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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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Personal Stories of the Chicowitz: Life is Good! A Tale of Two Toes Exploring My Roots: A Chicowitz History A Trip to the Dentist The Chicowitz Gets Dumped - Again! Just Shoot Me! He Sleeps with the Fishes My Little Girl, Princess Why am I Still Single? The Plastic Surgery Saga Our House is a Very, Very, Very Fine House... Not! Our House - Part 2 Our House - Part 3: Reclaiming the Past Middle Age and the Mazdamobile Down for the Count That Dirty Dancing Contemplations on the Hereafter Tool Time with the Chicowitz The Chicowitz Goes Country Born to be Screwed Mr. Brownthumb The Mixer - A Singles Story Crab Cakes Midlife Crisis: In December, Traditions of Christmas: Teach, Preach & Nag: Travels with Princess: A View from Hurricane Alley: Election 2004: Election 2006: Election 2008: |
A Boomer Remembers...: The Cuban Missile Crisis High School Sweetheart I Remember the 50s The 60s: Life was Sweeter The New American Dream Another Side of the Greatest Generation Where has all the Music Gone? Memories of the Sock Hop Remembering the Chairman of the Board Restless in Seattle The New Math We Are Not One Boomer "And Here's to You, Joe DiMaggio" The Days of Summers Past The Seeds of Character A Letter to a Teacher I Want a Clark Bar! When Music was Fun Decoration Day - The Measure of Sacrifice 11/22/63: We Remember Flashback: The Y2K Hysteria When the Music had Words Ronald Reagan: Hard-Wired Decency The Great Carsoni Love Songs of the Chicowitz Do You Remember These? V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N -- We're on Vacation! A Watergate Success Story Straight Talk on Social Issues: Freedom: Mostly, Just Silly Stuff: The Terrorist Attack of 2001: The Chicowitz on Iraq: |
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
"The 5000 Year Leap," by
W. Cleon Skousen. The title does not
adequately identify the content, though the concept of the 5,000 year
leap is astounding. The subtitle, Principles of Freedom 101, is
much more applicable to the subject. This book carefully and clearly
summarizes the thinking of the brilliant founding fathers of our country,
the ideas behind the "miracle that changed the world."
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Copyright © 2001-2009, 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.)
