Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez joined other South Florida Republicans in opposing a plan by Citizens Property Insurance, the state insurer of last resort, to remove a 10-percent cap on rates for new policyholders.
Gimenez sent a letter to Citizens' interim president, Tom Grady, calling the proposal "very troubling and against the interests of all Floridians."
"I realize this is a difficult issue, but singling out new policies to carry a higher burden of insurance costs will have a devastating effect on the State's ability to attract businesses and create much needed jobs," Gimenez wrote in the May 18 letter.
Other Miami Republicans, including state Rep. Carlos Lopez-Cantera and Sen. Anitere Flores, have also criticized the Citizens plan -- an indication that South Florida politicians are not willing to go as far as some of their party counterparts in what they are calling a risk-reduction campaign to avoid "hurricane taxes" after a major storm. Gimenez is a Republican, but serves in a non-partisan post.
How about those of us who don't have Citizen's but are taxed on our own individual policies to support Citizen's so they can give rebates and credits to their policy holders?
Posted by: amigay | May 25, 2012 at 02:14 PM
Citizens doubled my insurance rate this past year based on a BS inspection. That is not fair, and the real Citizens of South Florida need to stand up to this gouging. Who do these politicians represent the voters or the insurance companies?
Posted by: Tally Folly | May 25, 2012 at 03:24 PM
Chairman Richter and I will be sending out a three part OpEd next week to all the papers in Florida which will look at FIGA, Citizens and the CAT fund and the assessment potential when the next big storm hits.
Posted by: Bryan Nelson | May 25, 2012 at 03:26 PM
you mr. nelson, are so biased in your support of the insurance industry and so anti-consumer it's incredible that you manage to get re-elected. How about thinking about homeowners and what we floridians have been hit with over the past 5 years instead of spreading fear about the next big one? how about doing your job and and represent the residents of florida instead of lining your pockets from the insurance industry?
Posted by: Lindad | May 28, 2012 at 09:32 AM