Declarations

Frozen Florida

“The reports we are getting tell us there is frozen fruit as well as twig and leaf damage out there now it may be days or weeks until we figure out whether there is long-term tree damage. All of the information is anecdotal at this point and varies literally from grove to grove so we won’t be able to come out with a definitive answer until the U.S. Department of Agriculture accounts for the cold snap in the monthly crop forecast, probably in February. Complicating the issue is the sheer number of cold days we had in a row. I can’t remember anything like it.”

—Michael W. Sparks, CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, commenting on the extended January freeze affecting Florida citrus farmers.

Mississippi’s Burning

“We’ve got to learn from a tragedy like this so that these nine lives won’t be for naught. We’ve got to say, ‘We won’t let this happen again.'”

—Jeff Homan, president of the Mississippi Fire Chiefs Association, after an apartment complex fire in Starkville took nine lives on Dec. 28, including six children ages 6 and under. Homan said the lack of fire safety training and lack of emphasis on fire prevention are the main reasons Mississippi has ranked among the worst in the nation per capita in fire deaths.

AIG Diet

“There are two types of birthdays —chronological and biological. Doctors tell me biologically I am 25 years younger.”

—Former AIG chief executive Maurice “Hank” Greenberg, who turns 85 in May. Greenberg said a daily lunch of salad and a strict no-meat, no-dairy diet at home along with regular exercise keep him fighting fit. Greenberg is currently lobbying to eliminate much of the debt AIG incurred when it took a $180 billion bailout. He is AIG’s largest private shareholder.

Rating Reflections

“We’ve not seen that happen yet. Ultimately that reality will have to be reflected.”

—Robert Hartwig, president and economist, Insurance Information Institute, after being asked if property/casualty insurers are incorporating the reality of lower investment returns into their pricing.

Haiti’s Death Toll

“We have already collected around 50,000 dead bodies. We anticipate there will be between 100,000 and 200,000 dead in total, although we will never know the exact number.”

—Haiti Interior Minister Paul Antoine Bien-Aime five days after the earthquake that devastated his country Jan. 12. If the casualty figures turn out to be accurate, the quake would be one of the 10 deadliest ever.