But wait ... Rubio wants property taxes, PIP

House Speaker Marco Rubio has sent a letter to Gov. Crist asking him to use his "constitutional authority" to require the Legislature to take up property taxes before the end of October and add PIP to the special session call.

Read it here.

Also, see the jump for a letter from Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff, the lead PIP negotiator, in which she blames the Senate's "hardline" approach. And a statement from Senate President Ken Pruitt.

Dear Members:

The call for Special Session was released at 3 PM today, and m any of you have noticed by now that PIP is not in  it.  I feel you need to know the facts  behind this occurrence. As many of you know, we worked tirelessly through the summer to reach a compromise with the Senate.  Many of you were generous with your thoughts and ideas , and I want to thank you for your invaluable input.  We did not achieve all of the reforms we wanted, but in the end, I believe we produced a great product that goes a long way to maintain a mandatory no-fault system that substantially reduces the fraud and abuse that was so prevalent under the current system.

I was informed on Thursday that the Senate will not add PIP to the call.   At this point, our only chance  to have it added  is to either poll the members or get the Governor to add it.  I have contacted the Governor and am waiting for a response.  Please know that the House is ready to go on this issue .  We intend to workshop the bill on Tuesday so that we can address any major concerns. 

Maintaining a no-fault system is imperative to reduce the number of lawsuits that will occur due to accidents.   As m any of you know, I do not g ive up easily and will work with you until the end of Special Session to see this issue through.   However, strong forces are working against PIP, and as it stands today, PIP will sunset , and due to Senate's hardline position, there is litt l e hope for re-enactment.

I am available for any questions.  You can always reach me on my cell.  I wish I had better news,  and I know you share my disappointment.

UPDATE: Pruitt just sent out a statement:

“Senator Posey has done a masterful job to forge an agreement with Representative Bogdanoff on PIP, and the Senate thanks him for his leadership on the issue. It is in my judgment, given the current budget shortfalls and the serious fiscal challenges in the forecast, that the most prudent action on the part of this Senate would be to focus on our constitutional duty to have a balanced budget."

Comments

Wow, this guy never gives up trying to ram the tax bill down our throats before his realtor and developer buddies go under. Did they make him an offer he couldn't refuse?

Marco, you're not a Democrat...Charlie doesn't feel your pain.

Hi! We are the Geller and Gelber team!! We don't want Florida property owners to get ANY relief so you will vote Democrat!! We love the Governor coming to us and begging,it makes us feel so important! We are going to tell the people of Florida that we want a new proposal and we want more for you, BUT we know if we can get the stupid citizens to believe us we can hold off until it is too late to get ANYTHING on the ballot (ha-ha)!! Then we can make the Governor look foolish and we look so much more important than we are. It's so hard not to parade around with our nose up in the air and laughing with each other while Florida goes down the tube. Gosh, this is so much fun. Stay tuned as we continue to blow up all hopes of any relief from taxes until 2010! Bye for now and don't forget to stay tuned to the next episode of "Geller and Gelber" two greedy legislator from south Florida! Bye-bye!

[BRAD]

GOOD FOR MARCO- PRUITT HOW MUCH DID STATEFARM PROMISE YOU? POSEY NEGOTIATED IN GOOD FAITH & SAYING HE HAD YOUR BLESSINGS. PRUITT YOU ARE A CROOK. SAVE PIP- POSEYS BILL IS FAIR

[Fitzie]

Shame on corrupt Pruitt, JD Alexander and Aronberg-- they are lackies of the insurance industry--

TIME FOR CHARLIE TO STEP UP !!!

[Contemplating]

How much money did it cost State Farm to buy Pruitt?

Governor Crist - step up to the plate and add PIP to the special session.

PIP is an essential coverage all Floridians need to protect them in the event of an automobile accident. Failure to add PIP to the Special Session will only confirm that the interests of Big Insurance Companies like State Farm rule the Florida Legislature. A concensus - acceptable to all involved was reached, now a single sell out threatens the welfare and well being of every Floridian.

SHAME ON PRUITT - SHAME ON STATE FARM - and shame on those who have the authority to do what is right but are too afraid of the all powerful State Farm to take action - to do what is right.

We thought we elected responsible representatives who would act in the best interest of all Floridians - not sell out to State Farm or cower in its shadows.

[Gina]

It is shocking that there is so little moral fiber in our Legislators that they would allow PIP to die and leave the Florida public at the mercy of uninsured drivers, just so they can be paid off by BIG insurance. Shame on you! If you care about the consumer, the people who live in this State, and who pay the taxes and who vote to elect you to public office, then you will make sure that we keep PIP. Regardless of which party you belong to, whether Republican or Democrat, you will stop playing politics and protect the consumer. PIP is consumer friendly. It makes sure that anybody, whether at fault or not, can get at least some medical care if involved in an accident. No other insurance coverage takes the place of PIP. The only people benefiting by letting PIP die are the insurance companies and the trial lawyers. Wake up people! Look at who is being protected and whose interest is being fostered. What about the people? What about the consumer? Don't we count!?! KEEP PIP.

