Am I a cheapass or not?

Faram · Post by **Faram** » 2002-11-24 10:00am

The situation:

Here in Sweden there is a licensing fee for owning a TV set. ~$170/y

For a couple of years now I haven’t paid the licensing fee for the TV I have.

This fee for the intended purpose of financing the governments two TV channels that is add and commercial free.

The reason that I don’t pay the TV license is because the two government channels have started putting in crap like this before any move or sports programme:
Sponsored by whatever Oil Company or business they have a contract with. And This broadcast was sponsored by whatever.

Now for the question.
Am I a cheapass that should pay for the license (this money is a no issue for me as I can easily afford it).

Or is it fair of me to say fuck the government channel you have commercials I should not have to pay for watching commercials?

Post by **Vympel** » 2002-11-24 10:06am

Screw them. Commercials suck.

"The price is wrong BITCH"

consequences · Post by **consequences** » 2002-11-24 10:28am

If they seek alternate means of financial recompense, then funding those channels becomes their responsibility, you shouldn't have to pay them so they can feed you crap their getting paid to put on.

Evil Sadistic Bastard · Post by **Evil Sadistic Bastard** » 2002-11-24 10:37am

Faram wrote:The situation:

Here in Sweden there is a licensing fee for owning a TV set. ~$170/y

For a couple of years now I haven’t paid the licensing fee for the TV I have.

This fee for the intended purpose of financing the governments two TV channels that is add and commercial free.

The reason that I don’t pay the TV license is because the two government channels have started putting in crap like this before any move or sports programme:
Sponsored by whatever Oil Company or business they have a contract with. And This broadcast was sponsored by whatever.

Now for the question.
Am I a cheapass that should pay for the license (this money is a no issue for me as I can easily afford it).

Or is it fair of me to say fuck the government channel you have commercials I should not have to pay for watching commercials?

You are a cheapass. That is a fact.

Having said that, don't bother paying the bastards.

Post by **Vympel** » 2002-11-24 10:41am

Evil Sadistic Bastard wrote:
You are a cheapass. That is a fact.

Having said that, don't bother paying the bastards.

Even when the money is no object, not paying for something stupid like that doth not automatically make one a cheapass.

In Australia, WE DON'T TIP. It's STUPID.

See Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi) Resevoir Dogs for the Australian view on the issue.

This doesn't make us cheap. Just smart

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2002-11-24 11:46am

To hell with 'em! You get taxed out the yin-yang, right?

Newtonian Fury · Post by **Newtonian Fury** » 2002-11-24 12:33pm

Wow, a TV tax. What's next? A computer tax? That sounds rather totalitarian.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2002-11-24 12:49pm

If it's got commercials then why are they asking for your money. Don't pay them for it.

I feel the same way about PBS here in the States. The sponorship things that used to be at most ten seconds are now full blown commercials which really ruins it.

Dralan · Post by **Dralan** » 2002-11-24 12:55pm

We have the same kind of tv ownership tax in Norway aswell.. and we have to pay around 200$ /y for it..

They try to screw us royally because they get alot of income fron comercials aswell.. Nedless to say I do NOT pay for it.

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2002-11-24 12:55pm

I wouldnt pay. A tv tax is lame.

Yogi · Post by **Yogi** » 2002-11-24 01:04pm

If you don't pay, then you shouldn't watch the channles at all.

Dralan · Post by **Dralan** » 2002-11-24 01:11pm

If you don't pay, then you shouldn't watch the channles at all.

Well, dont worry about that. I dont watch the two goverment channels at all.
I only watch "Quality" tv. (Quality = very suspect and odd shows that no sane man would want to look at like : B5, Stargate and so on

)

Newtonian Fury · Post by **Newtonian Fury** » 2002-11-24 02:19pm

I can understand a government taxing your house. Afterall, it is on their domain. But I can't accept government demanding a periodic tribute for owning small property such as a TV. If I have to pay for it after I paid the retail, doesn't it mean that it's really not mine?

Havng the government in the TV channel business is just plain bad for consumers. It creates this involuntary money drain. Assuming the channels are public, I can't choose not to receive them. Therefore, the gov't can just say: "you must pay because you can view it." If they encrypt the channels and ask for service fee, I can accept that. It would be like the various Cable companies in the US, consumers pay the Cable for their special services and the gov't tax the cable companies for doing business. This way makes more sense.

