Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Monday, September 8
Sep 8, 2008
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President Bush Declares State of Emergency for Florida
On Sunday, September 7, 2008, President Bush declared a State of Emergency in the State of Florida and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Ike beginning on September 5, 2008, and continuing.
Regulators deny State Farm request to appeal rate hike
The insurer had sought to raise rates 47 percent
Regulators Friday smacked down State Farm’s request to challenge rejection of a proposed 47-percent rate increase.
TIME: Could Florida Survive the Big One?
As Hurricane Ike barrels toward South Florida, Americans can be sure they won’t have to endure another catastrophic failure of a hurricane protection system. That’s because South Florida doesn’t have a hurricane protection system. As South Floridians like to say: Ay dios mio! Ike is now scheduled to pass just south of Miami as a Category 4 storm; National Hurricane Center researchers recently concluded that a Cat 4 hitting Miami could cause $70 billion in damage. To use another South Florida-ism: Oy vey!
Two disaster recovery centers open in southwest Fla. for Fay victims
Emergency officials have opened two disaster recovery centers in southwest Florida to help people affected by Tropical Storm Fay.
Some Florida homeowners having tough time trying to obtain money from state recovery fund
Some Southwest Florida residents, bilked out of thousands of dollars by unscrupulous contractors, are learning the hard way that Florida’s Construction Recovery fund isn’t the fix-all to end-all as they were led to believe.
EDITORIAL: Fay showed homeowners the value of flood insurance
You can hardly blame homeowners swamped by Tropical Storm Fay for shaking their fists at the heavens or pointing their fingers at government failure.
Past failures spur insurance changes
Gustav. Hanna. Ike.
The current storm season is turning out to be the most active in terms of landfall since eight storms slammed into the Sunshine State in 2004 and 2005. But major homeowner insurers say they are ready to respond quickly to damage claims, a result of learning some tough lessons in those years.
Researchers aim for hurricane-resistant housing
As Gustav and Hanna barreled toward the Southeastern United States and hundreds of thousands of residents evacuated coastal areas, teams of researchers raced into the paths of the storms.
Winds howl, windows shatter, but Epcot’s hurricane isn’t real
No need to put up shutters or clear your back deck. A new Epcot exhibit vividly demonstrates the havoc that hurricanes can cause and what you can to do limit damage.
Howling winds send patio furniture whirlybirding off your porch.
Eleanor Sobel captures Senate seat through ‘new friends’
In the combative contest to replace term-limited state Sen. Steve Geller, three political veterans came to the campaign with a nearly identical pool of voters from their former state House districts.
Crist’s task: Help McCain win Florida
Bypassed as a vice presidential pick, Florida’s governor is set on bringing John McCain a victory in Florida and reversing the state’s downward economic slide.
As hurricanes threatened Florida last week, Gov. Charlie Crist’s political advisors pleaded with him to fly to Minnesota and give his prime-time speech introducing John McCain to the Republican National Convention.
When local Republican leaders announced Rachel Burgin as their candidate for House District 56, the news was as surprising as incumbent Trey Traviesa’s decision to quit the race a few days earlier.
Democrats have best chance at winning in Martin County since 1990
For the first time in many years in heavily Republican Martin County, the Democratic Party has fielded a full slate of candidates for three seats on the County Commission with Martha Bennett seen as having the best chance to win.
Crist benefits from Supreme Court rulings
When next Gov. Charlie Crist has occasion to see the Florida Supreme Court justices, he owes them a big fat kiss — all seven of them, but the retiring Raoul Cantero and Kenneth Bell especially.
Tax reform advocates look to 2010
Tax reform will likely wait until at least 2010, following last week’s decision by the Florida Supreme Court to remove a sweeping “tax swap” amendment from the November general election ballot.
COLUMN: His property tax battle isn’t over
A less determined crusader may have given up long ago.
- Inside this story: Insurance firm chairman criticizes Crist’s rate pitch
COLUMN: Taxpayers begin to feel sting of budget cuts
It’s really hitting the fan now.
This is the month when local governments in Florida must approve their tax rates and budgets for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. Many of them are whacking services in response to Florida voters’ decision last January to reduce property taxes through Amendment 1.
Florida’s public policy-makers must recognize that mega-regions are the engines of the new global economy. They must support Florida’s mega-region — the 15th largest in the world.
Every night millions of Floridians switch on billions of lights in a display that reveals a historic shift in economic power across the state and around the world — the rise of the mega-region.
More than two months after the state announced plans to buy out U.S. Sugar, congressmen are becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of information they’re getting on the deal, and they’re warning that the deal could do more harm than good to the Everglades region.
Private plan for the Alley is advancing
Despite a rising tide of opposition on both coasts, Florida is plowing ahead with a plan to lease Alligator Alley to a private contract for 50 to 75 years to raise short-term cash for other transportation needs. The 78-mile toll road could be in the hands of private interests by this time next year.
Frustrated NASA chief vents in internal e-mail over fate of agency
In congressional testimony and speeches across the country, NASA Administrator Mike Griffin has presented the Bush administration’s space policy as under pressure but on track to returning humans to the moon by 2020. His public face has been steadfast.
Politicians are opposing subsidies, while Fla. is banking on bio-fuel
Ethanol’s wild ride has brought it quickly from political golden child to scapegoat for everything from soaring food prices and world hunger to pork-barrel spending.
Republican Party Hops On Bandwagon, Promising National Disaster Policy
The Republicans last week adopted language in their platform calling for a “national disaster insurance policy,” following an earlier vote by the Democratic Party to back a national catastrophe fund, despite the fact that Sen. John McCain is on record opposing any federal backstop.
Modeling Expert Tells How Insurers Can Vet Models
A modeling expert said insurers who evaluate their exposure to hurricanes must look beyond catastrophe models and use other underwriting processes in order to truly assess their catastrophe risk.
Army Corp of Engineers Wins Flood Fight During Hurricane Gustav
No breaches. Limited brash talk. No “no word” from the Army Corps of Engineers. Few foul ups. Clear risk analysis. And the flood fight got done during Hurricane Gustav.
Iowa Governor Threatens Special Session Unless $85 Million Released
Iowa Gov. Chet Culver on on September 5 demanded that federal officials release $85 million in disaster assistance within the next 10 days, or he’ll summon the Legislature back into a special session to find money to help victims of this year’s record flooding.
More Companies Invest In Workers’ Health
Corporate wellness programs are ramping up at offices across the nation as companies struggle with skyrocketing health insurance costs and increasing absenteeism.
Employers hoping to improve the company’s bottom line are starting to pay more attention to their workers’ “bottom lines.”
Action Line: Insurance overpaid, but no refund in sight
Q. On Aug. 2, 2007, I paid $2,403 for a commercial general liability insurance policy on a property that I rent out to a car business. At renewal time, I went to two agencies for a quote. Both told me I had overpaid for last year’s policy: I had paid for 21,287 square feet of building coverage when, in fact, the building only takes up 193 square feet of the lot. I had been charged as if the entire property were one huge building.
Tips for finding status of old insurance policies
Q: My mother passed away more than 11 years ago in Palm Springs, Calif. I was recently looking through her papers and came across several receipts for payments to a major insurance company. Some of them go back to 1962. Most have the original policy numbers.
COLUMN: Funding storm research could save cash, lives
The cost of Ike — and storms of Ike’s ilk — are calculated by the damage and ruination left after hurricanes crash ashore.
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