Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Thursday, July 31

 

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Florida Farm Bureau defends request for rate increases

Insurance regulators yesterday grilled Florida Farm Bureau officials about a proposal to raise homeowners’ insurance rates 28.4 percent statewide — and even higher in Volusia and Flagler counties.

Citizens Chief Has Parting Thoughts

Bruce Douglas steps down today as chairman of Citizens Property Insurance Corp.’s board after reversing the misfortunes of the largest state-backed homeowners insurance company in the United States. His replacement, James Malone, was named last week.

Douglas, 73, talked to the Times about his six-year tenure at Citizens, his misgivings with Tallahassee politicians and what lies ahead for the company’s 1.2 million policyholders.

EDITORIAL:  Is state’s insurance deal win-win for a billionaire?

Some call agreement with Warren Buffett lose-lose for Florida

As many Floridians face job losses, foreclosures and exorbitant gas prices in a tumbling economy, Florida leaders this week struck a lucrative deal with the richest man in America.

INSURANCE: Rule can protect homeowners

During the recent boom and bust of the real estate market, there have been wild fluctuations of appraisal values relative to the housing market place. This activity created a climate for many new mortgages and refinanced mortgages. In the rush to get these transactions closed, some lenders were requiring the full mortgage balance to be insured in the homeowners policy or a fire policy. There may be buyers who were required to purchase insurance with policy limits that are much too high.

State reviews Medicaid-network denials

A state review of nearly 300 children that the Tallahassee Pediatric Foundation claims were denied access to its physician network shows that only 14 cases could possibly be linked to problems with Florida’s new, $300 million Medicaid computer system.

Legislators: Doctor payment system is upside-down

Florida, like the rest of the nation, needs to shift some spending from acute-care settings to primary and preventive care, two legislators who sit on the Florida House Health Care Council say. Putting all your resources into end-of-the-line treatment is like trying to bail a sinking boat instead of plugging the leak, they said.

Senator Burt Saunders: Our health care system in dire need of reform

We have long debated the need to reform our health care system. For those opposed to reform, the specter of ‘socialized medicine’ is used to scare people. However, we are facing a crisis. Failure to act will lead to disaster for our hospitals and millions of our uninsured citizens. In addition, this crisis has serious negative implications for our nation’s economy and for all American health care consumers.

Years of disputes end as Rooney’s company pulls out

Medical Savings Insurance Co., which has been battling the hospital industry, state regulators and its own customers for years, is bowing out of Florida.

Vets look to House to fund hospital

The House could vote as early as today on a massive spending bill that includes $220 million for the first veterans hospital in Orlando, the largest metropolitan region in the nation without such a center. ‘If we can get it past the House and, hopefully, the Senate, it would be a great victory for veterans in Central Florida,’ said Rep. Tom Feeney, an Oviedo Republican whose district includes North Brevard.

EDITORIAL:  To Begin Reshaping High Court, Crist Must Focus On Commitment

In the next few months Gov. Charlie Crist will do something that political observers say no other Florida chief executive has done in so short a time – reshape the state’s highest court by appointing a new majority on the seven-member panel.

Crist appoints two to executive positions

Gov. Charlie Crist on Wednesday named a new legislative-affairs director, plucking the deputy chief of staff of the outgoing Senate president for the job.

Crist appears to be back on campaign trail

Gov. Charlie Crist, who is still being asked whether he wants to be vice president, was looking a lot like a candidate on Wednesday.

In unusual move, Crist goes to bat in a state contest

He favors one candidate in a GOP primary, leaving the other perplexed

As Michael Grant explains it, Gov. Charlie Crist is simply doing a favor for a friend.

Attorney General McCollum backs “Dr. J” in GOP primary

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum has endorsed Danny “Dr. J” Jazarevic in the state House District 81 Republican primary.

At 34, state Rep. Garcia not close to retiring

Term limits may be forcing State Rep. René Garcia out office, but the Hialeah native still plans to remain active in politics.

