Posts filed under 'Political Scene'
Posted: June 30, 2009: 4:45 pm
The Florida Chamber of Commerce’s annual survey brings together the collective voices of thousands of employers for the legislative session and it’s your opportunity to speak to your elected officials in Tallahassee with one voice as a united business community. In the survey, you can provide input on topics including taxes, insurance, workforce issues, lawsuit abuse, healthcare, constitutional amendments, energy solutions and more. We also encourage you to comment about issues that are not yet mentioned in the survey.
Just click here and fire away!
This is a proven tool in the fight to improve Florida for employers and business owners. For example, thousands of you told us in last year’s survey that you wanted lower workers’ compensation insurance costs. You then rallied behind your agenda through a grassroots campaign to pass legislation that resulted in a $172 million savings for Florida employers’ insurance costs effective July 1. The Florida Chamber worked with your industry associations and local chambers of commerce to deliver this and many other business agenda results.
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Posted: May 5, 2009: 2:12 pm
Homeowners want Freedom of Choice for Homeowner’s Insurance
Legislation approved by formidable margins in both the Florida House and Senate is on its way to Governor Crist’s desk for signature. If you support free market choice for homeowner’s insurance, please use the link below to urge the Governor’s support of HB 1171. Share with your family and friends who are also Florida residents at risk …
The message is clear: homeowners want freedom of choice. The people are asking for the freedom to choose, and the Legislature has answered by approving the Consumer Choice bill (HB 1171) with a clear majority. With this action, legislators proved they were listening. They showed they understood the importance of allowing consumers the right to choose their own insurance company for homeowners insurance.
Promise of Protection
Homeowners deserve protection. In addition to offering consumer choice, the bill holds the promise of protection. Homeowners will be protected from insurance companies who are not financially sound enough to pay claims. They can rest secure in the knowledge that if the unexpected happens, they can count on their trusted insurance company to help them recover.
Freedom of choice and the promise of protection all are within reach, but could easily slip from our hands: Governor Crist (pictured at left) has suggested he may not allow this pro-consumer legislation to become law. The time to act is now. If you agree that Floridians deserve greater insurance choices, please click here and contact the Governor immediately and tell him you support the Consumer Choice bill (HB 1171).
More information on this important bill:
Choice
- This bill is all about choice.
o Prior to this legislation, consumers were often forced to find coverage through state-run Citizens or smaller, unknown start-up companies.
o Under the bill, consumers would have the option to choose financially strong insurance companies as they compete for the business.
Protection:
- The bill does NOT force a single consumer to pay more for insurance. Consumers will continue to have access to lower-cost alternatives.
- After a storm, the ability to pay claims is critical. With news of the Cat Fund and Citizens potentially being unable to meet obligations, this bill is welcome news because it potentially allows well-funded insurance companies to expand available coverage to Floridians facing the next storm.
- The policies offered under this legislation are NOT unregulated. Key state requirements for claims paying ability and fair customer treatment continue to apply.
Education:
- Consumers will be educated on their options.
o Lower-cost alternatives policies will be offered through a comparison shopping requirement contained in the bill.
o Consumers will be asked to acknowledge they are purchasing a “Consumer Choice” policy through a signed disclosure.
Bill Summary:
HB 1171 was proposed in response to the thousands of consumers who found themselves without property insurance from a large, well-known company and were forced to obtain coverage through Citizens or an unknown provider. This legislation is designed to give consumers greater insurance choices.
The bill allows qualified insurance companies to offer policies with market-based rates to customers wanting greater insurance options. Companies qualify to participate by meeting financial requirements, ensuring that only strong companies better-able to meet their claims obligations offer these products.
Consumers will continue to have access to Citizens and other lower-cost options through companies offering policies subject to state price controls.
| See other posts filed in: General Announcements, Perspective, Political Scene
Posted: April 9, 2009: 3:30 pm
The Florida Legislature is making progress in working toward solutions to Florida’s home owners insurance mess. Two promising bills are moving forward that would help return the free market to homeowner insurance. The following information is worthy of your consideration and, if you are so inclined, a note of encouragement to our legislative delegation would be most appropriate. We have included a link at the end of this post that allows easy email options to your legislators. (And thanks to all those who took the time to write last week. Senate Bill 2036 passed out of committee on a 6-2 vote.)
This bill has already passed out of the House Insurance, Business and Financial Affairs Committee with a unanimous vote. The companion bill in the Senate, SB 2036, also passed out of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee last week on a 6-2 vote. Both bills have suddenly gained momentum and it is important that we continue to advocate for their passage.
