Fairhope, Alabama
HOMEOWNERS HURRICANE INSURANCE INITIATIVE
Michelle Kurtz of Ecumenical Ministries and the HHII (click) -- told the city council she is seeking to build a groundswell of public support for new measures designed to lower homeowners insurance costs in coastal counties -- and "to take our ideas all along the Gulf Coast to the East Coast."
Kurtz outlined two solutions: the recently-passed Clarity Law and the proposed Multi-state Insurance Band (click).
If the Governor enforces it, beginning Nov. 1st the Clarity Law will force insurance companies to publish premiums and claims data online, so that consumers may compare differences between zip codes and "be able to hold the Dept. of Insurance accountable for their rate-making."
Kurtz said "the DOI must insure premiums are fair and non-discriminatory statewide" -- but the public must put pressure on Governor Bentley to insure compliance.
The Multi-state Insurance Band is a proposal to make homeowners insurance actually "work" and be "sustainable" -- by partnering with other gulf and east coast states to form a non-profit corporation to "pool" homeowners' premiums living in a band up to 70 miles from the coast -- to pay for wind and storm damages there -- instead of sending their money overseas to costly private re insurers, as is now done.
Enabling legislation by the U.S. Congress will be needed to bring this about, according to Kurtz.
PUBLIC PRESSURE ESSENTIAL
Kurtz said that public pressure is the "wind under our legislators' wings" that will bring it all about; and announced the HHII will be holding events to educate the public, sponsored by various businesses and governments in Baldwin County.
Kurtz asked for and got a $1,000 contribution from the city council to help finance the events.
FREE FISH FRY JUNE 13TH
On Thursday, June 13th (5-8PM) at the Oak Hollow Farm on S. Greeno Rd. the group will be holding a fish fry, free to the public, to get out their message and to engage citizens to rally together to "help us bring our insurance premiums back under control."
Kurtz: "We need a groundswell of support ... to rise up and demand fairness."
"Working together we will accomplish amazing things."
REPRESENTATIVE FAUST SUPPORTS EFFORT
State Representative Joe Faust thanked the council for making the donation, and praised Kurtz and the Initiative group for their "tireless" volunteer efforts: "They work at it every day ... don't get any money for it ... ."
Faust: "The reason for putting on this fish fry ... we want people of this area to participate ... to get a groundswell of people to participate in what we're trying to do."
"I've listened to and heard the cries of the people for six years ... passed bills in the state House and Senate ... still comes back to ... we're still going to have to have the backing of the people ... what its all about."
"I believe in government by the people, of the people and for the people ... its a movement to do the right thing to help ourselves ... ."
(Bradley Byrne, the recently announced candidate for Congress, told the Times he also supports the multi-state band concept.)
HOMEOWNERS HURRICANE INSURANCE INITIATIVE
Michelle Kurtz of Ecumenical Ministries and the HHII (click) -- told the city council she is seeking to build a groundswell of public support for new measures designed to lower homeowners insurance costs in coastal counties -- and "to take our ideas all along the Gulf Coast to the East Coast."
Kurtz outlined two solutions: the recently-passed Clarity Law and the proposed Multi-state Insurance Band (click).If the Governor enforces it, beginning Nov. 1st the Clarity Law will force insurance companies to publish premiums and claims data online, so that consumers may compare differences between zip codes and "be able to hold the Dept. of Insurance accountable for their rate-making."
Kurtz said "the DOI must insure premiums are fair and non-discriminatory statewide" -- but the public must put pressure on Governor Bentley to insure compliance.
The Multi-state Insurance Band is a proposal to make homeowners insurance actually "work" and be "sustainable" -- by partnering with other gulf and east coast states to form a non-profit corporation to "pool" homeowners' premiums living in a band up to 70 miles from the coast -- to pay for wind and storm damages there -- instead of sending their money overseas to costly private re insurers, as is now done.
Enabling legislation by the U.S. Congress will be needed to bring this about, according to Kurtz.
PUBLIC PRESSURE ESSENTIAL
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| Kurtz |
Kurtz said that public pressure is the "wind under our legislators' wings" that will bring it all about; and announced the HHII will be holding events to educate the public, sponsored by various businesses and governments in Baldwin County.
Kurtz asked for and got a $1,000 contribution from the city council to help finance the events.
FREE FISH FRY JUNE 13TH
On Thursday, June 13th (5-8PM) at the Oak Hollow Farm on S. Greeno Rd. the group will be holding a fish fry, free to the public, to get out their message and to engage citizens to rally together to "help us bring our insurance premiums back under control."
Kurtz: "We need a groundswell of support ... to rise up and demand fairness."
"Working together we will accomplish amazing things."
REPRESENTATIVE FAUST SUPPORTS EFFORT
State Representative Joe Faust thanked the council for making the donation, and praised Kurtz and the Initiative group for their "tireless" volunteer efforts: "They work at it every day ... don't get any money for it ... ."
Faust: "The reason for putting on this fish fry ... we want people of this area to participate ... to get a groundswell of people to participate in what we're trying to do."
"I've listened to and heard the cries of the people for six years ... passed bills in the state House and Senate ... still comes back to ... we're still going to have to have the backing of the people ... what its all about."
"I believe in government by the people, of the people and for the people ... its a movement to do the right thing to help ourselves ... ."
(Bradley Byrne, the recently announced candidate for Congress, told the Times he also supports the multi-state band concept.)
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