Count your blessings

l Dear Sir,
WITH reference to the letter of J. Leach of Norwich, entitled “Pay your licence fee please, Wed Sept. 28'2005.
May I say, “How petty can one get?” Has J. Leach of Norwich any idea that there are UK pensioners living here on Majorca on less than 100 pounds a week which has to pay for rent and all living costs? Okay, I realise that it was our choice to live here but we are not complaining even though if we lived in the UK we would be entitled to:
(a) Pension credit of at least 40 pounds a week for a single person
(b) Winter fuel allowance of 200 pounds every winter
(c) Council tax allowance of at least 70 pounds a month-band A
(d) A possible rent allowance
(e) Subsidised travel on public transport.
This is a saving of a minimum of 3'120 pounds per year to the UK government every year on one pensioner on the first three examples alone. We are prepared to forfeit a minimum of 3'120 additional income every year for quality of life and we are not complaining.
Does J. Leach of Norwich really begrudge us this one small “perk” of receiving our British TV without paying the UK licence? In fact, for those of us over 70, we would get help with this too in the UK. Quite recently, I had to pay a further 1'000 euros for the pleasure of having my UK car transferred to Spanish plates even though, because of British taxes, I paid more for it in England than it would have cost here. I have, also continued to pay my British road tax even though I was not driving in England.
One of the reasons I left England was because I was disillusioned by the small-minded, mean-spirited attitude of people. J. Leach of Norwich's letter confirmed that I made the right decision to come here. All I can say to J. Leach of Norwich is: “If you want to be small-minded and mean-spirited, do so in England. Don't bring your pettiness here. It would serve you well to get a life, count your blessings and be grateful that a substantial number of pensioners here are saving your UK government in excess of 3'120 a year per person.” “You should be saving thank you to us for opting our of your system rather than criticising us. We are saving your government money in far greater quantities than our licence fee would generate.
A 100 pound per week pensioner, Portocolom.