75 or older? Tessa Jowell thinks you are stupid
That's the only conclusion I can draw from the tsunami of cash her department is planning on spending on advising certain demographics, including the 75+ age group on the digital switchover. I will admit to being something of a geek when it comes to technology, but all that the digital switchover means for the man or woman on the couch is that you need to buy a digibox, plug it into a mains socket and run an aerial lead to it. Say 10 seconds time to do that, turn on the TV etc and it autotunes. Given that there will be a subsidised fee of £40 for "Older and disabled people who do not receive income related benefits" it seems pretty clear that the government has not exactly gone sniffing around for best value providers of this service. The equipment, note, is not included in the package of aid.
Will 'helpful' people be turning up unannounced at the doors of older folk offering assistance, or does the Culture dept expect to sit back and wait for the helplines to melt because older people cannot read the instructions that come with a newly acquired digibox? What next? Instructions on how to operate toasters, fit duvet covers or suck eggs? Just to put this in perspective, 1931 births include James Duvall, Tom Wolfe, William Shatner, Rupert Murdoch, Faye Weldon and Mikhail Gorbachev - none of whom exactly sit drooling in their bathchairs.
Will 'helpful' people be turning up unannounced at the doors of older folk offering assistance, or does the Culture dept expect to sit back and wait for the helplines to melt because older people cannot read the instructions that come with a newly acquired digibox? What next? Instructions on how to operate toasters, fit duvet covers or suck eggs? Just to put this in perspective, 1931 births include James Duvall, Tom Wolfe, William Shatner, Rupert Murdoch, Faye Weldon and Mikhail Gorbachev - none of whom exactly sit drooling in their bathchairs.
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Well C
In the last few months of his life my grandfather couldnt even use his cash card , and if he hadnt had me he wouldnt have been able to get hold of money or tune in his television, although it didnt stop the old rascal flirting with any woman he met.
Sounds to me like grandpaw Hitchens had his priorities right.
it'll lead to a whole new cottage industry in criminality
you won't be able to find a cowboy plumber for love or money
Aren't 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help' the nine scariest words in the language?
Whereas the seven worst are 'We need to talk about our relationship'....
Have you recalled that the over 75s do NOT pay a TV Licence so might object to having to PAY to get a digital box thus impeding The Treasury from selling the frequencies to gullible mobile phone companies ?
Good point. I wonder whether many people would rather have the money.
now if only I could find a way of selling hot air to idiots...
I know
Carbon credits (+:
PS
who actually owns all this fresh air I intend to sell?
i do bought it back in 2002 when i swapped it for our gold reserves
God, I hate Tessa Jowell.
Me too. I can scarcely contain my loathing when she features in print or on screen. I fear that if TB had the two X chromosomes he would be very much like her.
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