MITCH NEEDELMAN

State Representative, District #31

 Chair: Environmental Regulations l  Vice Chair: Juvenile Justice Committee
lState Resources Council l Justice Appropriations
lSelect Committee on Juvenile Detention Facilities

MELBOURNE, FL – As we all know, Floridians throughout the state face a crisis regarding affordable insurance protection for their property, and you have raised your collective voices to bring this to the attention of the policy makers.

On September 15, 2006 we held a forum to elicit suggestions to alleviate the home owner’s insurance crisis in our state. We assembled a panel of local experts who listened to your ideas. Collectively, Representatives Poppell, Altman and I have received many thoughtful and interesting suggestions from those in attendance, and those who responded in writing after the meeting, regarding their thoughts on obtaining adequate and affordable insurance coverage for our homes.

I would remind you that this is a three phase attack on the problem: the first phase was the forum itself where we made everyone aware that we were working on this, and asked for your help. The second phase was to convene the members of the forum to discuss a final draft letter to the Governor’s Select Committee that will review and make recommendations to Governor Bush.

We have now completed the third phase - the recommendations in a final, formalized format. My staff and I, my research team, the panel of experts, our resource people, and everyone associated with this project has expended untold hours in compiling this information. We have seen it all, heard it all, and have experienced on the most personal level the concerns of the citizens of this district. The sheer volume of information cannot begin to be presented to you in the form it was received. It was a huge task to sort it, classify it, and bring it into a manageable format for presentation. The work was well worth it. We now have a body of data that should bring clear and viable proposals to the table for review and incorporation into the legislative master plan.

We all appreciate your dedication to helping us make recommendations. We all know that the solution lies in finding ways to change the system, not simply find fault with it. You are part of the group taking action. Be assured your efforts will count.