Posted by  Mr. Chuck Schroeder, St Petersburg on 07/17  at  11:17 PM

The first question was on the wfla poll “Do you think Florida lawmakers should call a special session to solve the homeowner insurance crisis?” than followed was Premiums have skyrocketed, loyal policyholders have been dropped, and the state has stepped in with Citizens Insurance. The crisis has forced some Floridians into choosing whether to put food on the table or insure their home.  A HINT HERE - Don’t burn your bridges. It’s natural to be disappointed if your legislator doesn’t vote the way you ask him or her to. But don’t let one vote destroy your relationship - you will need their support on many other issues in the future. Like some keep on saying “Let’s keep hounding everyone with emails and letters and stick together regardless of our political preference. “

Posted by  Mr. Chuck Schroeder, St Petersburg on 07/17  at  08:16 PM

Homestead exemption was offered at $25,000., properties sold for $45,000. Now it would be difficult to find a home selling below $300,000. There are senior citizens who can’t downsize. There are families looking to move, but once taxes and insurance are added in, the families do not qualify for a mortgage. That’s why it must be raised up to at least $125,000 or higher, & say school board and the Dept. of Education “NO MORE TAX” on those that don’t use your services, focus on Mother Nature gave the storm surges, before and after the storm passes, question is, how far inland will it go and how tall will it be, a 12’ surge would be up to the tip of a single story roof at its peek. Federal flood insurance would be a blessing than, homeowners insurance is more for wind etc., Who’s talking about that and where to get that at plus why does the EOC wait until the storm is almost on us before it opens shelters up and sand bags for our use like 2 days in advance. GIT-R-DONE!

Posted by  Mr. Chuck Schroeder, St Petersburg on 07/17  at  02:21 PM

GIT-R-DONE - It’s been a little while since my last update so let me first apologize for the delay. I was in therapy for a few hours after I had a horrible nightmare about being stranded on a island with the cast of The View. We had to draw straws to see had to eat Rosie and I got the short straw. In case anyone is interested, Wal-Mart leads the nation in mis-spelled bathroom graffiti. I really think our school system is in trouble. I drove by a high school last week and the billboard out front said “congratulations graduate.” Being a multi-millionaire in disguise, and devoting a chapter to the P. C. Left, do you think Florida lawmakers should call a special session to debate the homeowner insurance crisis, perhaps stop all payouts also, right in the middle of hurricane season, or wait till March of 2007 ?.

Posted by  Mr. Chuck Schroeder, St Petersburg on 07/17  at  01:09 PM

To: Kay Giampa, New Port RIchey;

We know the “EXODUS” has begun, homeowners selling their homes, losing them to foreclosure, businesses are suffering and considering leaving Florida or will pass onto the buyers of goods and services this hike. Renters rents will jump up sky high , not good for the economy. Passing off onto the property owners higher property tax caused by the democrats in their two fisted grabs into the public treasury. This involves our family finances, our most valuable possessions, and our emotions. The highest tax hike in history in Florida, as their reward, the school board gets a slush fund of over $75 Billion to play with in 07.  Citizens was created not as a life long company, but for “short term” and to keep the other’s from taking your annual premium and booking with it leaving you without any. Others are making offer’s, it’s up to “YOU” to take them or stay with Citizens, whatever is cheaper.

Posted by  Mr. Chuck Schroeder, St Petersburg on 07/17  at  01:04 PM

We know the “EXODUS” has begun, homeowners selling their homes, losing them to foreclosure, businesses are suffering and considering leaving Florida or will pass onto the buyers of goods and services this hike. Renters rents will jump up sky high , not good for the economy. Passing off onto the property owners higher property tax caused by the democrats in their two fisted grabs into the public treasury. This involves our family finances, our most valuable possessions, and our emotions. The highest tax hike in history in Florida, as their reward, the school board gets a slush fund of over $75 Billion to play with in 2007.  Citizens was created not as a life long company, but for “short term” and to keep the other’s from taking your annual premium and booking with it leaving you without any. Others are making offer’s, it’s up to “YOU” to take them or stay with Citizens, whatever is cheaper.

Posted by  Mr. Chuck Schroeder, St Petersburg on 07/17  at  12:21 PM

Would you like some cheese with your whines? Patricia A. Giantomenico, Bradenton

Don’t ya hate those URL’s that take site to “sign a the PETITION” and they steal all your info and ID etc. and the web site you permote is The Florida Democratic Party Tallahassee ?.

