Playing politics

Almost one year ago, Jeff Webb of the Hernando Times wrote an editorial in reference to the state's sales tax surplus of $3.2 billion that was reported in January, 2006. The theme of his previous column focused how each political party would be fighting over this massive surplus while trying to influence votes since it was an election year. Well, the politicians in Tallahassee proved Mr. Webb's point.

The state legislature pandered at the highest level to enhance themselves to the voting public and got the most bang for our buck. By April, the Florida Legislature learned that they had an additional windfall of $960-million in addition to the a $5.6 billion surplus that had been reported in March of 2006. Where have all the state legislator's been hiding with this insurance crisis that hit our state late last year? Were they with hiding with Governor Bush? Were they hiding at their campaign offices, hoping no one would notice the lack of a action by Florida Legislature on the insurance crisis that hit our state last year?

Everyone has been pleading for a resolution to the crisis in Citizens' Property Insurance that has forcing people from their homes since last year and the people's voice fell on deaf ears in Tallahassee during the 2006 legislative session. Yes, a few of our elected officials have voiced concern over the insurance crisis but it has been barely audible until the new legislators were sworn in several week ago.

Senator Fasano had a guest column titled, 'Insurance crisis undermines state' in this morning's issue of the Hernando Times which discusses the insurance crisis in Florida. In his column, Mr. Fasano stated that in the closing hours of the 2006 legislative session, insurance industry lobbyists managed to sneak language into Senate Bill 1980 requiring Citizens to raise rates to cover the cost of re-insurance. How does any group sneak language into a house or senate bill? If this really happens, then the citizens need to hold their representative government officials responsible for not thoroughly scrutinizing legislation before passage. Taking into consideration Senator Fasano he did not support Senate Bill 1980, it still does not erase the fact that our state has been in an insurance crisis since the fall of 2005.

Senator Fasano stated in his column that the insurance crisis has the potential to decimate every aspect of our state's economy. Where was Senator Fasano almost a year ago when the state coffers were flush with cash to fix this insurance crisis? Playing politics with a person's most valuable asset of their home, or business, by jeopardizing their ability to afford home owners insurance, is unacceptable. In hindsight, Jeff Webb has every right to say I told you so...