This bill creates and defines classes of “non-assessable” and “assessable” residential property insurance policies. Non-assessable residential property insurance policies are exempted from state rate regulation except to make sure that insurers are charging enough to avoid insolvency. Non-assessable residential property insurance policies are from Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (CPIC) assessments.
Insurers would be allowed to offer assessable or non-assessable policies and consumers could choose which they prefer. Such policies would be required to contain a specific disclaimer describing the assessable and non-assessable characteristics of the policy, as well as the limited rate regulation to which the policy would be subjected. If passed, the legislation would take effect July 1, 2009. House Bill 1171 is a companion bill to Senate Bill 2036 Sponsored by Senator Bennett.
Florida’s current homeowner’s insurance system is broken. One major hurricane could bankrupt several private insurance companies, CPIC and the CAT Fund - devastating Florida’s already weakened economy.
In addition to the real possibility that claims could go unpaid, the resulting threat every Florida family faces today is that we could be assessed as much as $1,400 a year - for several years - in “hidden hurricane taxes” to pay for the state’s hurricane losses that cannot be met through Citizens or the FHCF.
To contact your legislators, use this convenient link.
| See other posts filed in: General Announcements, Perspective, Political Scene
Posted: April 2, 2009: 3:10 pm
Legislation is taking form in Tallahassee that could begin to address Florida’s broken homeowner’s insurance industry. At least nine major A-rated insurers have pulled out of the state citing artificially low rate regulation that forced them to pay out more in claims than they were collecting in premiums. The legislation described below allows the free market to return and can allow you as an insured to choose insurance based on competition in the market place.
It doesn’t address all the Florida’s quirks … but it’s a start. We present this summary for your consideration. If you support this approach, please communicate your support to Senator J. D. Alexander. His email link appears at the end of this post.
BILL SUMMARY - Senate Bill 2036
This bill creates and defines classes of “non-assessable” and “assessable” residential property insurance policies. Non-assessable residential property insurance policies are exempted from state rate regulation except to make sure that insurers are charging enough to avoid insolvency. Non-assessable residential property insurance policies are also exempted from FHCF (Cat Fund - short for funds reserved for catastrophic events such as a hurricane) assessments and CPIC assessments.
Insurers would be allowed to offer assessable or non-assessable policies and consumers could choose which they prefer. Such policies would be required to contain a specific disclaimer describing the assessable and non-assessable characteristics of the policy, as well as the limited rate regulation to which the policy would be subjected. If passed, the legislation would take effect July 1, 2009.
Senate Bill 2036 is a companion bill to House Bill 1171 sponsored by Representative Bill Proctor, St. Augustine.
The Problem:
Florida’s current homeowner’s insurance system is broken. One major hurricane could bankrupt several private insurance companies, CPIC and the CAT Fund - devastating Florida’s already weakened economy.
In addition to the real possibility that claims could go unpaid, the resulting threat every Florida family faces today is that we could be assessed as much as $1,400 a year - for several years - in “hidden hurricane taxes” to pay for the state’s hurricane losses that cannot be met through Citizens or the FHCF.
The Solution:
Statutory and regulatory obstacles that severely restrict rating and underwriting decisions by insurers should be eliminated to allow for pricing and underwriting in line with market demands. A free-market approach to insuring property in Florida would allow the bulk of insured losses to be covered by pre-event surplus, resulting in significantly less reliance on taxpayer subsidies (post-event assessments).
The economic impacts on Floridians living in less-vulnerable areas would be minimized. As fewer private property insurers write homeowner’s insurance in the state, public sentiment is rapidly growing in support of free choice. If an insurance consumer feels their homeowner’s insurance company is charging excessive rates, it should be their choice to voluntarily leave that insurer.
It is not the state’s role to force consumers to choose between Citizens or an untested takeout company.
You can email Senator J. D. Alexandar here. Note your support for Senate Bill 2036.
| See other posts filed in: General Announcements, Perspective, Political Scene
Posted: May 16, 2008: 2:06 pm
Fresh from her role in delivering a setback for Central Florida Commuter Rail, State Senator Paula Dockery has elected to inject herself into the State’s own DRI process via a letter she sent yesterday. In the letter to Thomas Pelham, Secretary of the Florida Department of Community Affairs, Dockery notes, “The recent events of the legislative session provide DCA with plenty of breathing room to conduct an exhaustive evaluation of the potential impacts of the project, without being subjected to pressure from those trying to hurry the process along.”
