Being that I am a hard hat CPA a tie is not required in my line of work but I thought what the heck, I need to look my best for insurance commish Mike Chaney, who will certainly be at the RAND forum. Man o man was I disappointed though because I looked high and low for Mike, who we affectionately know as Mikey the Cook here on Slabbed due to his warm association with fellow Commish Jim “Jimbo the clown” Donelon.
Now there were several theories about Mikey the cook’s whereabouts. One theory goes that he was in Bloomington giving an interview with the Pantagraph which is State Farm’s hometown newspaper. Such is not a far-fetched theory as Mikey has graced the pages of the Pantagraph before waxing nonsensical. Here is a snippet from their Katrina coverage which featured Mikey the Cook’s remarks:
“It was a win-win for State Farm, the state and the courts,” said Mississippi insurance commissioner Mike Chaney, who monitored the mediation program. A probe of State Farm’s claims handling by his department found questionable decisions and irregularities, but no elaborate scheme or illegal actions, he said.
Now we’ve always said Mike Chaney wouldn’t know insurance fraud if it bit him on the ass, unless that is, it is one of his constituents trying to defraud a big insurer. Chaney doesn’t represent the Mississippians who elected him in any way shape or fashion instead favoring the out of state insurance interests currently funding Steven Palazzo’s campaign. Speaking of Palazzo you would think he would have joined fellow republican Steve Scalise of Louisiana at this forum being that he is running for the congressional seat here in Mississippi but Palazzo is on record as believing the magical sugar-plum fairy will wave her magic wand and solve our insurance woes. I guess I should not be surprised Palazzo didn’t show. FYI to Palazzo, the elderly lady on a fixed income who sat behind me wasn’t there out of fear of Katrina, she was there because she can’t afford her insurance premiums. Lest I digress.
There was another theory about Mr Chaney’s whereabouts that caused him to miss a forum where a University professor revealed she ran naked because she could not afford her insurance in the Q&A segment: He is living it up in Orlando Florida with the rest of the do nothing insurance commishs. Luckily for us, a member of the Slabbed Nation’s Florida contingent is at the event and we look forward to hearing about it.
I’m certain to hear Mr Chaney tell it they were slummin’ at the Gaylord compared to that meeting they had in the Florida Keys not that long ago. Meantime people on the coast are having to make the stark choice between buying medication and paying their insurance.
Let them eat cake eh Mike? Indeed.
sop
SOP
I think it is obvious the problem can be solved. As I see it the powers that be lack a consensus as to which solution is the correct one. Personally the solution that is least distasteful would be having the fed reinsure the losses and have a multi peril policy. But the we could have immediate relief by simply requiring the wind carriers to have a coordination of loss endorsement (if NFIP would play)
The NFIP had those provisions in the contract and the insurers ignored it Ignatius. Coordination of loss is commonplace in the business environment but due to sheer numbers may be unworkable in the residential markets after large scale disasters.
Most everyone in their right minds wants a single product, not the three policies that now must be purchased. I see a willingness to compromise and being open to solutions but Mr Prez must make it one of his priorities.
sop
One could wish you were half as funny as you think you are, but the truth is, you’re far more tiresome than funny. Commissioner Chaney, twice the man you are because he does not hide behind a website, WAS in Orlando, because, though it would never be known by reading this drivel, there are other issues facing our state and nation than property and casualty insurance on the coast. And there were two representatives of the Mississippi Insurance department at the forum.
There is a national problem of health insurance facing us that threatens far more Mississippians than just Gulf Coast residents. And, although I’m sure the five or six of you that spend your days posting back and forth to each other won’t admit it, but he is the commissioner for ALL Mississippians and occasionally has to represent them, too.
So you had to put on a tie and go to the forum? How droll. How about putting on a tie every day and actually doing something for the people of the coast rather than sit behind a computer screen and whine? And don’t try to pass off this silly website as doing anything for the people of the Gulf Coast. Name me one single, constructive thing you’ve done that has actually resulted in lowering insurance premiums on the Coast.
In the time he’s been in office Commissioner Chaney (Mike The Cook is stupid. A third-grader could do better.) has guided an additional $60 million into the windpool that resulted in holding rates as low as possible for windpool customers. He has sheparded building codes into enforcement. He has enticed literally dozens of new companies to write P&C insurance in this state, bringing competition to lower rates. He has denied countless rate increases from insurance companies in the face of very tough demands from very tough companies.
He has secured multi-million grants to mitigate coast homes against future storms, resulting in discounts from insurers.
There are countless other examples which I have no need to further list because you can’t counter with even one thing you’ve actually accomplished that lowered the rate for one single coast resident.
How easy it is for you to hide behind a computer and lob groundless bombs at people who are actually IN the fight. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, come out from behind your computer screen in your dark, lonely room, set up a meeting with Commissioner Chaney and bring your cost-saving and premium-lowering ideas out into the light of day. Make the meeting at your convenience and on your ground. We’ll come to you.
But again, I doubt you’ll ever actually DO it. Doing is not something you seem to do. Posting rambling accounts of four-year-old legal cases, laced with stupidity, is NOT doing something. It’s more like whining.
I tell you Dawg, I’m a stock basher from way far back and will admit to being a shade brutal on occasion. And you know, the truth does indeed sometimes hurt. Put them two things together and I can understand why I make the folks that like Mikey the Cook squeal.
Calling it like I see it my man. Otherwise welcome back to the hive.
sop
sop, pay no attention to your detractor above, I am a current Louisianian who is being held hostage here in Louisiana by the lack of affordable insurance being available in South Mississippi. If affordable insurance was available, I would have been gone years ago from Louisiana.
The brutal truth is that Mississippi’s much heralded Miss. Insurance Commish has done about as much to help insurance consumers in Miss as “DO NOTHING DONELON” has done for insurance consumers in Louisiana. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING (hence the name “DO NOTHING DONELON ” ).
Both Commissioners are frauds, incompetent, inept, and certainly no friend of insurance consumers in their respective states.
And worse yet, Chuck Kleckley, Committee Chairman of the Louisiana House of Representatives Insurance Committee, and Troy Hebert, Committee Chairman of the Louisiana State Senate Insurance Committee have done NOTHING. In fact, both have NEVER so much responded to over 3 years of my lobbying both of their committees to address the lack of personal lines of insurance options for insurance consumers in Louisiana.
In fact “DO NOTHING DONELON” recently said there was no problem with affordable insurance options in Louisiana because of the great job his office has done for the Louisiana insurance consumer. (Damn, he is smoking some GOOD stuff.)
We know your pain Bunhare. Mississippi’s average premiums are just a few notches below Louisiana’s and here on the coast we too are being gang raped on our wind rates.
When you dish it out like I do, one best have a thick hide. I read all the comments posted here, even the critical ones and Poldawg’s remarks did not bother me. I’m pretty comfortable living inside my own skin so what others think doesn’t bother me much that way.
I’ll add, there are several folks on the industry side who chose to engage us and while I bet sometimes a few of ’em want to ring my neck from time to time I feel safe syaing all find that I am both lucid and know this subject well.
RAND study contributor James Macdonald ofered himself as a resource to the Slabbed Nation yesterday. His underwriting pedigree at ACE and other companies is impressive and James will find in time that we will well use his experience as we all search for solutions.
It is a shame Mikey couldn’t attend. 😉
Anyone else wonder who pays for those resort conferences the Commish’s frequently attend?
sop
POLdawg: Why don’t you tell us what you do for a living, where you live, your conection to insurance industry and what other thorns you have up your @ss so we can understand the real reasons for your misplaced outburst.