“[G]ov. Jennifer Granholm [D-MI] Abused The Trust And Privacy Rights Of Constituents When Her Campaign Solicited Support From 280,000 Signers Of An Online Petition About Gas Prices ...” (Dawson Bell, “GOP Charges Governor Used Gas Petition To Send E-Mail,” Detroit Free Press, 7/12/06)

Posted by  Mr. Chuck Schroeder, St Petersburg on 07/17  at  11:18 AM

Posted by JoAnn DeMine, Port Ricyey, Florida 34668 on 07/17 at 08:57 AM - I saw where “Brad Pitt” is getting PR in New Orleans to rebuild apartments and make them 90% more energy efficient, passing those $$ back to the owner, not a power company. This is nothing new. In the TV Show “This Old House” it was done there before many a time.  Homes bought 35 years ago went up in value to, federal tax incentives are designed to persuade people to make their homes more energy efficient,spuring a small boom in conservation-minded projects. The issue is property taxes, from a independent non-County-Government property appraisers office, that over inflated our property values,& the TAX & SPEND democrap school board and teachers unions. Trim notices come out in Sept, property tax will raise up over 500% or higher. Our fixed incomes stay the same. That’s not right for something we don’t use, why should we have to pay for it than ?.

Posted by  JoAnn DeMine, Port Ricyey, Florida 34668 on 07/17  at  08:57 AM

I saw where Brad Pitt is trying to help the people in New Orleans to rebuild homes and apartments and also have cheaper expenses when they come back.
It would be nice if one of the celebrities would help the seniors and middle income people of Florida, that are going to lose there homes because of the high insurance
Costs that keep going up by Citizens and other insurance companies also.
This is really just as bad to the people in Florida to lose or have to move away from there home because they can not pay the high insurance cost as to lose there home to a hurricane.  They still have to leave the place they love and have lived in for a long time.
I wish the insurance company would remember that there homes or condo were bought at lower price back ten or twenty years ago at a lot lower price and when these folks had a lot lower income, not at today’s prices, and today’s prices and today’s income, and what today people are retiring at

Posted by  Mr. Chuck Schroeder, St Petersburg on 07/17  at  08:48 AM

Posted by Patricia A. Giantomenico, Bradenton on 07/16 at 08:07 PM “Right now I still have a sign in my car” (to hold it together from bashing into things and spinning wheels on ice going no where) “Let’s keep hounding everyone” (repetitive rhetoric, fear and hate posted all the time from the wannabe Howard Dean waco’s) “MUST be resolved long before the November election.” (even if it was in a special session, one has to wait 6 months for a insurance policy to kick in before the season, to late this year, and to late next year when in March the law makers re-meet to pass laws). (that’s the mentality of a democrat that has no real ideas nor a solution to anything, that’s why they get “NOTHING” done for you.) same holds true for Posted by Joyce Coffey, Seminole, FL (also). 

Posted by  Mr. Chuck Schroeder, St Petersburg on 07/17  at  12:19 AM

AND WHY DO WE HAVE HIGH TAXES & PROPERTY TAXES?

The $2.3 Trillion In Spending Doesn’t Include Budget Amendments That Didn’t Come Up For A Vote Or Other Democrat Spending Proposals. (Congressional Quarterly Website, http://www.cq.com, Accessed 7/11/06) In 2002, When Democrats Controlled The Senate They Did Not Even Pass A Budget. (David Baumann, “Nickles Gets A ‘Pain In The Neck,’” The National Journal, 11/23/02)

Posted by  Mr. Chuck Schroeder, St Petersburg on 07/17  at  12:17 AM

FACT: Senate Democrats Sought To Add Nearly $2.3 Trillion To Last Five Budgets: Since 2001, Senate Democrats Have Pushed 70 Spending Amendments To Five Budgets That Would Have Cost Nearly $2.3 Trillion. (Congressional Quarterly Website, http://www.cq.com, Accessed 7/11/06) This Extra Federal Spending Would Have Cost Each American Family $30,500. (U.S. Census Bureau Website, http://www.factfinder.census.gov, Accessed 7/11/06) Each Of These 70 Democrat Amendments Were Rejected By Republicans In The Full Senate. (Congressional Quarterly Website, http://www.cq.com, Accessed 7/11/06)

Posted by  Mr. Chuck Schroeder, St Petersburg on 07/17  at  12:16 AM

"The Trips To The Wequassett Inn, Where Room Rates Range From $475 To $1,300 Per Night ... Represent A Common Route Around Federal Lobbying Restrictions [According To Watchdog Groups].” (Michael M. Grynbaum, “A Lobbyist Link In Congressmen’s Visits To Cape,” The Boston Globe, 6/28/06)
Alex Knott, Political Editor At The Center For Public Integrity: “[These trips] could violate the intent [of congressional rules] ... Right now, a lobbyist could organize the trip, go with the congressman, play a round of golf with them, and then come back to D.C., lobbying them the entire time ...” (Michael M. Grynbaum, “A Lobbyist Link In Congressmen’s Visits To Cape,” The Boston Globe, 6/28/06)