We can only hope Secretary Pelham will not be subjected to pressure from those trying to delay the project until it dies.
It is disappointing to note that while we invited Senator Dockery to join the Chamber’s fact-finding visit to Alliance, Texas in this March 13 post, she is not registered as a part of the group that will visit Alliance for a site tour on Monday, May 19. It will indeed provide perspectives based on an operating integrated logistics center that has produced more than 27,000 direct jobs and had a $31 billion economic impact since opening in 1994.
The Winter Haven ILC will provide needed jobs and economic stimulus for not just Winter Haven or Polk but Central Florida. It will play an important role in your business growth for years to come. You may want to drop a note of encouragement to:
Thomas G. Pelham, Secretary Florida Department of Community Affairs, 2555 Sumard Oak Boulevard, Tallahassee, FL 32399-2100
You’ll find the complete text of Dockery’s letter here.
Fortunately, the DRI process she wants to slow is moving at a deliberate, established pace grounded in established policies of the DCA.
| See other posts filed in: CSX - Winter Haven, Commercial Developments, Economic Development, Perspective, Political Scene, Transportation
Posted: May 1, 2008: 12:46 pm
The Florida Senate this morning again brought to the floor transportation legislation that includes amendments relevant to Central Florida Commuter Rail. Senators discussed the merits of stripping all amendments from the legislation and sending it back to the House or hearing the full bill — amendments and all. After discussion the legislation was tabled until possibly later today.
For a perspective on the current scenerio read this Orlando Sentinel report.
Plans for developing an intermodal rail terminal in Winter Haven grew out of the negotiations to bring commuter rail to a four county Central Florida area. Long term goals of area leaders would bring the commuter service on from Poinciana through Polk and into the Tampa Bay area. Creation of the first 61-mile section of commuter rail are seen by many as key to future expansion of the service.
Those monitoring the proceedings feel the final decision will come Friday in the closing deliberations of the session.
| See other posts filed in: CSX - Winter Haven, Economic Development, Perspective, Political Scene, Transportation
Posted: April 30, 2008: 9:38 pm
In a stunning move late Wednesday, Senate Transportation Committee Chair, Carey Baker, R, Eustis, initiated a “strike all amendments” action that effectively shut down consideration of the question of liability protection for CSX Transportation on 61 miles of tracks Florida Department of Transportation intends to purchase for commuter rail in Central Florida. Senate Majority Leader, Daniel Webster, R, Winter Park (a strong advocate of the project) is quoted as saying, “It would have been a tough vote.” You can read the Orlando Sentinel report here.
Winter Haven officials including Mayor Nat Birdsong are in Tallahassee in support of the commuter rail project and future expansion through Polk to the Tampa Bay area. CSX officials have repeatedly stated that work will move forward on the Winter Haven integrated logistics center regardless of the outcome of the liability question.
While two days remain in the current legislative session, prospects have dimmed for resolution of the liability question.
| See other posts filed in: CSX - Winter Haven, Economic Development, Political Scene, Transportation
Posted: March 13, 2008: 7:12 am
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Central Florida’s Commuter Rail Project and ultimately the CSX Rail Terminal planned for Winter Haven are stalled in Tallahassee, “The biggest reason: opposition from Lakeland.” According to reporter Aaron Deslatte “At the center of the fight is Sen. Paula Dockery, a Lakeland Republican whose husband was the driving force behind the now-repealed constitutional amendment to build high speed rail between Tampa and Orlando.” A plan, we might add, that included a stop in Lakeland but nowhere else between Tampa and Orlando.
The Sentinel report goes on to say “Dockery wants the state to look at other ways to eventually bring commuter rail to her district and to the Tampa Bay area. But she also wants CSX to abandon its plans to move its switchyard — now in Taft, in south Orange County — to land it owns in Winter Haven.” (Surely Senator Dockery knows the proposed facility is no “switchyard.” An intermodal terminal bears no resemblance to the rail yard of yesterday. If she has not visited an operating Integrated Logistics Center (ILC), we invite the Senator to travel to Alliance with us as we take area leaders on a fact-finding mission following the current legislative session.)
This entire ugly and confusing episode is made even quirkier by the fact that last Friday in Orlando, Lakeland Mayor Buddy Fletcher told assembled leaders from myregion.org, the Tampa Bay Partnership, State DOT Officials, CSX and Central Florida Commuter Rail that “Lakeland supported the commuter rail plan and wasn’t opposed to the the Winter Haven rail terminal.” For sure the city wants DOT to study the feasibility of alternative routes or a Lakeland bypass, but if Mayor Fletcher supports the terminal why does Dockery want the plans “abandoned?”