Faram · Post by **Faram** » 2002-11-24 02:41pm

Nope it's a licensing fee for owning a TV if i watch the goverment channels or not don't matter.

This ting gets me pissed I buy the TV with taxed money.

They also take a part of all the taxes the goverment gets and give it to the goverment TV channels so that they can put on public service tv (mostly junk)

Also it's the swedish taxpayed mony that first got the consept of Robinson (survivor for you yanks). That is the quality TV that the taxes and the licensing fee pays for.

(sorry for the spelling slightly drunk)

ArmorPierce · Post by **ArmorPierce** » 2002-11-24 02:50pm

What's next, home owner tax? Wait a second....

Tsyroc · Post by **Tsyroc** » 2002-11-24 03:43pm

Do they have officials who try to track down people who aren't paying their TV liscensing fees? (Serious, I saw a thing on tv where two guys in the UK work for the government tracking down unliscensed TVs. People would try to shield them by wrapping them in aluminum foil.)

Just wait until broadband gets good enough for people to watch television on their computers. $¢£¥

Tsyroc · Post by **Tsyroc** » 2002-11-24 03:44pm

Question: Do you have to pay for owning a radio? I would imagine the government has some radio stations too?

Faram · Post by **Faram** » 2002-11-24 03:57pm

Tsyroc wrote:Question: Do you have to pay for owning a radio? I would imagine the government has some radio stations too?

You used to have, not any more...

Faram · Post by **Faram** » 2002-11-24 03:59pm

Tsyroc wrote:Do they have officials who try to track down people who aren't paying their TV liscensing fees? (Serious, I saw a thing on tv where two guys in the UK work for the government tracking down unliscensed TVs. People would try to shield them by wrapping them in aluminum foil.)

Just wait until broadband gets good enough for people to watch television on their computers. $¢£¥

They have people that track down offenders on a free lance basis. They work on comission, just come and knock on the door. They ask if they can come in and check, you are not under any oblicagtion to allow them in.

But if you don't then it is suspect...

Had one of the goons phone me at home that asshole had the galle to demand entry in my appartment to check if I had a TV or not, told him to piss of. This was 2 years ago...

Tsyroc · Post by **Tsyroc** » 2002-11-24 04:20pm

The guys I saw on tv had a crude direction finding antenna that apparently could pick up whatever signal a tv puts out.

I wonder if this same thing would work with plasma screens?

pecker · Post by **pecker** » 2002-11-24 04:30pm

Vympel wrote:
Evil Sadistic Bastard wrote:
You are a cheapass. That is a fact.

Having said that, don't bother paying the bastards.
Even when the money is no object, not paying for something stupid like that doth not automatically make one a cheapass.

In Australia, WE DON'T TIP. It's STUPID.

See Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi) Resevoir Dogs for the Australian view on the issue.

This doesn't make us cheap. Just smart

Well, over in the US, waiters and waitresses get paid like 4 bucks an hour.

Drewcifer · Post by **Drewcifer** » 2002-11-24 05:53pm

To continue the OT highjack:

I used to be a server. Although the minimum wage in the US was $5.15 at the time, my hourly rate was only $2.13. Tips made up the rest of my pay. At the end of each shift, we were required to report our tips, and were taxed on said tips as they were income. (I didn't report all of my tips however

)

That is why tipping is important. At least in the US. I loved Resevoir Dogs, but fuck Mr. Pink and his tipping policy.

Oh, and the regulars at the restaurant that didn't tip got rather crappy service after awhile

His Divine Shadow · Post by **His Divine Shadow** » 2002-11-24 07:06pm

Vympel wrote:In Australia, WE DON'T TIP. It's STUPID.

WE DON'T EITHER! STUPID CONCEPT! STUPID PEOPLE!

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2002-11-24 07:59pm

So is this TV tax every single year? Thats totally crap.

As for tipping, doesnt Australia have living wage laws? The US does not, local cities might, but not the US as a whole.

Specialist · Post by **Specialist** » 2002-11-24 11:16pm

Up here in Canada, we have a government supported channel as well the CBC.
It was in the toronto sun a few days ago, they're using tax payers money to out bid privately own channels for sport events (hockey, baseball etc) and US programming. Instead since they have a steady income they should be showing niche events that other channels won't so because it wouldn't be profitable.

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

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