Posted by  Mr. Chuck Schroeder, St Petersburg on 07/17  at  12:16 AM

Former Gov. Don Siegelman (D-AL) Was Found Guilty Of Federal Fund Bribery, Conspiracy, Mail Fraud, And Obstruction Of Justice. (WHNT-TV Website, http://www.whnt.com, Accessed 6/29/06) Siegelman Was “[A]ccused Of Taking Part In Schemes In Which Favorable Business Deals Were Greased By The Siegelman Administration In Exchange For Gifts And Hefty Campaign Donations.” (WHNT-TV Website, http://www.whnt.com, Accessed 6/29/06)

Reps. Michael Capuano, William Delahunt and Richard Neal (D-MA) “[H]ave Attended Luxurious Fourth Of July Weekends [Costing More Than $22,500] At Cape Cod’s Exclusive Wequassett Inn ... With Representatives Of Various Interest Groups, Courtesy Of A Little-Known Nonprofit Group Started By A Longtime Lobbyist.” (Michael M. Grynbaum, “A Lobbyist Link In Congressmen’s Visits To Cape,” The Boston Globe, 6/28/06)

Posted by  Mr. Chuck Schroeder, St Petersburg on 07/17  at  12:15 AM

Ethics Are Up In The Air

New York Magazine asks this morning “Has former lefty pinup Hillary Clinton become the senator from Lockheed Martin? According to the senator’s travel-expense forms, unearthed by the Center for Public Integrity, the senator and her aides have taken free rides on a Lockheed-owned private plane at least five times since 2001.” The magazine notes that one 2004 trip, “labeled on disclosure forms as a ‘speaking engagement,’ was paid for by Lockheed, even though Senate ethics rules mandate that a primary sponsor of the event pony up.”

Posted by  Mr. Chuck Schroeder, St Petersburg on 07/16  at  11:04 PM

Posted by Patricia A. Giantomenico, Bradenton

WHY IS OUR PROPERTY TAXES GOING UP?

James Levin, A Prominent Fundraiser For Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) Was Indicted On One Count Of Wire Fraud For “[A] Scheme Involving Bribes In Exchange For Millions Of Dollars Worth Of School Contracts ...” (Natasha Korecki, “Ex-CPS Official Indicted For Bribery,” Chicago Sun-Times, 7/13/06)

And I bet you has front roe seats at Bill Clinton’s fund raiser in Orlando a few weeks back to hey ?. What did that cost you?.

Posted by  Patricia A. Giantomenico, Bradenton on 07/16  at  08:07 PM

Right now I still have a sign in my car ... Don’t Vote In The Primary Until The Insurance Issue Is Resolved!

No candidate of any party has come forward and made a political TV commercial indicating how they will resolve the issues with homeowners premiums.  The current political TV announcements are focused strictly on what they have done in the positions they are currently serving.

I would never attend a political conference of any kind that I had to pay to attend NOR would I ever allow my questions to be screened. 

Let’s keep hounding everyone with emails and letters and stick together regardless of our political preference.  Right now what matters is getting the information out so all of us here in the state of Florida receive some relief on our high premium homeowners policies.  This MUST be resolved long before the November election.

Posted by  Mr. Chuck Schroeder, St Petersburg on 07/16  at  07:42 PM

The John Birch Society is an ultra-conservative, Americanist organization founded in 1958 to fight what it saw as growing threats to the Constitution of the United States, especially a perceived communist infiltration, and to promote the free-enterprise system, “collectivism” as the main threat to western civilization, and liberals as “secret communist traitors” who provide the cover for the gradual process of collectivism, with the ultimate goal of replacing the nations of western civilization with one-world socialist government. “There are many stages of welfarism, socialism, and collectivism in general,” “but communism is the ultimate state of them all, and they all lead inevitably in that direction.” Get back to home schooling, & give back our high property taxes you took.

Posted by  ELISA WILLIAMS, HUDSON, FLORIDA on 07/16  at  12:26 PM

Strange how the the State of Florida, the Insurance Industry got all their ducks in row and started this insanity?  But to reverse it, no one knows were to start and it may take a decade to receive help. Well good fellow Americans, Start with the State of Florida’s leadership, keep tabs, and vote them all out of office, Start new. If we are in the 21st Century, why not change homestead exemption to $50,000.00, everything else is going up.

