Windstorm insurance has become a central issue in the race between Rep. Juan Garcia (D-Corpus Christi) and Republican Todd Hunter in House District 32. While the issue has been key in the race for a while, it has been receiving more prominent play following Hurricane Ike.
Garcia and Hunter had a debate on the subject last week, and Garcia has released a commercial about windstorm insurance:
Of course, Garcia and Hunter have vastly different plans on how to actually make windstorm insurance (and insurance in general) better for consumers. Here’s an aspect of Garcia’s plan:
Garcia, D-Corpus Christi, says he wants to make the job of Texas insurance commissioner an elected position. He has made it a central tenet of his campaign, and believes insurance will cost less if an elected official has to explain rates every few years.
Hunter says this:
Hunter said he supports an elected insurance commissioner, but argues that minimum qualifications must be established, or the insurance lobby may gain control of the office when voters become uninterested in the position in the future.
Garcia’s response: “It’s run by lobbyists now.”
Perhaps Hunter wants some of those minimum qualifications to make the commissioner have insurance experience. That makes sense, since Hunter himself was a lobbyist for the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association.
January 16, 2009 at 11:14 am
[...] election campaign last year, namely his representation of Texas Windstorm Insurance, which has an extensive un-fanclub among coast-dwelling South [...]