An editorial to the Palm Beach Post asked the title question of this post. The answer seemed very obvious when it noted:1
‘[I]nsurance companies, executives and agents have donated at least $74 million to Florida politicians or business groups.’ The top recipient: Gov. Ron DeSantis, pulling in $3.3 million. And there’s this gem: Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, has raked in nearly $2 million — from the industry he’s supposed to regulate.
Suppose organized criminals, the MAFIA, could make donations to the police. Do you think the amount of crime would go up while the accountability for those wrongful actions would go down?
Donald Trump rightfully called out Florida Republican leaders last week for selling out their constituents to the insurance industry.
The Washington Post took information that was given to Florida Republican legislators in a public hearing and then to Jimmy Patronis’ office last year. The same information was followed up by just one investigative reporter, Brianna Sacks, who wrote the story uncovering the widespread problem of Florida Hurricane Ian policyholders being delayed, denied, and underpaid insurance claims on a systemic basis.2 On Friday, after the embarrassing truth was published by the Washington Post—and only after Donald Trump called out his fellow Republicans for “selling out”—did Ron DeSantis say an investigation would be started by Florida leaders.
Florida Republican politicians have a lot of explaining to do. These proposed and recently passed laws effectively ending Florida insurance consumer protections seem to have only one logical basis for why this is happening. It seems like those in charge of protecting the public have received “protection money” from the insurance industry. It seems like Florida Republican leaders are doing their best to repeat the insurance company propaganda and hide evidence about all the abuse those insurance companies are committing. Worse, they are now making laws so nobody can do anything about it in the future.
It is amazing that the Washington Post and Donald Trump finally reached agreement on something and jointly exposed these sad facts and the state of affairs in Florida.
Thought For The Day
Tolerating organized crime promotes the cheap philosophy that everything is a racket. It promotes cynicism among adults. It contributes to the confusion of the young and to the increase of juvenile delinquency.
—Robert Kennedy
1 Politicians, don’t let the insurance corporations off the hook, Palm Beach Post, A 10, Mar. 18, 2023.