Posted by  Mr. Chuck Schroeder, St Petersburg on 07/16  at  12:08 PM

Every March FL. law makers meet, to try to write bills based on federal legislation made prior to their turn, in hopes to gain their offer to get a financial trust fund grant, to use for us in those laws. Than they make laws for the ones that made a favor to them for a pay back, followed by big money special interest, than constituents.  They, on a House level are allowed to write only 5 bills a year, more on the Senate. NO ONE wants a larger government, but I strongly feel there ought to be a law to force them to write MORE BILLS. Add them to a already created law in the form of a Amendment to it. That way they can’t create another socialist utopia form of bureaucrat office. This way, we constituents can get more thing’s we want, like lower property taxes, cheaper property insurance, higher homestead exemption etc., what do you think?.

Posted by  Joyce Coffey, Seminole, FL on 07/16  at  11:17 AM

To finish my previous letter…
The Republican say the job market is going up,getting better, but with what kind of jobs; with low paying jobs, not the Computer Analyst jobs, they all went down the toilet, with allot of other higher paying jobs, plus all the out sourcing companies have been given incentives to do, un-employment rates looks good, because when you “stop getting unemployment your number goes off the chart,” they assume you have gotten back to work” they don’t count all the people who have taken months if not years to get a new job, which is more than likely a lower paying job then the one they had.!!!!
PEOPLE; PEOPLE; GET A GRIP VOTE DEMOCRATE LETS CHAGE THE PICTURE OF THE MIDDLE CLASS BECOMING THE POOR CLASS AND THE POOR CLASS BECOMING HOMELESS AND PEOPLE LEAVING FLORIDA AND SO ON..…….

Posted by  Joyce Coffey, Seminole, FL on 07/16  at  11:12 AM

TO Patricia A. Giantomenico, Bradenton AND OTHERS:

This is a Republican conference and they are even charging to attend, CHA-CHING$$$$.  The republicans are the ones who have gotten us into this mess!!
DON’T SUPPORT THEM!!! When Clinton was OFFICE things were great the “working man” was starting to get ahead. Lets give the Demarcates a chance to change things for the people not the RICH MINORITY. They are only getting richer off of us struggling to get a head.

Remember the Micheal Morre video when he said Presedent Bush said “a world for the HAVES AND THE HAVE MORE’S.” THat is what he has done. Remember the Micheal Morre video when he said Presedent Bush said “a world for the HAVES AND THE HAVE MORE’S.” THat is what he has done. The Senior Cizens who thought what they had save and what they received from S.S., that they were set for retirement;they haveto work again to survive. WAKE UP

Posted by  Mr. Chuck Schroeder, St Petersburg on 07/16  at  08:52 AM

Every time we are obedient to the words of the prophets and apostles we reap great blessings. We receive more blessings than we can understand at the time, and we continue to receive blessings long after our initial decision to be obedient. The disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets. Responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere must promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society. One would not need any PROPERTY INSURANCE if this was done. Keep the faith, keep your home, keep your money. It’s that simple. 

Posted by  Patricia A. Giantomenico, Bradenton on 07/16  at  07:17 AM

I am only passing on links to sites that come my way to HELP all of us dealing with high premiums.  To me it really makes no difference who funds the sites, the whole purpose is getting the word out to anyone that is willing to listen. 

I have sent my thoughts, concerns and fears to everyone that shares a website regardless of the political party including http://www.100ideas.org/

This is the first state that I lived in that has homestead exception.  I am from Bergen County NJ and taxes are quite high with no homestead. I was thrilled to have $25,000 exception when I moved here and thought why doesn’t NJ do this too!  BUT then I was able to get homeowner’s insurance with the company of my choice in NJ and could shop around for better prices. 

I just want to see this resolved for all of us whether we own a stick-built home, mobile or manufacturered, rent, own businesses, or even have insurance on our dogs classified on the “bad list.”

Posted by  Mr. Chuck Schroeder, St Petersburg on 07/16  at  02:11 AM

Take a poll and throw it out your strategy, the Hillary dysfunctional multilateralist model is not one to emulate, the well worn Flip-Flop baton is being passed on instead of threading the needle, waffling for polls, how many hits off of a website it gets, paid for by the Florida Democratic Party, filled with hype, repetitive rhetoric, fear and hate posted all the time from the wannabe Howard Dean waco’s, that’s the mentality of a democrat that has no real ideas nor a solution to anything, that’s why they get “NOTHING” done for you. 

Learn something at http://www100ideas.org

This is “YOUR REAL VOICE” folks, to your property insurance problem’s, property taxes and to get your homestead exemption raised up to $125,000 or higher at and pay less property tax. and a host of other thing’s to. A true “IDEA and a SOLUTION” to that idea to get a problem solved, can you come up with just one ?. Without your puppet master telling you what to say, do, think, and act ?. 

Posted by  Kay Giampa, New Port RIchey on 07/15  at  10:19 PM

To Patricia A. Giantomenico, Bradenton
Thanks so much for posting the websites for us to go to.  I’m sure there are many of us who appreicate you taking the time to do all that you are doing.