He had just reached the legal drinking age of 21, and already René Garcia was toying with the idea of becoming Hialeah’s youngest mayor.

Diaz-Balart wants fourth term

Energy.

That word describes the personality of U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, as well as his primary platform.

U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler turns the tax tables on opponents

Edward Lynch, the Republican challenger to Democratic U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, said a $1.37 million federal tax lien against him is the result of a ‘routine’ audit and helped inspire him to run for Congress.

Encouraging Write-In Foe A Win-Win For Ambler

Politicians don’t normally encourage opponents to run against them.

But in the case of state Rep. Kevin Ambler, encouraging a young family friend of his to run against him as a write-in candidate could end up helping him.

House foes battle over ‘intangibles’

The three Democrats running for the open District 78 state House seat have the same gripes: the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, Amendment 1 and the insurance companies.

3 Democrats Hope To End Bilirakis’ Dynasty In House

Voters will decide Aug. 26 which of three Democratic candidates will challenge freshman Gus Bilirakis for the 9th Congressional District, a Republican-held seat since its creation in the early years of the Reagan administration.

Study: Sugar buyout to cost $1.6 billion revenue, 10,700 jobs

Florida’s buyout of U.S. Sugar Corp. may bring more water to the Everglades, but it will be a huge drain on the state’s economy.

State’s reps in Congress want sugar-deal facts

Florida’s representatives in Congress say they want more answers about the big land purchase to benefit Everglades restoration efforts.

Florida’s congressional delegation prodded state officials Wednesday to divulge more details on the top-secret negotiations to buy out U.S. Sugar, saying they were left out of the loop.

EDITORIAL:  FPL’s credibility takes another big hit

ISSUE: PSC unplugs FPL’s not-so green program.  It says a lot that Co.’s ‘green’ program got shut down by a unanimous vote at the Public Service Commission and what it says reflects very poorly on the utility.

Now, as regulators investigate and mull what step to take next, it’s hard to tally just how big a black eye FPL has dealt itself.

Florida hosts summit on renewable energy

Florida’s Department of Agriculture will host a two-day “Farm to Fuel Summit” as part of the state’s effort to increase the production, distribution and use of renewable fuels.

Leon County joins lawsuit against state

Leon County and 24 other counties in Florida filed a suit against the state Monday in protest of legislation requiring them to spend extra money to provide office space for state employees.

Jai-alai struggles to survive

The outside walls of Miami Jai-Alai are cracked. The paint is chipped and faded. The entrance to the world’s largest fronton, once a grand spectrum filled with fans, is empty. A single teller guards the door, charging a $1 fee.

Insurance Bills Delayed

Action has been reportedly put off on a pair of insurance bills until Congress returns from its summer break.

Fitch Issues Special Report on U.S. Homeowners Insurance Market

In a new report, Fitch Ratings discusses the current state of the U.S. homeowners insurance market and expectations for the near future.

The Hartford Launches National Cat Plan Effort

The Hartford and its chief executive officer, Ramani Ayer, said today the carrier will attempt to promote a public-private plan to deal with natural catastrophes that would include a federal backstop for insurers.

Doha Talks Collapse Seen Hurting Foreign Insurance Effort

Collapse of the latest discussions at the so-called Doha round of trade talks under the auspices of the World Trade Organization is a “lost opportunity for the world’s economy, especially the developing nations most in need of insurance and other services,” according to an insurance industry representative.

Companies Failing To Insure Exposures

Businesses are failing to obtain enough liability protection to protect their bottom line, but a majority of company owners say the amount of risk they foresee does not justify purchasing the coverage, an insurer’s survey has found.

Survey: Private Firms More Exposed to Liability Risks, But Less Protected

More than one-third of U.S. businesses do not purchase any type of management or professional liability insurance. Yet, two out of three U.S. private companies have experienced some type of event related to management or professional liability in the past five years.

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