Time for ICBC to pack it in
Dear Editor: After finding out ICBC warns that premiums may be jumping by a whopping 30 per cent, one must ask, how did this come to be?
First of all, our recently ousted “leader”, Christy Clark, pillaged the ICBC coffers of over a billion dollars (yes, I said billion with a “B”), in order to create the illusion that she had actually balanced a budget. This, I believe, is the major reason ICBC is in the predicament it is in.
Secondly, much of the blame can also go to the exorbitant salaries of ICBC executives, not to mention the obscene bonuses some of these insatiable, self-centered, narcissistic egomaniacs seem to enjoy on a regular basis.
Thirdly, a great deal of ICBC’s money is spent fighting claims in the courtroom. I admit that there are some people out there who want ludicrous amounts for their injuries, so this is necessary at times, but ICBC is no different than any other insurance company, where the mandate is to basically pay out as little as possible, if anything at all.
If they were to offer a fair and reasonable settlement from the get go, I believe they would save a lot of money by avoiding the courts altogether.
Fourth, drivers who are accident free for 10 years and have a clean record should get 60 per cent discounts, while repeat speeders and dangerous drivers should be paying through the nose.
Why in God’s name should I pay the same premiums as some jerk who constantly drives like Mario Andretti?
Last, but not least, if someone is guilty of causing an accident because of impairment, dangerous driving or distracted driving, ICBC should recover any payouts from the guilty party, even if it means an arrangement for financing the payback, or even through garnishment of wages if need be.
Personally, I think it is time for the demise of ICBC, and allow British Columbians to choose their own insurers. Mark Billesberger
Penticton
But the main solution is simple, clear; you, the driver, pay based on your behaviour!
This will seriously tax, but necessarily reform, existing ICBC operations, primarily because the thousands of employees there would no longer just hand out repair and driving renewal slips as though all drivers were equal.
No more fairy tale “equality!” Some people are going to end up not driving — society has to re-establish that it’s a privilege to drive, not a “right” — and severe penalties have to be dealt to those that violate that understanding.
And finally, and importantly, poor, irresponsible and dangerous drivers would finally have to pay their own way because they’ve tread on the honest and safe good-driving majority once too often.
Individual, corporate and government accountability to the people and regulations that protect citizens in B.C. have been stigmatized as “interference” or “big government” or “red tape”. In lock step with that propaganda, democratic and regulatory processes have been systematically lobotomized.
Governments and society should make progress by learning from “bad” news like this aggravated mismanagement of ICBC. People are getting irritated by smug bureaucrats and political appointees managing (and making) decisions “for us.” We did our part – we tried to fix that during the last election by forcing a change of people at the switches.
Now, it’s up to John Horgan, and “our” government, to fix the ICBC fiasco. The path seems clear! Dr. Brian L. Horejsi
Penticton