pm

yoloc wrote: »

The gardi cant cross the border TBH, where i live, they dont call to the doors. Their cars have been burnt 6times in last few years so they dont return lol. Next time they should be tied to the chair doing the queens work on our island

Perhaps as you are so proud of your achievements you might post your address so we can send you your prize?

My name is URL · 27-09-2013 10:35pm

MadsL wrote: »

What do you propose as a sanction for non-payment? Name and Shame? The Pillory? Burning crosses in the front yard?

Deduct it at source.. not exactly rocket surgery like.

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo · 27-09-2013 10:40pm

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

UPC, Gas and rent are paid a month in advance are they not? So if you don't pay and they cut you off you don't owe them.

Same with food, unless you steal some.

If you do run up a bill and don't pay, companies can get court judgements can they not?

If you don't pay court fines you eventually get taken to prison for contempt of court. That's what they were sent in for. The fact that the first offence was a tv licence is irrelevant, they disobeyed the court issued fine.

That's what happens the first time. Your sent a fine. Then you ignore/refuse to pay that, then it drags on and on and when you refuse to cooperate , then the court has no other option. How long should they continue fining people pointlessly?

I honestly understand that the reason they went to jail was technically for ignoring a court order/fine but I just think it's dumb that we waste Garda/court and these peoples time and money by going through this whole process to pay inflated salaries to mediocre talent.

The only thing I watch on RTE is the sport they show and I have no doubt they actually make a nice profit from the games they show. The All-Ireland tomorrow alone must be worth a fortune to them.

I'd be happy if they lumped the Tv license onto UPC/Sky Tv or Netflix bills rather than paying for all these inspectors and wasting Garda and court resources on this entire process.

RTE should provide public broadcasting, ie, news, current affairs, culture events and things of that nature.
If I want to watch some football, I'll pay for Setanta or Sky.
If you want to watch Fair City, subscribe to some payed entertainment service.
If you want to watch films pay for Netflix ect. ect. ect.

The Big Smoke · 27-09-2013 10:44pm

My name is URL wrote: »

Whatever about the age of the couple, or the specific circumstances of their case; the fact that people are jailed for not paying for TV licences is just absurd. There's no way anyone could logically defend the practice. It's wasteful in the extreme and doesn't serve society in any way.

Wasn't the whole issue of jailing people for non-payment supposed to have been dealt with a few years ago? What's the hold up?

The Guards would have very little to do if they didn't. Apart from sitting and nabbing speeding motorists or standing beside the government buildings.

Sh1tbag OToole · 27-09-2013 11:18pm

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

What use did it do them? They didn't get away with it, they just don't have to pay it because they are entitled to benefits.
I don't think the TV licence is worth what it pays for either btw and see nothing wrong with people trying to avoid it, but when you're eventually caught, well that's that - you have to pay it.

Bit by bit it shows our overlords that people are getting sick of RTE and their license fee. I suppose anyone who ever died fighting a war sees no use to it but allowing the enemy to march in is not a good plan either.

I hope the new broadcast charge will be fought off instead of people reaching for their debit card as soon as 'Revenue' is mentioned.

hansfrei · 27-09-2013 11:38pm

So let me get this straight.....

judge issues a hefty fine to people with no money?

Is that through stupidity or was the judge looking for trouble?

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo · 28-09-2013 1:35am

hansfrei wrote: »

So let me get this straight.....

judge issues a hefty fine to people with no money?

Is that through stupidity or was the judge looking for trouble?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0rSXjVuJVg

paikea · 29-09-2013 2:51am

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

Bit by bit it shows our overlords that people are getting sick of RTE and their license fee. I suppose anyone who ever died fighting a war sees no use to it but allowing the enemy to march in is not a good plan either.

I hope the new broadcast charge will be fought off instead of people reaching for their debit card as soon as 'Revenue' is mentioned.

Like you I don't agree how the money obtained from that license is used, I don't like the fact that they will be forcing everyone to pay and the amount charged, and I do want to do something about it.

Unfortunately though I don't think that promoting a campaign for not paying is the most effective approach for the exact same reason you are mentioning in your post. A lot of people will pay it straight away like they did for the property tax. The worst part is that I don't have a better suggestion to make. I am actually looking for some suggestions myself.

What happened to that couple from Tallaght was just the last straw for me.

Phoebas · 29-09-2013 10:35am

My name is URL wrote: »

Deduct it at source.. not exactly rocket surgery like.

I think there's a Fines Act going through the Daíl at the moment, with provisions for deducting fines from source.
Hopefully, it'll make these stories a thing of the past.

Phoebas · 29-09-2013 10:42am

paikea wrote: »

Like you I don't agree how the money obtained from that license is used, I don't like the fact that they will be forcing everyone to pay and the amount charged, and I do want to do something about it.

