Declarations – South Central

Cost v. Safety

“I am not necessarily against the ordinance, but business owners need to know exactly what to do. We don’t want fines, and we don’t want to have to spend a whole lot of money on cameras, either.”

—Brenda Wright, owner of the Ranch House Barbecue restaurant in Pine Bluff, Ark., said she wants to learn more about the details of a proposed ordinance that would require convenience stores and restaurants to install and maintain surveillance cameras on their premises. The proposal is partly in response to an incident earlier this year when a convenience store clerk was gunned down during a robbery. The store’s surveillance cameras were broken. Police say it would be easier to catch the culprit if they had video of the scene.

Enlightenment

“This checkpoint was very enlightening. …One woman cited for driving under suspension said she couldn’t remember the last time she had auto insurance. It highlights a major problem on Oklahoma roadways.”

—Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak, following a safety checkpoint in Tulsa County on Nov. 17 that netted 31 citations for driving without auto insurance. Law enforcement officers towed 11 of those uninsured vehicles. The checkpoint was the result of a partnership between the Oklahoma Insurance Department’s Anti-Fraud Unit and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office.

Brick, Mortar Settlement

“This is a settlement that offers real, tangible relief. It is bricks and mortar.”

—Kerry Miller, an attorney for Chinese drywall manufacturer Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co., comments on a proposed class-action settlement that would require Knauf to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to repair homes damaged by its product. Attorneys for thousands of Gulf Coast property owners urged a U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon in New Orleans to approve the proposal. Plaintiffs’ attorney Arnold Levin said the settlements are worth an estimated $1.1 billion.

Fortune or Misfortune

“I have not had the fortune or misfortune of dealing with surplus lines much, which is a good thing, I think. … Thank you for that, I appreciate it.”

—Texas Insurance Commissioner Eleanor Kitzman, speaking at the annual meeting of the Texas Surplus Lines Association, said she appreciated the fact that not only does the surplus lines industry contribute more than $160 million in tax revenue for the state’s coffers but also that it manages to stay out of trouble.