Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Monday, June 23
Jun 23, 2008
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Florida homeowners catching a rate break on property insurance
When Ron Wise learned Nationwide Insurance dropped the coverage on his Palm Beach Gardens home this year, he figured he’d be lucky to find another insurer.
Condo law change gives emergency power to directors
Some lobbyists and organizations are publicly touting their efforts to improve condominium law in the past legislative session, placing more power in the hands of condo leaders.
U.S. Rep. Ron Klein:Â Homeowners’ Defense Act lowers insurance costs
We’re three weeks into hurricane season, and as South Florida residents prepare for the first big storm, they have a right to ask their elected representatives: What have we done to bring down skyrocketing homeowners’ insurance costs, who stands with homeowners and who stands in the way?
Hurricane season may catch companies off guard
A survey shows that 25 percent of small businesses do not have a disaster recovery plan, which can be as simple as back-up disks stored off the company’s premises.
After Hurricane Wilma churned through South Florida in 2005, Citibank was having trouble tracking down employees. Even though the company had detailed contact information for its workers, a hotline for them to call, and telephones countywide were working, many employees had only cordless handsets that required electricity to function.
Sink wants to see national catastrophe fund set up
Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, Alex Sink, was the guest of honor at a National Association of Industrial and Office Properties function June 16 at Epping Forest Yacht Club. The following are edited excerpts of an interview between Sink and Staff Writer Rachel Witkowski.
EDITORIAL: Planning for disaster
Horrible storms, Midwest floods underscore rationale for federal catastrophe fund
Large areas of the Midwest remain devastated by floods this week after rivers in Iowa, Wisconsin, Kansas and Indiana rose to record levels and levies failed, causing massive evacuations and at least five deaths.
Inspecting My Safe Florida Home program
Work for state MSFH program follows usual inspection route
Q: Who inspects work done under the My Safe Florida Home (MSFH) program?
Protect your windows from hurricanes with just a piece of fabric
With hurricane season’s arrival, homeowner and business owners know that it makes sense to protect their property investment from storms.
StormWatch in North Palm Beach has come up with a twist on typically utilitarian storm shutters: aesthetically pleasing high-impact-resistant fabric shutters that roll up into an attractive holder.
Florida circa 2100: Global warming’s toll
You might not recognize the Florida that global warming could create by 2100.
Biz Monday: Disaster is good business
Flooding in Iowa, tornadoes in Southwest Florida, the Gulf Coast’s six-month hurricane season:Â All generate jobs for disaster cleanup businesses, but so do many smaller misfortunes.
‘People will say ‘I’ll bet you’re rooting for a storm,’ said Greg Frith, business development manager for Fort Myers-based FireService Disaster Kleenup. ‘I tell them, ‘No. We know the pain and suffering a storm causes.’ I’d rather take care of your broken toilet.’ Or a church’s leaking ceiling.
Florida Supreme Court’s authority challenged
Six of Florida’s seven Supreme Court justices filed written loyalty oaths last year after conservative activists challenged their authority to sit on the bench.
House candidate held on DUI charge
A candidate vying to represent a large section of Miami and Miami Beach in Tallahassee was arrested over the weekend on a charge of driving under the influence, according to Miami-Dade County corrections records.
Slosberg bow to party unity gives freshman ticket to win
Instead of giving freshman state Rep. Kelly Skidmore, D-Boca Raton, the reelection fight of her life, former Democratic Rep. Irving Slosberg ended up gift-wrapping an automatic second term for her.
Lawmakers win new terms without election
Dozens of state lawmakers, including many from South Florida, were returned to office because no one is challenging them.
Nearly one-quarter of the 160-member Florida Legislature was returned to office on Friday by doing no more than filing papers with state officials.Â
Attorney general takes issue with proposed redistricting amendment
Attorney General Bill McCollum is taking aim at a proposed constitutional amendment that could force lawmakers to more fairly draw the political boundaries of legislative districts.
5 contests for state legislature promise to be tough
Tampa Bay voters could witness five bruising battles for legislative power this year — four in districts now held by Republicans and one for a seat held by a Democrat.
COLUMN:Â Florida Chamber backs Bennett
Of the nine state legislators who represent parts of Sarasota and Manatee counties, none had a worse voting record with the Florida Chamber of Commerce than state Sen. Mike Bennett.
Research focused on renewable energy
State policymakers at this week’s 2008 Climate Change summit in Miami will focus on renewable energy in Florida. The meeting is important and timely.
Crist risks green, bipartisan monikers with drilling stance
Republican Gov. Charlie Crist’s newfound openness to offshore drilling, the most significant policy reversal of his 18 months in office, has given Democrats their first opportunity to score political points off the aggressively bipartisan governor.
Florida has trouble leading South into cutting emissions
Florida — which could be among the most vulnerable states should dire global warming predictions of rising seas, shore erosion and monster hurricanes come to pass — is considering capping emissions of greenhouse gases and hoping fellow Southern states to follow suit.
Portability fails to heat housing market
Gov. Charlie Crist stood before hundreds of Realtors in Orlando last summer and predicted fantastic things about the property tax cuts on the January ballot. ‘Florida’s going to have a sonic boom when this happens,’ he said, using rhetoric he would repeat again and again over the next several months. ‘You’re going to be busier than you’ve been in your life. Get ready, get your rest, make sure your license is up to date.’ Five months after the vote, Florida is still waiting for the sonic boom.
Amid the glitz, blackjack’s in the cards
Blackjack and other new card games opened in South Florida Sunday with a celebrity-studded crowd and locals lining up to place their bets.
Florida’s first legal blackjack games began Sunday night with a rock ‘n’ roll twist.
New legal challenge on withdraw
Sides differ on whether the law allows projects to take water from the rivers.
An environmental group’s legal challenge is raising new questions in the battle over the St. Johns and Ocklawaha rivers.
Public Service Commission weighs energy upgrades
The Public Service Commission today begins weighing Florida Power & Light’s request for a new gas powered generating plant in Palm Beach County, a decision that will be watched closely by customers far to the north in Brevard County.
The proposal means cash infusion for state but an increase in tolls
Florida’s first step into the controversial realm of road leasing may happen by the end of this year, as state officials prepare to lease a 78-mile state highway that runs across the Florida Everglades to a private company.
To the Trenches: The Tort War Is Raging On
In a Washington ballroom bedecked with flags honoring explorers who overcame oceans and mountains to pursue international trade, Thomas J. Donohue congratulated the assembled modern merchants — a group of executives, lobbyists and lawyers — for challenging a more mundane adversary.
RMS Launches Miu – Cat Risk Portfolio Management Platform
Risk Management Solutions (RMS) has unveiled its new portfolio management platform, Miu, which supports the trading of insurance risk using RMS’ leading catastrophe risk analytics.