Posted on 12/16/2005 5:26:16 AM PST by bessay
And you can tell when a politician is lying because his lips are moving. Watch what they do, not what they say....
It hasn't changed since he was a cheerleader at Ole Miss. (True.)
To play devil's advocate:
The government stuck it's nose into flood insurance long ago, driving out private insurers and setting up a government welfare program for people living along the shores of oceans and rivers.
But you can only get flood insurance from the government if you live in a flood plain. And the government publishes this information, and people depend on it.
So, there were a lot of houses in Mississippi that were way off the shore, nowhere near any rivers, and far from any "flood plains". They couldn't get flood insurance really from their private insurers, but couldn't get it from the government because they weren't in a flood plain (actually, I'm not sure, maybe you CAN get it, but it costs more, or maybe you just would be silly to get it if you don't live where it floods).
Anyway, the storm surge hit a lot of houses outside of the flood zone. I believe Lott's bill would redraw the flood zone to include the houses hit by the storm surge, and then give THOSE homeowners a one-time chance to sign up for flood insurance, pay retroactively to before september, and get coverage from the government.
It isn't completely absurd. These people now live in a flood plain, and should have to buy flood insurance. Once they do, they will probably keep buying it. It will be attached to their houses that they are in a flood plain, and the mortgage companies won't lend money without proof of flood insurance.
It's like how social security started with paying out to people, not collecting taxes from them.
His bill might also apply to people already in flood plains, and that is more problematic. I doubt his bill (allowing purchase of flood insurance) would effect a lawsuit against an insurer. A lot of people are suing their insurers saying that the damage was not from a "flood", but was from wind-driven water, which is covered. I'm not saying I agree or disagree with the position, but if you have a house where it never floods, far away from the shore, but then a hurricane drives water through your house, what are you supposed to do? You bought the recommended insurance, the insurance company collected money for years, you want to lose your life savings on a technicality?
Snort.
The house bill specifically includes people who were eligible to buy flood insurance but didn't.
I hope when I finally need a new liver, I can buy health insurance to cover it.
Most of New Orleans was on FEMA flood insurance maps. You not only could buy flood insurance, but mortgage companies required that you do so. Only home owners without mortgages didn't have to have it. Here is an article about the flood insurance rates for N.O. being revised in 2004. http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/pao/RELEASES/FLOODINSURANCE_F_06-04.pdf#search='federal%20flood%20insurance%20flood%20zones%20new%20orleans%20map'
So whose the dipsh*t insurance agent who will sell flood insurance retroactively. Or would the Feds force them to do it?
LOL LOL LOL! Thank you, thank you, oh thank you for the best laugh of the day! :-)
it will be the federal flood insurance program, so YOU will pay for Senator Lott's beach front home.
Should have known. Although to be precise, it shoud be a photo of the U.S. taxpayer.
I have heard specifically that some houses destroyed by surge were not considered to be in any flood zone and thus denied flood insurance? Note that I do not support the MS AG's sillysuit.
It is a shame federal money for the gulf coast is being held up mainly due to Nola and LA government issues and their boondoggle request.
I do not believe legislation can be written specifically excluding him, but you can bet if it was, he would support it, and so would the entire gulf coast.
The financial interest of Lott in this matter is insignifigant compared to the larger impact of such legislation, for good or ill.
I think that he is looking for some or any mechanism to provide signifigant assistance to the MS gulf coast residents who lost all, since other moneys are held up at least in part due to the Lousiana issue.
No, just his empty wallet...
Question: What's the difference between a Republican Senator, and a Democrat Senator?
Answer: The Democrat will offer a kiss...
To heck with the idea that insurance is a risk based premium type of product. Forget what the policy includes and excludes.
We will just make insurers pay out money in proportion to the amount of political noise that victims make.
That's the ticket, lets just make insurance another entitlement program.
It's a shame that so many people are sitting around bitching, rather than doing for themselves. If they need to start over, it is their own fault. Why should they expect a dime of my tax money, to rebuild their swamps, and beach houses? I'd rather see it spent on a wall along the borders, and I'm not alone.
Nobody sends FEMA when a family is wiped out by fire, or whatever. Why should the gum't be expected to pay for these people, just because there are a lot of them?
I will continue to pray for them. They can get a job like the rest of us, and rebuild wherever they like. But, they obviously would rather bitch, and hold their hands out!
It is a shame because we live in the real world where FedGov pays for every darn thing of dubious disaster value, takes a huge % of our money and the money of the people who lost all, and while spending billions on pork projects in a transportation bill cannot work out the politics for an extraordinary disaster.
Realize that Fedgov is GOING to spend this money one place or another, and I would prefer they spend it in an area with an extraordinary disaster and destruction of the local economy rather than on a bridge in alaska, etc.
IMHO, this entire FEMA crap, and all of the mis-spent money, is nothing but pig! Look at all of the people who uprooted, after the dustbowl days. They got a hand, not the whole arm, and a leg...
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