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BBHQ Boomer Essays: |
| Our Boomer-In-Charge here at BBHQ, Hershel Chicowitz, writes frequently about current events... from a boomer perspective. He is sometimes funny, sometimes provocative, sometimes a little of each. We hope you get a kick out of our Boomer Essays. |
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August 2001: The House of Representatives voted recently on the misnamed patients' bill of rights legislation. Lacking anything better to do with their time (other than, well... you know what), the Congress is trying to convince you that your rights as a patient are being trampled upon, and that they must jump in and protect you. (We shudder at the thought of sending our young daughters to Washington to serve as interns, but our legislators believe we are eager to have that same predatory, immoral people protect our rights as patients.) If this is not the height of hypocrisy, what is? Like so much of what Congress focuses on, that notion is at odds with the evidence. Though one can find anecdotal evidence of anything, the statistical evidence shows that the vast majority of Americans are generally pleased with the health care that they receive and that they do not feel they are being deprived of their rights. Oh, they may believe that other patients' rights are being abridged. But they feel that way because of what they are being told by the Congress and the press, not because of any substantial, factual evidence. Seventy percent of respondents to our poll at BBHQ believe we need a patients' bill of rights; but 80% of our respondents are satisfied with their health care (and presumably feel they have no need to sue their doctor or HMO.) This is a perfect example of false and malicious manipulation of the public by the press and the Congress. FOLKS, YOU ARE THE ONES WHO ARE BEING MISLED HERE. YOU ARE BEING LED LIKE MINDLESS SHEEP, AND YOU ARE FOLLOWING LIKE BLIND FOOLS. YOU SHOULD BE PAYING ATTENTION!! The patients' bill of rights is actually a lawyers' "kid in a candy store" bill because it allows lawyers to go to the well (the insurance companies - read: us) for an endless supply of money - our money! And just who are the largest contributors to the Democratic party? You guessed it. (And the press is complaining because George Bush appears to be on the side of the energy producers. I'll take energy producers over lawyers any day! But that's another story.) So naturally, my take on the need for a 21st century bill of rights flows in a different direction. I believe that there are real needs out there, and that our rights are indeed being trampled upon. But those doing the trampling are the very ones who claim to be and are paid to protect and defend our rights. Yes, I am serious; I believe we need a taxpayers' bill of rights. When we were growing up, the tax burden on our parents was about 15%. So what if a little money was misspent? Washington did so little, and what little it did mattered less. But today, the government (at all levels) takes about 40% of our income. The level of government spending has risen enormously, as has the government's influence and control over our lives. And the fact that the level has risen so fast without the implementation of reasonable safeguards or controls invites abuse. Oh wait... I forgot. Do you recall Al Gore's big "re-inventing government" program during the Clinton administration? What government do you suppose was re-invented? Did you notice any huge change? Perhaps he was talking about another one of his inventions, the Internet. How did our government improve because of Al Gore's re-inventing government program? But I digress. This is my proposal for what really ails our society, my taxpayers' bill of rights:
And most importantly.....
 So... you wanna talk about rights being abridged... look no further! The accounting, detailed in this bill of rights, should be printed and sent to every taxpayer, each January, along with his IRS 1040 income tax form. Get the message?
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Exploring My Roots: A Chicowitz History
Membership details here.
Terrific boomer memorabilia!!
Remember this?
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If you like what we're doing here at BBHQ, please help us by buying stuff through our link to Amazon.com:
| The BBHQ Album of the Month is "Old Friends Live on Stage (Deluxe Edition) (2 CD/1 DVD)," by Simon & Garfunkel. If you were fortunate enough to see them in concert last year, I do not have to sell you. The concert was terrific! This album collection includes 55 songs, plus their new recording, "Citizen of the Planet," and one of the songs sung by the Everly Brothers during the concert. The DVD was recorded during their concert in Madison Square Garden in 2003. For any S&G fan, this is a must have! But then, you knew that already, didn't you? |
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The BBHQ Book of the Month is
"Vinyl Highway," by
Dee Dee Phelps. You remember her as Dee Dee, of Dick and Dee Dee.
Together, they took a decade long ride on the rock and roll roller
coaster. It was a heck of a ride! Dick Clark, Quincy Jones, the Beach
Boys, Glenn Campbell, Dionne Warwick, Bobby Vinton... Dick and Dee Dee
rubbed shoulders with all of them. This is her "behind the scenes" story.
It's pretty cool.
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Copyright © 2001-2008, Baby Boomer HeadQuarters - WWW.BBHQ.COM - All rights reserved.
The American taxpayers have a right to know how much of their money is
simply lost by the federal government... unaccounted for... every year.
(It's in the billions, but we have a right to a specific, detailed
accounting. After all, it is our money.)
