Crist defers to Bush on insurance

If you want to see Charlie Crist take the lead on Florida’s insurance crisis, you’ll have to wait 51 days.

In his first appearance after defeating Jim Davis to become governor-elect, Crist told reporters and supporters Wednesday he will defer to Gov. Jeb Bush on policy matters until the Jan. 2 inauguration — including on Bush’s plan to have lawmakers return next month to address Florida’s crumbling insurance market.

“I would like the issue resolved as quickly as possible. If that is what is decided (to have a special session), I would encourage it,” said Crist, who called the insurance crisis “Mission One” for his administration. “It is important to honor Gov. Bush.”

Crist’s comments came as he announced a 10-person transition team, led by former U.S. Attorney Roberto Martinez of Miami, to build his management team.

The daunting task will encompass everything from deciding who will run the state’s prisons to what budget proposals he will offer to the Legislature for 2007-08.

In continuing to defer to Bush, Crist signaled he won’t push, until he is in office, for any of the insurance changes he has said he would seek as governor, including requiring auto insurers who write property insurance in other states to write it here.

Bush wants to call a special session the first week of December if he and legislative leaders can agree on less dramatic changes to consider, such as making it easier for insurance companies to buy backup insurance from the state or providing state grants for low-income homeowners.

To political watchers, Crist’s deference wasn’t a surprise. The attorney general, despite already being one of four statewide officials who oversee insurance regulation, has never taken a lead on insurance reform even as property insurance rates have shot upward.

In fact, he was largely quiet last spring when lawmakers considered significant changes to the state’s insurance code.

-- JONI JAMES, Times staff writer

Comments

Charlie, we thought you were not into Bush?

This is why I voted for Charlie. I figured he wouldn't do anything to screw things up worse. Hope he sticks to this path.

The insurance problem will be solved quickly, we've got a steller cabinet all around... the blowhards ate it last night:

Tom Lee - Underqualified Republican HACK
Skip Campbell - lying sack of $H!#
Eric Copeland - didn't know one house plant from another
Jim Davis - BORING

[terminator]

I'm sure Charlie would be more than happy to let (Jeb, Gallagher, Lee, and other soon to be replaced elected officials) deal with the thorny issue of insurance reform.

Can you really blame the guy? Then whatever happens won't be Charlie's fault if things turn out for the worse.

If things don't work then Charlie's yet to be formulated policy will still be an improvement over whatever happened during the special session

It's a win-win situation.

Charlie to Lemiux about one year from now:

"Get Tom Gallagher on the line. We need to know what the heck to do with this stuff. This is alot more complicated than we thought".

Crist, get off your friggin' arse and start showing some leadership. The legislative/Jeb are lame ducks. Use the bully pulpit to do some good.

If you bunt on insurance, you will look like an empty suit.

I hope the hell folks put pressure on you to stand up and take the lead.

Terminator, nobody gives a hoot about what your gay ass thinks or about your man crush on Tom Gallagher. Get off the blogs and go find some commie NEA member's ass to stick your head up. Or better yet, go stick it up Villalobos'.

[peggy]

HAVE YOU PEOPLE been reading the papers?
Touching that everyone is pumping up and embarassing our future Governor.. "Be a work horse, not a show horse" is the one article..
We are in trouble.He won't deal with things, because LACK of insurance companies means NO NEW BUILDING , and who is he going to say rhis to?
The Semblers? Al Hoffman? Codina?

And our lovely Kathleen Shanahan ? Jeb had her co-ordinate with Lila jaber and the old PSC to write the PHONE BILL legislation with the Phone Industry and four of our legislators. Our Jeb had the PSC write electric and telecom bills that are written by the same PSC attys (co-ordinated by Harold McLean)that heard the Phone Bill after it was inacted.
And Crist is having her help him in the transition?
So that means, Crist will have the same problem that W Bush has...
As Einstein said, "you cannot be in the same frame of mind to fix a problem as you were when you created it." How is anything going to be different?

Kathleen Shanahan is on the Al Hoffman's WCI board. Sun City Center, and Crist major airplane chaperone...

[Upset Republican]

RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman outed as gay on CNN's Larry King Live.

Don't you think it's ironic that the Republican Party bases so much of it's platform as being "the traditional family values party", and always utilizes wedge issues such as gay marriage to hurt Democrats, when so many Republican politicians and their operatives are themselves gay? So far we have RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman, Mark Foley, Ted Haggard, Charlie Crist (also many of Crist's campaign staffers), plus many more gay Republicans yet to be "outed". Be sure to watch Bill Maher on HBO Friday at 11:00 PM. He's going to name names- a large list of in-the-closet-gay Republicans. It should be interesting...

[finest27814]

Dear Charlie,

Why do you forsake the people of this state so soon! You will be remembered as a fake a phony and a fraud if you balk on the insurance issue. The rest of these assholes! who have posted must be on your payroll! We know how much money you recieved from the insurance industry for your campaign. The question is are you a man or a puny puppet of the insurance industry which will crush the working middle class of this state! Alass the arrogant aristocracy of the rich and idiotic! If the working middle class is forced from the state who will perform the meanial tasks like waxing your luxury liners while they sit at your ocean view mansions which you will have replaced by the cronies you know in the insurance industry! after the next Hurricane wipes them out!
You aristocratic fools remember how Rome fell while ceaser was wallowing in self indulgence and sexual pleasures with little boys. You people are not so different from the Romans and your fate will be your undoing!

