Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Monday, May 14

National catastrophe fund needed now

By Gov. Charlie Crist

Headlines across our nation this week have focused on multiple disasters — from wildfires in Florida, Georgia, California and Minnesota, to flooding in Missouri, Vermont and West Virginia, to tornadoes and severe storms in Kansas and Texas. These headlines serve as a reminder that there is no better time for a national catastrophe fund than now.

 

Fla. CFO Slams Changes To Citizens Property Rates

ORLANDO , FLA. — Florida ’s legislative changes to Citizens, its property insurer of last resort, has made the carrier actuarially unsound, the state’s chief financial officer told a meeting of insurance professionals.

 

21st Annual Governor’s Hurricane Conference

WHO: Emergency managers and personnel, first responders, state, federal, business and industry representatives, along with health and medical professionals from around the state, nation and world. More than 4,000 delegates from all areas of the disaster preparedness and response fields are expected to participate.

WHERE / WHEN: The Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. during the week of May 14 – 18, 2007.

 

CITIZENS FORUM

What: Policy holders will be able to talk to company representatives about customer service issues and get help on their individual policy problems at Citizens’ first customer forum.

When: The forum is from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Airport Hotel, 1825 Griffin Road, Dania Beach. The meeting is free and open to the public.

More information: Go to www.citizensfla.com

 

INSURANCE CRISIS: Citizens steels for flood of business

It will offer windstorm policies to commercial property owners statewide.

Florida’s small-time commercial landlords and many of the small-business owners who rent space from them have been hit with the same fast-rising insurance premiums that have been shocking homeowners since a series of hurricanes raked the state in 2004-05.

 

Citizens growth called risky

All Floridians could pay if major storm hits

When Citizens Property Insurance Corp. started in 2002, the idea was the state-backed company would eventually shrink, insuring only those who absolutely couldn’t find homeowner coverage anywhere else.

What a difference a new governor makes.

 

Q & A With Alex Sink

Florida’s chief financial officer has insurance issues on her mind.

Q. What were some of the initiatives out of the Legislature that you think were the most noteworthy?

 

Some Auto Insurers Will Keep No-Fault

Some of the state’s auto insurers are preparing to lower consumers’ premiums now that Florida’s no-fault insurance law is set to expire Oct. 1, while others say they may continue providing the controversial coverage.

 

La. Commissioner: State Farm to Reopen Katrina and Rita ‘Slab’ Claims

Lousiana Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon announced that State Farm has agreed to reevaluate all of the claims it denied from Louisiana policyholders whose homes or businesses were reduced to their foundations due to damage caused by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita.

 

Palm Beach Post Editorial: A retreat on insurance

The Legislature probably has closed the book on property insurance for 2007. Unfortunately, a year that began with the state threatening to stare down the industry will end with the state blinking.

 

Fed Up in Louisiana

Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D) went off. Not in a girls fighting, “Hold my earrings!” kind of way. But in a blunt manner befitting a chief executive who endured the worst natural and engineering disaster in U.S. history, who continues to battle Washington for federal assistance, and who is not running for reelection.

 

Katrina Aid Program Is $2.9 Billion Short

Uncertainty Plagues La. Homeowners

NEW ORLEANS, May 11 — The massive federally funded program for rebuilding Louisiana homes is short nearly $3 billion, administrators told a state legislative panel here today, leaving uncertain for now how the owners of roughly 100,000 flood-wrecked houses here will be compensated.

 

Dad awarded millions in two sons’ deaths, but appeal is likely

More than five years after the deaths of his two sons in a car crash in Boca Raton, a jury recently awarded Charles Turner $10 million for pain and suffering.

But it’s unlikely Turner will see those millions any time soon.

 

Column: Home storm inspection program bad at the foundation

The My Safe Florida Home program is another example why you can’t expect much from Tallahassee, no matter how sweet the promises sound.

The Legislature created the $250 million program in spring 2006 as a way for Floridians to strengthen homes against storms, with free inspections for qualified homeowners followed by matching grants of up to $5,000 for home improvements.

 

New clinic to help residents hurting for insurance

Dressed as Superman, Eileen Rojas’ 4-year-old son, Joshua, raced through the Orange County Health Department’s parking lot, arms stretched forward and cape flapping.

 

Crist drops hurricane ad campaign after questions arise over bids

TALLAHASSEE — A state public service campaign to heighten hurricane awareness has been scrapped by Gov. Charlie Crist just three weeks before the 2007 tropical storm season after two firms that lost out on the lucrative contract cried foul.

 

Crist has grip on popularity

Floridians, however, remain divided on the state’s direction.

Six out of 10 Floridians say Gov. Charlie Crist is doing a good or excellent job after four months in office, according to a statewide poll conducted for the St. Petersburg Times and Bay News 9.

Crist’s handling of his job was rated “good” by 46 percent of voters and “excellent” by 16 percent, for an overall approval rating of 62 percent.

 

Martinez Strives To Balance Duties

WASHINGTON – Sen. Mel Martinez couldn’t say no when President Bush asked him to serve as head of the Republican Party, even knowing that the position would make him a bigger political target and sometimes create conflicts with his elected position.

 

Legislator finds success in first term

Like the game of baseball, a lawmaker feels accomplished when he bats .500.

“I’m OK with batting .500,” said state Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Panama City, at his District 6 office on Harrison Avenue. Three of six bills he sponsored passed.

 

Ground Zero Illnesses Clouding Giuliani’s Legacy

Anyone who watched Rudolph W. Giuliani preside over ground zero in the days after 9/11 glimpsed elements of his strength: decisiveness, determination, self-confidence.

Those qualities were also on display over the months he directed the cleanup of the collapsed World Trade Center. But today, with evidence that thousands of people who worked at ground zero have become sick, many regard Mr. Giuliani’s triumph of leadership as having come with a human cost.