Unfortunately though I don't think that promoting a campaign for not paying is the most effective approach for the exact same reason you are mentioning in your post. A lot of people will pay it straight away like they did for the property tax. The worst part is that I don't have a better suggestion to make. I am actually looking for some suggestions myself.

Start a political campaign on the issue.
For all of the complaining online I see about the TV licence and RTE, it never registers as an actual political issue, because nobody cares enough to do any more than complain on the internet about it.

UCDVet · 29-09-2013 11:07am

If you actually read the article, it all seems pretty typical.

* The couple hasn't paid and won't pay.
* Since they're old, they'll be getting it for free anyway.
* The 'prison' they were sent to, was more like filling out paperwork for 30 minutes and they were treated 'with respect'. To be honest, if I can get in and out of a government building in less than an hour I'm happy. They weren't locked up.

All that was accomplished was a waste of taxpayers money, employees time, and the time of the couple. No money was recovered. And no punishment was dished out - this doesn't even serve as an example for others who might not pay....I could have a TV and skip paying for years, get caught, ignore it, ignore it some more, *eventually* - probably years later - spend 30 minutes filling out paperwork and go home.

craggle · 29-09-2013 12:40pm

yoloc wrote: »

The gardi cant cross the border TBH, where i live, they dont call to the doors. Their cars have been burnt 6times in last few years so they dont return lol. Next time they should be tied to the chair doing the queens work on our island

if youre in the north you dont pay the license for rte - so your boasting is pointless

Foxhound38 · 29-09-2013 2:08pm

Since when is it Endas problem that the courts enforced the law, which these people broke?

The law is if you have a TV, you have to pay your TV licence fee. These people didn't, and got caught out. Don't like it? Move somewhere where the law doesn't require the payment of a TV licence fee...

Foxhound38 · 29-09-2013 2:10pm

yoloc wrote: »

The gardi cant cross the border TBH, where i live, they dont call to the doors. Their cars have been burnt 6times in last few years so they dont return lol. Next time they should be tied to the chair doing the queens work on our island

:rolleyes:

Well done you, your parents must be so proud

Guy:Incognito · 29-09-2013 2:15pm

Foxhound38 wrote: »

:rolleyes:

Well done you, your parents must be so proud

He's taking the queens money and paying in to her system in some way or another so he's probably an outcast in the family. If not then the ironing is delicious. It also seems lost on him.

Systemic Risk · 29-09-2013 2:35pm

yoloc wrote: »

The gardi cant cross the border TBH, where i live, they dont call to the doors. Their cars have been burnt 6times in last few years so they dont return lol. Next time they should be tied to the chair doing the queens work on our island

Grow up. Child.

minidazzler · 29-09-2013 2:51pm

The state threatening violence on ANYONE over non-payment of a TV licence or a fine is inherently wrong. And that's exactly what they do. They threaten to send their bag men around to cart you away to jail for doing nothing literally.

Crimes should only be able to be commited against people where there is a direct tangible effect to the negative on people. But law makers tend to love coming up with newer and stupider laws.

Fred Swanson · 29-09-2013 2:55pm

This post has been deleted.

minidazzler · 29-09-2013 3:17pm

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

No. I'm not. How can you commit a crime where nothing happens to anyone because you literally did nothing?

And it is a threat of violence for doing nothing.

BattleCorp · 29-09-2013 4:43pm

They aren't elderly people because pensioners get a free tv licence here in Ireland.

And so what if they were elderly. Laws apply to everyone, no matter what age they are.

Whether you agree with the TV licence fee is irrelevant. It has to be paid and that's the law.

If you don't pay it, there has to be consequences. If there were no consequences, I wouldn't pay any of my debts or bills. And neither would a hell of a lot of people.

The couple knew that they didn't have a tv licence so they knew they were doing wrong. They could have paid for it in instalments.

And one last point, people don't get jailed for not having a television licence. They get jailed for not paying a court fine.

zega · 29-09-2013 7:17pm

The tv licence is ****ed in the head,if you buy a big samsung TV and only use it as a computer monitor you still have to get a licence for it.

Balls to that.

Guy:Incognito · 29-09-2013 7:28pm

minidazzler wrote: »

No. I'm not. How can you commit a crime where nothing happens to anyone because you literally did nothing?

And it is a threat of violence for doing nothing.

Where's the threat of violence? The Gardaí arrive and escort you to jail. Unless you start resisting then there's no violence and they most likely didn't even make contact with either person unless they helped them in or out of the car.

minidazzler wrote: »

They threaten to send their bag men around to cart you away to jail for doing nothing literally.
.

But in this case, "doing nothing" means not paying your tax. Is it ok for people to just "do nothing" with income tax or other bills?

I hope our Legislators are Proud

Comments