Contemplating - 3 weeks ago you said the same thing about rubio. which is it? did State Farm miss their payments with him?

Can’t one of you Ridiculouscans shut this “Rube” up… dude is a punk in man clothes, following in Chucks “opportunistic” style footsteps… and not making a good case for the position of Gov!

[Mike]

Allison North Jones is laughing at this. This is exactly what she wants. Just a case of passing the buck.
The legislators pretending to trip over each other and let PIP Rip.

Well, the buck stops with Crist.
Don't let State Farm win.

PIP - RIP

This isn't about State Farm. Most major insurance companies want PIP to go. Fraud has killed the golden goose.

Aaronberg and Alexander are heros for helping save consumers from the mess that's called PIP.

No longer should Floridians be forced to fork over their hard earned dollars to a system full of fraud and abuse from Chiros and sleezy slip and fall lawyers.

[Renee]

Now that pip will sunset I hope the state has some form of other compensation for the lost revenue on being able to control manditory insurance. The state will loose plenty
Now you can really balance the budget.

Alexander and Aronberg have done a good job of forging a bi partisan solution to this problem.

The Senate is leading the way on this and not bucking to special interests - the same special interests who've been stuffing their pockets with the $$$ they defraud from insurance consumers.

[Chen]

Wow, If pip is not added to the special session, then I will drop my State Farm coverage and call for a boycott of state farm insurance. Who do they think they are? And Sen Pruitt, you should be ashamed of yourself, I can't imagine what you are thinking. It appears State Farm runs the state house and you look like their puppet. Hope I'm wrong, because I voted for you!

[john lewis]

JUST WHAT FLORIDA NEEDED, MORE UNEMPLOYMENT!! All the agencies that survive selling the mandatory insurance & their employees-OUT!, The few independent Ins. companies that primarely sell PIP & their employees-OUT!, I am sure it will impact the medical industry and those who service the uninsured (yes uninsured because all they have is their PIP coverage in case they are injured) and by the way not all physicians are willing to accept this kind of coverage, but AS SEEN THE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS LIKE STATE FARM AND ALLSTATE DONT GIVE A HOOT ABOUT OUR STATE OR ITS ECONOMY, BUT ONLY ENRICHING THEMSELVES FURTHER. TALK ABOUT FRAUD- HA HA MR. PRUITT (I WILL NOT CALL YOU SENATOR) YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO YOUR CITIZENS AND A VERY CORRUPT INDIVIDUAL

[Fitzie]

Pruitt, Aronberg and JD Alexander are all puppets of State farm and the trial lawyers--- State Farm gets to keep the benefits with no 30 day timeline thus they can reinvest, the dirty FJA trial lawyers now put their hands in a 1/3 of every settlement-- the whole things corrupt !!!! Shame on you JD, Aronberg and Pruitt--

[jorge]

Just like Enron, will someone get an investigation on Sen.Pruitt bank accounts or lifestyle after he kills PIP?

[Robert]

It eally is a shame that the insurance companies are going to dictate what is (not) good for the residents of Florida. If left to sunset I will have to increae my UM and BI to protect myself and my family. Where's my rate reduction. It is such a joke. State Farm and Allstate will save big bucks and we will all be screwed as usual. What we need is more fraud investigators to get rid of the Docs and Businesmen who comit the fraud. It's only a handful.. And make clinics only doctor owned. Increae the penelties as well as jail time. Most Docs hav to much to lose and will think twice about commiting a crime. Fee schedules and caps on visits would be good as well. It's sad that we elect you guys and you fold to the highest bidder and you say what the clinics are doing is fraud. You guys in government are just as dirty as they are. It's a shame.

[Steve]

This really stinks. Bogdanoff who seemed to be working for the ins. companies before put together a complicated but workable bill and she's getting stonewalled. Even Rubio wants it....I say we send all the people who get hurt and have no way to pay for care to Tallahassee. They will be overrun in a few weeks.

So now that Rubio needs Charlie, do you think Charlie will remember all of the antics of Brett and Marco's henchmen?

Can anybody say what goes around comes around?

Marco is an amateur

A boy in a man's job?

[Mark]

State Farm a/k/a Snake Farm controlling our lives, sad day for Floridians. Higher premiums, higher deductibles, cancellations and less coverage. I say throw Snake Farm out of Florida as they are not a good neighbor, remember Katrina.

5:30, Rubio needs Charlie?

Charlie is the Governor, is he dosn't fix this property tax mess he is in lots of trouble.

