Activist's Carrot Top Impression "Failed to Amuse" Hospital District Board

By Thomas Francis Thu., Sep. 16 2010 at 11:20 AM

Categories: Activism, Broward, Health

If 72-year-old former Sun-Sentinel scribe John deGroot truly has a "humongous allergy to bullshit," as he claims on his eponymous blog, then he ought to have known not to attend yesterday's public hearing about the North Broward Hospital District's proposal to convert itself into a private nonprofit. Not only did DeGroot attend; he tempted fate by unveiling a comedic prop, à la Carrot Top.

I'll let DeGroot explain:

The good news is that nobody got injured or drunk.

However, the bad news was that

I told the seven District Commissioners that -- as servants of the people -- they "stink."

Even worse, to combat their metaphorical stench, I gave each Commissioner their own travel-sized stick of deodorant emblazoned with the District's official "Broward Health" logo -- which failed to amuse.

If it's any consolation, John, I find your schtick of deodorant highly amusing. But it sounds like your product contains the kind of message that will lead to more -- not less -- perspiration:

Along with the District's official logo, each stick of deodorant featured two numbers on the back: 14% and 19%.

The 14%, of course, referred to the increase in the property tax millage the District Commissioners are proposing in their budget for FY 2011.

While the 19% referred to the increase in the amount of tax dollars I'll need to pay the District as a north Broward homeowner.

All of which sparked a tsunami of world class bullshit from the Commission's ferret-eyed Chairperson Rhonda Calhoun.

As to deGroot's claim that Calhoun and her board are trafficking in bullshit with their explanation about the district's conversion being innocuous -- even beneficial -- to local health-care consumers, I'm withholding judgment until I've had the time to suss it out more carefully. But at a glance, the proposal definitely has that aroma.

Stay tuned. I've recently received answers from Broward Health officials to a list of questions I posted yesterday.