OT : What does everyone thing of...

[Mark S.]

...that 73 year old woman being sent to jail for 7 days for not paying her £53 council tax?

Was she right to protest or is she wrong and should have coughed up?

My views soon.

[Pommy]

It's good that she has stood up for what she believes in.  That is what democracy is all about isn't it?  Not that we live in a democracy in the true sense of the word.

The irony of it all is it costs 'us' the tax payer more to jail her for this short period of time than the original amount she witheld from the council tax.

If she didn't pay the whole tax bill as a protest, then I think public opinion may be slightly different, but the fact is she payed the normal amount, and witheld the increase.  I would be asking what the council does with the money it gets in council tax anyway...They are meant to be run efficiently, and with all the outsourcing that they do to 'improve' service whilst maintaining a lower cost to the tax payer just doesn't seem to be adding up at the moment.

[Ironside]

i think she should be jailed and then dragged thru the streets of newcastle in a horse and cart being pelted with rotten fruit and veg.

ok maybe just jailed infact i think anyone not paying there taxes should either be jailed or move to a country they dont have services that need paying for with taxes

[Dingdell]

Her age is irrelevant apart from the extra coverage it gets on the TV.  We all have to abide by the laws of the land - rather than spending 7 days in jail she could have spent that week canvassing for changes in the law or lobbying the right people. She cant lobby from a cell - and the magistrates are right - she's not a martyr - she just gets the publicity because of her age and the government will continue as normal - hasn't affected them at all.

The magistrates sent her to prison because she broke the law - the government love or hate them didnt force her to break the law. It's a cold approach but she could have gone about it a different way.

[AdamM]

while I'm sympathetic to her point of view, simply deciding that you qill not obey a particular law is something that bothers me, whether thats paying a tax, speed limits, copyright theft (deep breaths ) or anything else.

not sure what pommy means by "Not that we live in a democracy in the true sense of the word" compared to who or what are we un democratic?

making a stand will probably involve making sacrifices and paying a price. this is hers

[Mark S.]

My view is that its rather silly of this lady to take the stand she has against, what is effectively, a bill for services!

No doubt her gas bill has gone up by 15% in the past 12 months, her electric bill by the same. Why make a stand about this particular bill?

Having said that I do feel sorry for those pensioners who live on fixed incomes having to survive in todays economic climate. With more and more money being taken from them by way of this bill & that bill and little in the way of standards being upped by way of government pension payments its gonna be a hard life for those that can't make ends meet.

My advise is don't be caught short in your old age. As Sir Jimmy Saville once said...'Life is one big slot machine...you aint going to get nothing out at the bottom if you don't put anything in at the top'.

Start saving now folks!

[RED-DOG]

Just because it's a law dosn't always make it right, if all the Jews in Nazi Germany obeyed the law they would have all just walked into the gas chambers and died

What about the 'crime' of being a witch, or a homosexual?

Or the one that says you cant buy into a poker comp by phone

I am not giving an opinion about this womans actions, I am stating that some laws need to be challenged

[Pommy]

not sure what pommy means by "Not that we live in a democracy in the true sense of the word" compared to who or what are we un democratic?

When was the last election held for the Head of State?

When were you last given the right to vote for the upper house of parliament?

[AdamM]

Just because it's a law dosn't always make it right, if all the Jews in Nazi Germany obeyed the law they would have all just walked into the gas chambers and died

What about the 'crime' of being a witch, or a homosexual?

fair comparisons with non payment of tax?

[AdamM]

not sure what pommy means by "Not that we live in a democracy in the true sense of the word" compared to who or what are we un democratic?

When was the last election held for the Head of State?

When were you last given the right to vote for the upper house of parliament?

I too would dispence with the upper house and the royal family, but then I wish for a world government with a rolling presidency in my lifetime but it's an unpopular view it seems

[RED-DOG]

Just because it's a law dosn't always make it right, if all the Jews in Nazi Germany obeyed the law they would have all just walked into the gas chambers and died

What about the 'crime' of being a witch, or a homosexual?

fair comparisons with non payment of tax?

No, and that isn't the point I was making Adam, I was just pointing out that the law isnt always right, and saying it's wrong because it's against the law isn't a good enough argument sometimes

I have no knowledge of, or opinion about this particular case

[AdamM]

obviously, I completely agree with your statement about the laws you highlighted. No reasonable minded human being would disagree.

the old cliche is "two things in life are certain, death and taxes" (and obviously AA getting beat if you're all in on the bubble) and simply refusing to pay coucil tax because it's gone up more that the rate of inflation is selfish and small minded.

[tikay]

".....dispense with.....The Royal Family....."

RED CARD for Adanm, & if he repeats such a dreadful statement, off with his head.

I say "Up the Queen".

[TightEnd]

".....dispense with.....The Royal Family....."

RED CARD for Adanm, & if he repeats such a dreadful statement, off with his head.

I say "Up the Queen".

not nowadays surely?

[Ironside]

".....dispense with.....The Royal Family....."

RED CARD for Adanm, & if he repeats such a dreadful statement, off with his head.

I say "Up the Queen".

not nowadays surely?

she is still 20 years younger than him he has to have someone to dream about