Blame R’s For Insurance Costs…And Two Broward D’s
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Floridians going to their mail boxes are getting a rude awakening this summer: Thousands of dollars in home insurance increases.
More hikes are expected next year…right before the 2012 election.
How high can it go?
Guest Columnist Sam Fields’ friend saw insurance for her middle class Davie home go from $3,600 to $7,400-a-year! There are thousands of similar examples
The huge and climbing cost of insurance is one of the best campaign issues the Democrats have in 2012.
After all, it is all the fault of our “free marketâ€-crazy Gov. Rick Scott and the GOP-dominated Florida Legislature.
Gov. Charlie Crist believed in regulating the insurance industry. Scott is quoted in the Palm Beach Post as saying he would like even less regulation of the insurance industry so that “competition†takes over and lowers rates.
A May Quinnipiac University Florida poll found that 59 percent of those questioned called for more government regulation of insurance. That survey was done was before the recent increases.
“There is no doubt that the electorate sees a crying need for something to make getting and paying for property insurance in Florida less onerous,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
The Republicans don’t get it.
“This is only the beginning. The rates are being approved quicker and easier on behalf of the insurance industry. It’s quite sad,” said state Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey.
Fasano, a Republican who is much closer to Crist and most Ds on insurance than Scott and his legislative buddies, called the new rates “a backdoor tax.â€
It gets worse.
Senate bill 408 this year allows companies to give just 45 days notice before cancelling insurance. It previously was 100 days.
The bill also allows companies to withhold full payment for home damage until the work is performed and the homeowner pays the bills. The exception is totally destroyed homes.
And Scott’s administration has removed data from the state insurance regulation website which allowed consumers to compare rates, according to the Palm Beach Post.
A few thousand dollars in insurance costs doesn’t matter to the billionaire Scott. It matters to the rest of us.
This has the potential to be a huge campaign issue.
But are the state Ds are smart enough to use it? Or will they once again allow the Republican Party of Florida to outfox them?
This one is in State Party leader Rod Smith’s corner.
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Democrats sometimes disappoint us. Even Broward Democrats.
State Sens. Jeremy Ring of Parkland and Chris Smith of Fort Lauderdale voted to approve the final version of SB 408.
State Sens. Nan Rich of Weston and Eleanor Sobel of Hollywood voted against the bill on the final vote – 26-11. Rich and Sobel were consistent votes against this bad bill!
Not so, Ring and Smith. They also voted for the bill on earlier votes.
Ring: Pro-Insurance Industry Votes
I could run a campaign against Ring or Smith based on this vote!
July 3rd, 2011 at 4:55 pm
she is a shill for the insurance companies, i am sure she was a big cheerleader for this.
As for Smith what does he care, his electorate doesnt care about these issues.
July 3rd, 2011 at 6:51 pm
Do it Buddy!!! We will vote for you!!!
July 3rd, 2011 at 10:28 pm
Chris Smith has always voted with Republicans even when he was a State Rep and Supported Governor Jeb Bush publicly and brought “home” this big check…he hides behind Alcee and with Perry to disguise he is really out for himself and working with R’s to help him take out Alcee so he can have his senate seat.
Ring wants to be Governor and thinks his “conservative” votes will help him later. He is not personalable at all and needs major help if he wants to raise is statewide profile.
I hope the 2 ger their acts together.
Thanks Buddy! No one seems to follow the legislature, only county, school board and city officials…we need more investigative reporters to keep this politicians str8!
July 4th, 2011 at 2:56 am
Ring is one of the richest in the Senate and this vote proves he is out of touch with the public.
He has made noise about running for governor. This vote puts an end to that.
July 4th, 2011 at 10:54 am
Ring is a do-nothing Democrat who believes he can make friends with the Republicans and they will help him. He got nothing for his efforts.
July 4th, 2011 at 4:03 pm
Imagine this scenario:
One Insurance company has a policy not to pay off until all the work is done. Then a second Insurance Company plays big time TV ads stating that the other company does that but “WE” don’t. Second insurance company gets most of the business and forces the first company to either change its policy or reduce rates to the point where customers feel the calculated risk is worth it.
It is called a Free Market for a reason. If you don’t like it and want a Nanny State instead, don’t ruin it here, just move to Europe.
July 4th, 2011 at 4:10 pm
Thanks Buddy for pointing this out. This is outrageous! How can normal people afford it? Our paychecks aren’t going up. Gas is. The price of milk, eggs and bread is. How is it that our elected officials are NOT looking out for the very people who put them in office? Wake up people! You are NOT voting your pocketbooks. These politicians are voting out regulation (just like Bush did—yeah that really worked—NOT)which is putting the squeeze on the middle class. Of course, RICH people aren’t affected one way or the other. Let’s start to pay attention folks. The next election is not that far off.
July 4th, 2011 at 9:46 pm
@its a miracle…imagine this..insurance company #2 pays its prez and shareholders big bucks and cant pay every policy-holder when the “big one” hits cause there’s no regulations about “reserves”…hey that’s capitalism…dont like it go to Russia…grrr
July 5th, 2011 at 10:13 am
to It’s a miracle
you and others keep on pedaling the Free market economy myth.. It only works in theory not in reality. Factor in Greed/stockholder dividends increased profits and Bonuses. You want an example.. Airlines were “freed during the Reagan years… How’s that working out?? air travel any better?? costs go down?? oh no,not even with Millions made in baggage fees.. why??? because profits rule over people… Do not want a nanny state only wishing that I had millions of dollars to pay lobbyists so consumers can get the same breaks and consideration as those that have the money to pay lobbyists so I can get some free market too
July 6th, 2011 at 9:55 am
Deregulation of the airlines made air travel affordable for everybody. Airline fares prior to dereg were about the same price as they are today, except it was 1975 dollars! The competition for fares has driven the price down so much that they have to sell extras to eek out a profit.
As of today, most airlines profit margin hovers around 1%, the exception being US Air (however they are deeply in debt with a debt/equity ratio of about 5000!)
FROM BUDDY:
The airline industry and the insurance business are nothing alike.
Consumers invest money in an insurance company and expect future performance on issues of vital interest. Those interests include, among others, the ability to replace damaged or destroyed property, providing for dependents in case of death of injury and the ability to obtain medical care.
Because of these vital tasks, it is in the general publics’ interest to regulate the industry.
First, somebody has to guarantee the solvency and the ability of the insurance company to fulfill its promises.
Second, because insurance is necessary for society’s economic health, rates must be kept reasonable. If rates are too high, it stifles economic interests such as home and car sales.
As the Supreme Court stated almost 100 years ago:
“The business of insurance so far affects the public welfare as to invoke and require governmental regulation.”
The Court goes on to explain its reasoning:
“The business of insurance has very difinite characteristics, with a reach of influence and consequence beyond and different from that of the ordinary businesses of the commercial world…the effect of their relation is to create a fund of assurance and credit, the companies becoming the depositories of the money of the insured, possessing great power thereby, and charged with great responsibility.”
July 8th, 2011 at 12:05 am
I agree with you Buddy, but the rates are going up because we have artificially capped premiums, which by misguided regulation has not allowed the insurers to guarantee the solvency and the ability of the insurance company to fulfill its promises.
There was an article in the Sun-Senatinel about something like a $1000 surcharge on each policy if we get hit by a big storm.