[Yvonne Lopez]

Well there ya go Charlie.... already taking a "do nothing" let someone handle the hot potato,Home Owner InsuranceIssue.... ,.. How quickly you choose to defer..... Oh Lordy, here we go .... all that campaign money .. uh huh many have you in their pockets already ... going to be another 4 long years.....Charlie, step up to the plate... old boy its your turn at bat !!!! yeah yeah i know radical concept....

[Grim Reaper]

Well $5000 per year for insurance is no big deal if you make Charlies money

[terminator]

10:38
sounds like you've got anger management problems there bud.

take a chill.

point is, I was paying Charlie a backhanded compliment. I would probably do the samething myself. Insurance is a lose-lose proposition.

Gallagher knows more about insurance than anyone in Florida and look what happened under his watch.

Look for the insurance industry to completely suck the air out of Florida's future economy. People are starting to move out in droves due to escalating insurance, property taxes and inordinately high real estate prices.

You'll have a classic Marxist state (haves and have nots) with a small middle class.

Personally, I've got a couple more years and I'm moving to the wide open West.

Just keep sending me my pension checks!

I say "let them eat cake"

[steprazor420]

Get rid of Citizens, get rid of other market controls.

It forces insurers to spread the risk pool outside of Florida, and thus forcing them to compete and eventually lower prices.

I think all politicians should be required to retake economics before taking office.

If free market forces are allowed to work, it is pretty simple. Insurance rates will continue to go up. Homes will be less affordable. People will start to leave Florida (like they left New York and other big cities) to move to where it is cheaper. Prices on housing will go down and eventually become more affordable.

Right now our economy is propped up by construction, and all this coastal exposure is being subsidized by the rest of us. Personally, I prefer a smaller economy more grounded in free enterprise. It will be good for our environment, slow growth, and might make us focus on attracting some businesses which don't require a lot of illegal aliens to do the work for us.

[CC]

Charlie,

Today is a good day. So long as we avoid the important things we talked about on the campign trail we might be able to survive the next four years. It is hard for me to keep so much in the closet but remember that we got the Governor's mansion! It's juts a shame that it will always be empty and I will always be alone.

Today is a good day for me and a terrible day for Florida.

But thats ok, I got new drapes.

-CC

[Bob]

Promises, promises, promises . . . "I promise to fix this crisis by forcing insurance companies that sell auto and other lines of insurance in this state that sell home insurance elsewhere but not in Florida to offer homeowners insurance in Florida." But, that promise was for the campaign, and Crist really plans on just letting the insurance companies offer their own solution to fix the problem next month. That's why they spent all that money on him. I am sure that the insurance companies will do a great job of looking out for their customers . . . hah, hah, hah.

Oh, and "I promise every homeowner that I will double the homestead exemption." If this is accomplished before 2008 where I actually save $600 on my taxes by then, I will eat my shoe.

[tdubb]

There ought to be a lemon law on politicians. C'mon, Charlie! Honor Jeb? How about honoring the people of Florida? Yeah, it's thorny, but isn't that part of the responsibility of being governor? It's the biggest issue in the campaign and Charlie will be AWOL when it comes up in the Legislature. Maybe Charlie was projecting when he rolled that empty chair around the state.

[Omega83]

everyone knew a special session would be called in Decemebr

every one knew Bush would still be Governor.

everyone knew insurance would be Bush/Jennings curtain call.

how any of this is a surprise, much less a story, is beyond me

Dammit Charlie, if I want your opinion I’ll ask Jeb. Now shut up and go get your meth massage.

The people's governor is going to be one of the people--spending the next six weeks watching football and Christmas shopping.

Come January, he doesn't even have to pay rent, let alone insurance and property taxes. Plus he gets a free car with driver, taxpayers pay all his living expenses and provide him with FDLE agents to protect him from instrusions into his personal life.

[Paul D. Harvill]

Ken Pruitt, incoming Senate President in mid-November, is dreading any time that the Senate is in session as his place in the Senate could quickly come to an end.

The coalition of Senate Republicans who wanted the 2008-2009 Senate President to be Sen. Villalobos could easily form a coalition with the Democrats and take the power away from Senator Pruitt.

Pruitt, Gov. Bush, many business interests spent over $7,000,000 seeking to defeat him in the Republican primary because he didn't support them lock-step. He represents his constituents too - not just the Republican dictatorship.

And they really didn't need to piss off so many fellow Republicans. Most of the legislation that he voted against, e.g. tort deform, passed without his vote required.

Now we have some Republican Senators who are quite unhappy with Senator Pruitt and other Republicans.

As a result, Senator Pruitt is likely seeking no special sessions - otherwise his tenure could end up being only one month long.