Declarations

Haircut from Hail

“It’s like a bad haircut. It will grow back.”

—Daniel Trujillo, groundskeeper at Sonoma Ranch Golf Course, said the course was unplayable and six skylights in the restaurant were broken after an October hail storm in New Mexico.

Like Whack-A-Mole

“With all this success, leading Citizens is almost like playing whack-a-mole. When you knock down one issue another one takes its place. In claims, the critical issue that has surfaced in the past two years is water damage.”

—Citizens President, CEO and Executive Director Barry Gilway told its board of governors in September that water damage losses in Florida have become a critical problem for the state insurer of last resort and are offsetting the progress the company has made through its depopulation efforts.

Smartphone Activities

“People are not just texting behind the wheel – they are taking selfies, checking email, and, perhaps most shocking, even viewing and recording videos.”

—Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Kilmartin on the dangers of smartphone use behind the wheel. Kilmartin urged teenage drivers to not use their cell phones while driving as part of the fourth annual “It Can Wait” campaign. The campaign has been expanded this year from a focus on texting while driving to include other smartphone activities.

Responsibility to Protect

“Exposure to lead and high noise levels can cause long-term or permanent health damage. … Maverick Arms has a responsibility to protect its workers by identifying and eliminating these hazards.”

—OSHA Area Director Alejandro Porter comments on citations against Maverick Arms Inc. in Eagle Pass, Texas, for one willful and 23 serious workplace safety violations. The weapons manufacturer was fined $197,000.

Equal Protection

“If added to the law, we will fulfill what I believe is a very basic, fundamental Hoosier value, which says that all Hoosiers deserve equal protection under the law. There’s no room for short cuts or half measures or exceptions.”

—Indiana Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane, D-Anderson, said that the state’s Democratic caucus will sponsor a bill next legislative session that would add the phrases “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to Indiana’s existing civil rights code.