Declarations

Fine With Us

“We understand that the attorney general’s role is to protect consumers, and we wholeheartedly support that goal.”

—Leah Knapp, spokeswoman for Progressive, which has agreed to pay $120,000 in fines for providing inaccurate auto insurance rates to Massachusetts consumers. The company has drawn a lot of criticism from agents in the state over its business practices—in this case, quoting prices for year- long policies when asked the prices of six-month policies, which usually are more expensive.

Topless Arsonist

“I’ll keep going… I’ve got some girls out of work and I’m going to do all I can to get in there.”

—Donald Crabtree, owner of a topless coffee shop in Vassalboro, Maine that was burned to the ground by an unidentified arsonist. The shop—which featured topless waitstaff—had been opposed by 97 percent of the town’s 4,200 residents. Crabtree said it was uninsured.

Exit: Dinallo

“He has been superintendent during one of the most turbulent times ever, and he has done an exceptional job.”

—Howard Mills, former New York insurance superintendent, commenting on the departure of his widely praised successor, Eric Dinallo. The tenure of Dinallo—who steps down next month (see story on p. 10)—was marked by the collapse of AIG, debates over the compensation of insurance agents and brokers and a host of other high-profile insurance issues. His replacement has not been named.

Malpractice Data

“All I can tell you is we’ve been paying and it’s outrageous.”

—Elizabeth Deers, vice president of the Medical Society of the State of New York, which says the dollar increase in malpractice payments in the Empire State is substantial. Deers was responding to consumer advocates who released federal data which showed the total number of annual malpractice payments has held steady at between 2,000 and 2,400 since 1993. Advocates wants state officials to investigate physician complaints about rising insurance rates and automatically review doctors who make multiple malpractice payments.

Heck of a Job

“They’re going to have a heck of a time getting somebody.”

—Alan Johnson, managing director of New York-based compensation consultant Johnson Associates, on the prospects of American International Group finding someone to fill the shoes of Edward Liddy, current CEO, who is stepping down.