Republican Congressional Candidate David Jolly Calls for Natural Disaster Insurance Program

 

Plan Would Diversify Risk Across all U.S. Regions & Disaster Categories

In a news release issued yesterday, November 20, 2013, David Jolly, a Republican candidate for Florida’s 13th Congressional District (Pinellas County), called for replacing the National Flood Insurance Program (“NFIP”) with a “Natural Disaster Insurance Program.” 

As reported by Tampa Bay Times Curtis Krueger, Jolly is running against State Representative Kathleen Peters and retired Marine Corps Reserve Brigadier General Mark Bircher for the Republican nomination to the seat.  Former Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink is the Democratic candidate, while commercial diver Luke Overby is the Libertarian candidate.  A write-in candidate, Michael S. Levinson, also is running.

Jolly’s news release is reprinted in part below:

“Homeowners throughout Pinellas County are suffering as a result of the recently implemented Biggert-Waters Act,” said Jolly. “We have neighbors at risk of losing their homes, and we face the real possibility of a significant drop in home values throughout our communities as a result of rising flood insurance rates.  This issue could cripple our local housing market and prevent homeowners from being able to sell or refinance their homes.”

“The current plan to delay implementation of the Biggert-Waters Act is a good start, but it does not go far enough,” continued Jolly.  “It is time we consider a newly-designed Natural Disaster Insurance Program that recognizes the exposure that all Americans across the country face from natural disasters and diversifies that risk and the expense of insuring against losses.”

The costliest natural disasters in the last 30 years have included hurricanes, droughts, wildfires, earthquakes and floods. Federal disaster assistance is often required to cover losses where insurance does not.  Jolly further explained that a Natural Disaster Insurance Program would reduce future federal disaster aid by aggregating the risk of communities from across the country into a common-risk pool reflecting the exposure of all regions–the Pacific Coast to earthquakes; the Northwest to snow and volcanoes; the West to wildfires and drought; the Midwest to tornadoes, drought and flooding; the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic to ice, flooding and earthquakes; and the South to hurricanes, tornadoes and flooding.

“Congress should immediately pass a delay in implementation of the Biggert-Waters Act, but we should then address a more comprehensive solution.  Merely tweaking a bad law won’t make it better. Floridians already pay enough.  Let’s go back to the table and implement a plan that more fairly addresses the risk of natural disasters to communities across the nation,” concluded Jolly.

Since announcing his campaign, Jolly has received the support of a growing list of local and regional endorsers for his bid for Florida’s 13th Congressional District seat, including former U.S. Ambassador Mel Sembler, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense and U.S. Secretary of the Navy Gordon England; U.S. Representative Richard Nugent (R-Spring Hill); former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker; State Senator Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg); State Representative Larry Ahern (R-Seminole); former Florida Adjutant General Douglas Burnett; former Pinellas County Commissioner and School Board Member Nancy Bostock; former State Senator and City of Dunedin Mayor Jerry Rehm; City of Seminole Mayor Leslie Waters; Town of Indian Shores Mayor Jim Lawrence; former Pinellas Park Mayor Bill Mischler; St. Petersburg Businessmen Bill Hough, Bill Edwards and Jim MacDougald; Pinellas County Property Appraiser Pam Dubov; and Pinellas County Businessman Jim Holton.

Florida’s Congressional District 13 was represented by the late Congressman Bill Young, who had served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1971 before passing away on October 18, 2013.  A special primary election has been set for January 14, 2014, and a special general election will be held March 11, 2014.

Jolly, a fifth-generation Floridian, served as General Counsel to the late Congressman Bill Young.  He currently serves as a Vice President of the Clearwater-based Boston Finance Group, a specialty finance and private equity company, as well as Chief Executive Office of Olympus Foundation Management, a Clearwater professional services company supporting life-cycle philanthropy of non-profits and individuals.

As part of his practice, Jolly has served as a pro-bono advisor and advocate for Support Jessie’s Law, a non-profit committed to securing resources for law enforcement to track and apprehend child predators.  His past and current leadership positions with community and civic organizations include serving on multiple boards, including the Board of Advisors for the Elder Law program at Stetson University School of Law in St. Petersburg, the Tampa Bay Veterans Alliance, the Town of Indian Shores Public Services Committee and Board of Adjustment, and the Boys & Girls Club of the Suncoast.  He also founded the non-profit Florida Federal Contractors Association, an economic development organization in the Bay area, advancing the interests of the regional business community.  He currently serves as the organization’s Chairman.

 

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