Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Monday, Oct. 1

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‘No no-fault’ zone ahead for drivers

For Florida drivers, a new era is here.

After 36 years with a no-fault auto insurance system — where most medical expenses for accident victims are paid up front without deciding which driver caused the accident — the law expired at 12:01 a.m. today.

 

No-Fault 101; Everything you always wanted to know about no-fault but were afraid to ask

Who would pay medical bill from auto accidents? Health insurance would cover auto accidents for people who have it.

 

Hospitals, schools targeted as legislators cut $1 billion

South Florida hospitals, schools and college students’ wallets are set to get whacked by the budget ax as the Legislature this week prepares to chop state spending by $1 billion.

 

Crist’s insurance ‘fix’ might leave you broke

When former Gov. Jeb Bush recently said his successor’s insurance reforms were “as bad as the natural disasters themselves,” he understated his case. As a result of Gov. Charlie Crist’s January insurance reforms, in fact, the Tampa Bay area will take on a massive liability to bail out South Florida.

 

Session priorities unsure

Lawmakers look to preserve education, health care

More than two-thirds of the money Floridians shell out in state taxes goes to educate children or pay medical bills and nursing home costs of the poor.

 

Secrecy ushers in special session

The outlook is cloudy for work on property taxes, auto insurance and cutting the state’s budget.

Florida lawmakers usually approach special sessions like a family going on a long road trip. They want to know where they’re going and how they’re going to get there.

 

Allstate wants to follow rate cut with 42% increase

If Allstate Floridian Insurance Co. gets its way, the 14 percent rate decrease it put into effect June 1 will give way to a 41.9 percent increase in January.

 

Is Florida Over?

“Own Your Own Home in Florida for $350 down. Total Price $4,950 includes house and lot. It’s Pompano Beach Highlands on the famed Florida east coast!”

 

Who should pay price of paradise?

Insurers want coastal dwellers to absorb risk, but Congress aims to keep rates down

Among states vulnerable to hurricanes, the following have the highest insured coastal exposure (in billions of dollars):

 

Insurance for the Next Big One

There is impeccable logic to the argument that taxpayers should not be made to pay for the risks incurred by people who choose to live along a hurricane-prone coast or atop a major geological fault.

 

Editorial:  Catastrophe fund still needed

Flood program can’t sub for catastrophe fund

An expansion of the national flood program to provide windstorm insurance coverage to those who can’t buy insurance at any price is a needed stop-gap measure. However, it cannot be a substitute for a national disaster insurance fund.

 

Catastrophic insurance bill has support in Congress

Some say not enough among those in western states with no beachfront property

For years, lawmakers have tried to pass a catastrophic insurance bill that would protect homeowners in the event of a major natural disaster, but few bought into the necessity of such a measure.

 

For GOP, fixing property tax bill could kill it

Legislators aren’t sure what, if anything, to do about the bill.

TALLAHASSEE – When property tax notices arrived in mailboxes this summer, Florida had a Where’s The Beef? moment. Yes, tax bills went down, as legislators promised. But homeowners hoping for dramatic relief were sorely disappointed.

West winds tearing apart potential hurricanes

Not that anyone’s complaining, but so far this hurricane season hasn’t been nearly as intense as it could have been – largely because of strong upper-level winds.

 

Bob Graham:  How to avoid Florida’s fiscal hurricane

When Hurricane Humberto slammed into Texas two weeks ago, I was reminded that we Floridians know something about violent tropical weather.

 

Law targets shoddy roofs

Some say it is costly to homeowners, panders to insurance companies

Gerry Hirt stood on the roof of a new home and showed all the requirements that a state law going into effect today mandates: more nails to connect plywood to gables, a waterproof layer under shingles or metal roofing, and connections holding gables to walls.

 

Poor smokers would pay for health bill

WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats have chosen an unlikely source to pay for the bulk of their proposed $35 billion increase in children’s health coverage: people with relatively little money and education.

 

Today’s Letters: We need a real sinkhole solution

I don’t know why the writers for the Times insist on calling the new legislation for sinkholes a “choice to drop standard coverage” The fact is that according to the new law Citizens Insurance customers will be automatically dropped from their comprehensive sinkhole coverage that we have had included in our policies.

 

What’s So Special About This Session?

The state’s brain trust of economists meets regularly to assess Floridians’ spending habits and estimate how much revenue is coming in to state coffers.

 

Can These Mortgages Be Saved?

ON Christmas Eve two years ago, as Shannon Rivas-Spivey wrapped gifts for her two young sons, she was interrupted by a knock at her door.

 

Agency hypes phantom jobs

A Miami-Dade anti-poverty agency touted successes that actually include failed firms and non-existent jobs.

 

Malpractice-insurance rates slide, state says

Medical-malpractice insurance rates for Florida physicians and surgeons dropped 3.06 percent last year, the state reported Friday.