Florida Legislature won’t fix insurance mess

After reading reporter Lawrence Mower’s Dec. 13 story, “Florida legislators work on property insurance but warn there aren’t quick fixes,” I wonder why Florida residents not only continue to vote for Republicans, but not even hold them accountable for totally botching any efforts to fix the state’s insurance mess.

Republicans’ solution to this crisis is to reduce incentives for attorneys to file lawsuits against insurance companies, give homeowners less time to file a claim and create a $1 billion taxpayer funded program to help “struggling” insurance companies. In short, Florida’s Republicans’ answer is to open their arms and pockets to insurance companies while limiting Floridians’ ability to strike back with litigation. Instead of helping Floridians by fixing the mess, all they are doing is giving in to insurance companies’ wishes and continuing the carnage against Floridians.

Democratic lawmaker Fentrice Driskell of Tampa put forth a proposal that made the most sense. Her bill would have required insurance companies that offer other products in Florida to offer homeowner’s insurance, too. The proposal also would have tied premium increases to the Consumer Price Index or a slidingfree scale. This is exactly what must be done, make insurance companies accountable for doing business in Florida. Of course, Driskell’s proposal was rejected because she’s a Democrat, and we live in Republican Florida.

Republicans only care about lining their pockets and continuing to serve these insurance companies. Florida is inundated with Republicans at every level of government.

Don’t the voters realize the GOP has done nothing for Floridians?

Meanwhile, the insurance mess continues.

– Herman Irizarry,

West Kendall