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30ashopper

SoWal Insider
Apr 30, 2008
6,845
3,471
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Right here!
...and, he has been the only Governor in recent memory who has been willing to "take on" the insurance lobby. He may not have gotten what most of us wanted--not by a long shot--but, I give him credit for at least being willing to try!


I never understood the whole insurance loby issue. Seemed like the state was trying to force insurance companies to charge certain rates. Were they gouging on prices or just charging just rates based on higher claims?
 

GoodWitch58

Beach Fanatic
Oct 10, 2005
4,810
1,923
I will admit to a huge bias here... based on work I have done for the Insurance Commissioner in years' past...I believe that the Insurance Companies were (and in some cases still are) charging rates much higher than they need to...Crist was sincere IMO in wanting to make rates more equitable...he underestimated the power of the lobby, but he did make an effort.
 

beachmouse

Beach Fanatic
Dec 5, 2004
3,499
741
Bluewater Bay, FL
I never understood the whole insurance loby issue. Seemed like the state was trying to force insurance companies to charge certain rates. Were they gouging on prices or just charging just rates based on higher claims?


Just from a layman's perspective, it's hard to watch the insurance companies talk about record profits to the investors on Wall Street and then have those same companies in that same year go before the state insurance commission and cry poverty about how they needed another 40% increase if they were going to survive.

And there has been many a company that has done exactly that in recent years.

Based on our sample-size-of-1 experience, Crist is actually doing a reasonably good job in getting insurance prices to stablize as our insurance bill's been pretty reasonable lately. I just hope the gamble the state made with reinsurance pays off and we don't get hit with another Big One before that reinsurance pool gets fully capitalized.
 

wrobert

Beach Fanatic
Nov 21, 2007
4,132
575
63
DeFuniak Springs
www.defuniaksprings.com
I will admit to a huge bias here... based on work I have done for the Insurance Commissioner in years' past...I believe that the Insurance Companies were (and in some cases still are) charging rates much higher than they need to...Crist was sincere IMO in wanting to make rates more equitable...he underestimated the power of the lobby, but he did make an effort.


And agree with his methods or not they seemed to have worked. My insurance got as high as $2500 a year and now looks like it is going to go down to $800 after two years of decline. Of course, us not having a hurricane is sure to be some of the reason for the steady fall.
 

yippie

Beach Fanatic
Oct 28, 2005
946
42
A local
Wonder if he could make them actually pay claims. That would be a welcome change!
 

Bob Wells

Beach Fanatic
Jul 25, 2008
3,380
2,857
Well he stood up to them, not much of a politician if he did not know the insurance lobby was as strong as they are, hmmm, maybe not who we need in there running our State.
 

GoodWitch58

Beach Fanatic
Oct 10, 2005
4,810
1,923
well, everything is relative -- someone else on this board has posted the opinion that he is no visionary and is a bit naive...maybe...perhaps he over-estimated his ability to persuade...regardless, he is the only recent gov to even try.
 

TooFarTampa

SoWal Insider
well, everything is relative -- someone else on this board has posted the opinion that he is no visionary and is a bit naive...maybe...perhaps he over-estimated his ability to persuade...regardless, he is the only recent gov to even try.

That was probably me. I like Charlie and I definitely think he is an empathetic person, as well as a dedicated public servant. But I think he's reactive not proactive, and it would help to have a visionary guiding us. I do not know who that would be.

He has his hands full. The latest budget numbers are UGLY. As tax revenues fall, unemployment and Medicaid rolls are expanding rapidly, which does not help.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/article933430.ece
 

GoodWitch58

Beach Fanatic
Oct 10, 2005
4,810
1,923
That was probably me. I like Charlie and I definitely think he is an empathetic person, as well as a dedicated public servant. But I think he's reactive not proactive, and it would help to have a visionary guiding us. I do not know who that would be.

He has his hands full. The latest budget numbers are UGLY. As tax revenues fall, unemployment and Medicaid rolls are expanding rapidly, which does not help.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/article933430.ece

Yes, I thought it was you--just could not remember and didn't have time to look it up. I agree. He is a caring person and while I do not agree with many of his political positions; I do believe he, more often than not, wants to do the right thing for Floridians. He may just not be as capable as we would like in a leader.

Being the governor of this state is not an easy task, especially now.
 
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