Today's "What Gets My Goat" - NO POLITICS!

[darrsi]

Thinking about the TV licence debate that foccer's are talking about, I sort of fall down on the side of the voluntary payment should the pensioner choose, the thing is that choice is not being taken away but is actually being offered if you think about it.


I hit the grand old age of 70 in 7 days time (No presents please, Just Cash or Beer tokens) I have been fortunate throughout my life health wise, and as such have retained my mobility, and, apart from work related damage to both wrists (No don't even think it, or worse say it) that part of the damage happened a bit later in life :eek [size=1em]and because of good health and remaining fit I was able to continue laying bricks up until I hit 68.[/size]
[size=1em]No I'm not a rich guy, but I was sensible through my working life as self employed and paid money into a pension scheme as well as gaining some other private pension when I worked for the Government for about 9 years.  [/size]

[size=1em]I worked with a small team of builders (Mates) and we took on one off house builds, extensions and the like, I could still keep up with the 40 year old guys when the premix trucks turned up, but my grip was starting to cause me problems and at one point I almost dropped a 8 X 4 sheet of 3/4" ply on a workmate below me, my grip was going, the same week whilst climbing about on some scaffolding I lost my grip on an upright pole and fell backwards only to be grabbed by the iron like grip of Keith my labourer, had he not held me i would have fallen about 16 feet onto a load of hardcore, and at 68 we do not bounce. I put my tools away on that Friday and have not done any work since (almost 2 years now) I still keep up with the guys some are bikers and we ride out together occasionally.  [/size][size=1em]Where the F--k am I going with this? we were talking about voluntary TV payments, Oh yeah! (Don't laugh it will happen to you) anyway I am comfortable financially, and, my wife (11 years younger than I) still works as a head of department in a college and gets paid very well for her endeavours. [/size][size=1em]So come the time I will happily pay for my T.V licence, I refused a free bus pass, and I do not put any load on the NHS with free prescriptions (very often). [/size][size=1em]So the upshot of my ramblings is, if someone is in the position financially and chooses (Remember it is a choice) to pay for this sort of thing good luck to them.[/size]
[size=1em]Out there in the real world are people who live in harder circumstances who are much younger than I, the T V may be their only comfort, so if by some of us old farts paying helps keep the price down just a little for the masses at large then it is a good thing.[/size]
[size=1em]OK! I'm out of the pulpit now.        [/size]

You honestly really think it'll stop them putting the price up???
I don't think so!