What did we expect when we elected a Senate President with no education? How can he bee xpected to understand the real issues?

Charlie - leave Bill alone and start handling THE PEOPLE'S BUSINESS.

Here we go again. While the little people of the State of Florida get taken for a ride, personal injury protection is allowed to be terminated just so a few LARGE INSURANCE COMPANIES can line their pockets with the more cash from the new insurance that they are going to sell.

Now, we can all look forward to:

1. Bigger Auto Insurance Premiums.
2. Clogged Courthouses.
3. Increased taxation for hospitals.
4. Increased taxation for fire rescue.
5. Clogged ER/Trauma units.
6. Increased welfare recipients for medical bills due to accidents.
7. Etc.,
8. Etc.,
9. Etc.,

Nice political move Marco. Very, very impressive. You have walked the fence and pleased both sides which is something most cannot do. I have under estimated you for years and have done so again. You win by assuring the sunset and then calling to save PIP when it is too late and make Pruitt and Crist the fall guys.

6:43...a completely inaccurate assessment. This guy acts like the child that he is....both sides are not happy contrary to you statement..and both sides know full well that he attempted to play both sides...and both sides know he is not there friend...and both sides will remember.

dont any of you undrestand that outside special interest world no one cares about pip

[You are wrong]

Floridians do care and want and demand PIP in overwhelming numbers!

[Slimeballs]

Pruitt, Alexander and Aronberg are pieces of sh_t!

[Pruitt is NO good]

SHAME ON PRUITT FOR HIS TACTICS AND CORRUPTION.
THE BUCKS JUST KEEP BEING PASSED FROM ONE TO THE OTHER.

ENOUGH WITH BIG INSURANCE!

FLORIDIANS WILL PREVAIL!

WAKE UP CHARLIE CRIST NOW!!!!

bwahahahahahahahaha bwahahahahahahahahaha

You all got played like a fiddle!

Reading the judge's opinion has convinced me to vote NO on this issue.

I would say that I'm disappointed, but with term limits, these guys aren't worried about losing an election. No one even runs against the incumbents anymore. This is the quality of leadership that we are left with. If there weren't any term limits, Rubio would have never even been elected to the House, and we certainly wouldn't have ever have heard of him or Byrd.

Aronberg and Alexander. Now theres a duo. Aronberg must really be worried that the R's were going to run someone against him. Remember the deal that Atwater tried to make with the D's not to run a candidate against Atwater and Dean intrade for the R's not running someone against Aronberg and Ring (I think it was ring), died. Aronberg cut his own deal. Just when I thought this guy had potential. He sells out.

Bogdanoff is the insurance industries girl for sure.

[Back Door Deals]

Aronberg cut a deal with the Republican devils and the insurance industry . The people of Florida get screwed without PIP and the he gets no Repbublican opposiiton. REvolting. This isnt warm your heart that there will be NO MANDATORY AUTO INSURANCE IN FLORIDA COME MONDAY OCT 1ST.

The Democrats could have gone along with Posey & Bogdanoff's plan. But they didn't.

They could have gone along with the Hous's ambitious tax cuts. But they didn't. They stalled and made difficulties. And in the end, the people got stiffed.

Just like the Dems: all whine and no plan.

Ha Ha Ha! PIP was dead so long ago and so many people got suckered into putting money into it that it is funny!

Run and go get me a sammitch!

no one believes marco.

Isn't Brett Doster advising Marco???....need I say more. Marco you need to start surrounding yourself with pros who understand this business

Marcooooo...................solo

Marco........solo

10:16 Brett Doster has never won a race on his own.

He took a great public servant with a long history of sucessful elections and took him over the cliff (Tom Gallagher) and then he lost s special election where a true conservative never loses and lost (Dennis Baxley).

Nice guy, horrible advisor.

Now Marco is paying the price.

11:05p.m. Now that is the smartest thing anyone has said on this blog. Brett may be a nice guy BUT his ability to be an advisor is zero. I don't know how Marco doesn't see it, Marco is a smart guy and could advise himself. Don't understand why he continues to turn his destiny over to a guy like Doster whose political skills have proven that he's only good at one thing and this is losing.

I don't know about you, but it seems Marco has never been the same since Rich Corcoran left.

[GARY FLEET]

PRUITT IS PATHETIC. HE CANT FIX THE BUDGET AND TAKE A VOTE ON THE POSEY/BOGNDAONFF BILL. WHAT HE IS SAYING IS HE CAN'T CHEW GUM AND TALK AT THE SAME TIME, JUST ANOTHER CASE OF THIS DO-NOTHING LEGISLATURE HARMING THE PEOPLE OF FLORIDA WITH THEIR INCOMPETENCE, CORRUPTION AND GREED.