Declarations

More Than Bargained For

“Has the women’s rights movement caused women to be equal in more senses than they bargained for? Still, it may not be that women are drinking more; it may be that it’s coming to the attention of law enforcement more. And there may be more women in law enforcement catching people with DUIs.”

—Chandra Persaud, assistant professor of sociology at Mississippi Valley State University, discussing various reasons more women in Mississippi are being charged with drunk driving.

When It Rains, It Pours

“Congress must act now to address climate change and invest in the resiliency of poor communities on the frontlines of climate change at home and abroad.”

—Oxfam America President Raymond Offenheiser, commenting on a new report that says weather-related catastrophes disproportionately affect poor residents who live in disaster-prone areas. Oxfam said the Southeast is the most vulnerable area in the country, and is urging President Obama to consider address the combination of weather hazards and poverty as part of climate change legislations.

Citizenry Divided

“It is our position that every rate should go up. The rates haven’t been actuarially sound for the last five years… They’re gonna be leaving money on that table and that means money that’s not gonna be available to pay losses.”

—Barney Bishop III, president of Associated Industries of Florida, who sparred with regulators over a proposed rate increase by state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. Business groups want an across-the-board, 10 percent increase for all policyholders as a way of shoring up Citizens’ capitalization without targeting policyholders in specific regions. State regulators say the rate fluctuations should be flexible.

Flood of Requests

“If no other lesson is learned from the experience of the Mississippi Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, we should have learned that coastal residents need to be able to buy hurricane insurance that will cover hurricane damage without gaps in coverage, without lengthy disputes over the cause of damage, and without inherent conflicts of interest that allow insurance companies to shift liabilities to taxpayers.”

—Mississippi Democratic Congressman Gene Taylor, who is urging the Obama administration to reform the National Flood Insurance Program by including wind coverage, and making other changes. Taylor has authored the Multiple Peril Insurance Act of 2009, which aims to fill gaps in coverage for coastal property owners.