Florida Insurance and Water Crisis

An Open Letter to Charlie Crist:

Mr. Crist, contrary to popular belief, I did not create the insurance or water crisis in Florida! First things first. I voted for you Mr. Crist because I BELIEVED that you wanted to make a difference. You convinced me that you were the best candidate for the job and one where I believe my trust to be well placed. Was I wrong?

On the front page of The Tampa Tribune (“Nationwide Rates Set To Rise”, Saturday, March 31, 2007) it appears that your work related to insurance rates has made little difference in the minds of the insurance companies. Nationwide is the first of what appears to be a long list of challengers to the premium reduction agreement. It is quite clear that this demands further attention, to include the possibility of using Citizens as the ONLY insurer in the State and revoking all other homeowner insurance companies charters. Drastic times require drastic matters so let’s get busy.

As to the water crisis in Florida, I did not create this problem, yet I am penalized for it. Counties restricting how and when I can irrigate my property?? I do not think so. If the State of Florida had addressed this issue years ago with additional desalinization facilities (multiple) on each coast, we would be reaping the benefits today. Unlike the Apollo Beach disaster, there ARE reputable companies that WILL build plants that work – on time and on budget, if the process is MANAGED. I will not be changing my irrigation behavior because the State of Florida has not MANAGED the process. On one hand, I am told to curtail the use of irrigation, yet Hillsborough County (as well as most others in Florida) allows developers to continue at an unchecked pace.

Mr. Crist, I might suggest that you dismiss all those highly paid professional engineers and advisors and come and speak to those of us that know how to think and will be accountable for our actions. Make no mistake; Florida is on a slippery slope as well as the verge of social unrest. The day of civil disobedience is at hand and only going to get worse if left unchecked or unaddressed.

Please do not let my trust in you as well as my vote mean nothing.