Representatives from Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Osceola counties as well as the City of Orlando voted unanimously to fund 25 percent of the costs of establishing commuter rail on 61 miles of former CSX track. State DOT officials noted that this phase of bringing commuter rail to Central Florida would be the key to adding later segments such as those sought by Lakeland as well as Winter Haven and other East Polk cities. The cross section of Central Florida leaders were also told repeatedly that if we jeopardize the Federal funding currently in place, Florida would not see federal money for commuter rail again in our lifetime.
Let’s review, while Polk County is faring better than most, nationally the economy is in a downward trend — possibly recession, residential real estate is in a major slump and both the News Chief and Ledger report the state economy may not rebound until 2010. In light of this, Senator Dockery dismisses the potential long term boost of 2,000 new jobs, billions in investment and the potential Fortune 500 companies it could bring to our market.
It’s time for a wake up call!
Lakeland, a town that the railroads helped to build, feels it will be “devastated” by four additional freight trains per day. For the sake of discussion, let’s say the 16 trains a day that currently travel through the city require 10 minutes each to pass through town. That comes to 160 minutes in a 24 hour day or an average of 6.6 minutes per hour. If the terminal adds four more trains per day that would be 200 minutes per day (20 trains x 10 minutes) or 8.3 minutes per hour on average … hardly a major imposition.
There must be some correlation as well between four freight trains as compared to the traffic generated by Lakeland’s current 26 million square feet of warehouse industrial space (soon to be 31 million). When you consider the existing traffic generated by the Lakeland space, the five million square feet of warehouse and industrial business park planned for south Winter Haven seems manageable and will evolve over a five to ten year period — time to plan and implement infrastructure improvements as it grows.
We all need to remember that our economies are inter-dependent. We all have occasion to do business in other cities within Polk. Jobs in one sector of the county can benefit many various cities. It is time we work together for the greater good.
One need only make a visit to Alliance, Texas to see what planning and determination can create … a model economic engine with new housing developments underway within a half mile. More than 60 Fortune 500 corporate citizens and 150-plus new companies in 16 years.
Senator Dockery wants these plans abandoned for Polk County. It’s time we let her and our other delegation members know that there are economic interests on the east side of Polk County as well.
Your business, your employment opportunities, our cities, schools and county stand to benefit immensely from the construction of this project. We believe we have the expertise and vision to make it a model facility and business park.
Don’t let those with personal agendas block this opportunity. Send a note to our elected leaders today … here are their email addresses:
US Representative, Adam Putnam, www.adamputnam.house.gov (then click on the first link in left column “Contact Adam”
Alexander, JD, (R) alexander.jd.web@flsenate.gov
Dockery, Paula, (R) dockery.paula.S15@flsenate.gov
Bowen, Marsha “Marty” (R) marty.bowen@myfloridahouse.gov
Ross, Dennis (R) dennis.ross@myfloridahouse.gov
Troutman, Baxter (R) baxter.troutman@myfloridahouse.gov
Attkisson, Frank (R) frank.attkisson@myfloridahouse.gov
You can read the entire Orlando Sentinel story here.
| See other posts filed in: CSX - Winter Haven, Commercial Developments, Economic Development, Perspective, Political Scene, Transportation
Posted: January 16, 2008: 9:03 am
Randy Roberts and Sam Killebrew invite you to join the Florida Chamber, members of the Polk Legislative Delegation and fellow business leaders at Publix Supermarket’s corporate headquarters on Wednesday morning, January 30 as the business community unites behind Florida’s 2008 Business Agenda.
A complimentary full breakfast will be served. Seating is limited. RSVP by January 23.
Complete details and register on line here.
| See other posts filed in: Chamber Events, Political Scene
Posted: September 4, 2007: 8:32 am
Winter Haven City Commission seats 1, 2 and 3 will be decided at the polls today, September 4, 2007. We encourage all residents of the city to exercise this most important privilege.
Seat 1:
Robert “Bob” Jardine or James “J.P.” Powell
Seat 2:
Mayor Nathaniel Birdsong or Macy V. Butler
Seat 3:
Commissioner Jeff Potter or Don Drefke
Polls are open until 7 p.m tonight
| See other posts filed in: General Announcements, Political Scene
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