Re: @SuccessCase nailed it
@ paulf
"Will the Government demand Energy Companies pay the winter fuel allowance, and Stagecoach pays the free bus pass"
The energy companies shouldnt have to pay for the incompetent energy policy of the labour gov (and that is not in any doubt). The bus pass one is potentially more fuzzy.
"My response to anyone who shouts about how unfair the "Telly Poll Tax" is because they don't watch the BBC is to remind them that advertising is a tax on all of us regardless of what we do"
And your response is entirely wrong. A tax is taken without choice. For example I cannot choose to watch other channels without being forced to pay the TV tax. Advertising is based on successful (that is an important difference) commercial activity which advertises the presence of products that people actually choose to pay money for. We dont have to buy the advertised products. They have the money to advertise due to their popularity of people choosing to spend on the services/products. NOT A TAX.
"Even though I don't watch ITV, listen to commercial radio, or read a printed newspaper I quietly and unavoidably pay towards all of these through the money my supermarket, bank, power supplier, phone manufacturer and others spend on advertising"
And you will as long as it brings more people in to willingly pay them for products and services. And you can choose not to! You can choose! You could shop outside of supermarkets with no advertising overheads (I do), get a bank account you dont pay for, choose a smaller power supplier not on the telly, buy a small brand phone. You may not like what they have to offer compared (or yet you might) but its your choice.
"At least with the BBC I can ditch the telly and cancel the TV License!"
You can also shop at a local market, work for cash, switch off your electric, not buy a mobile, etc and not pay money to advertising. Although you can still get such services without a competitor taking from your pocket for a service you do not want or use. Unlike the TV license
Biting the hand that feeds IT
