Declarations
Not Up to Speed
“I don’t think speed is in your vocabulary yet. People are just trying to survive.”
—Florida CFO Alex Sink telling BP senior VP Bob Fryar his company is not moving quickly enough to pay claims from Florida businesses that are on the brink of failure due to the oil spill.
On the Ground
“I don’t want to just see my president come down here and be here for a couple hours and then go back off to Chicago or go back off to Washington, D.C. I want him on the ground helping us work on the ground, managing through solutions, pushing people for answers.”
—U.S. Sen. George LeMieux criticizing President Barack Obama’s handling of the Gulf oil spill, saying he hasn’t done enough to help Florida and the other affected states or their residents.
Crist Veto
“During these very difficult economic times, Florida’s consumers should not have to be concerned with an additional premium increase to their policy.”
—Florida Gov. Charlie Crist explaining why he vetoed SB2044, an omnibus property insurance bill.
Crist’s Error
“Florida Governor Charlie Crist just doesn’t get it. Florida needs to create a business climate and competition-based pricing in which the free market is alive and well for the purchase of insurance. Such a market helps build a clear understanding of the true cost of risk, which would promote wiser decisions with a long-term view regarding land-use planning and resource management. Only then will consumers have plentiful and sustainable choices for coverage”.
—Neil Alldredge, senior vice president of State and Policy Affairs for the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC), expressing the frustration of his group’s member companies over Florida Gov. Crist’s veto of SB2044.
Erroneous Portrayal
“Unfortunately, it was erroneously portrayed by critics as a bill that would have raised rates without regulatory oversight. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
—William Stander, assistant vice president and regional manager for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI), maintaining that the legislation SB 2044 vetoed by Gov. Crist would have been a “step toward bringing private marketplace solutions to Florida.”