Joke’s on you for believing Florida Republicans would deliver lower insurance rates

Hurricane season officially starts today, and we could’ve been, would’ve been breathing a little easier had the Florida Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis done their job: look out for us.

But Republican lawmakers and the governor ignored skyrocketing property-insurance rates in favor of culture wars during the regular legislative session, then took up the complex issue during a hastily called special session last week.

The results are in and — surprise! — no overhaul of Florida’s property-insurance market, no rate caps.

They didn’t deliver any respite for Floridians — zero relief to our pocketbooks and no better coverage terms. We will continue to pay these high prices, especially in South Florida, where we’re penalized for being on the southern end of the peninsula and more vulnerable to hurricanes, tropical storms, and rising seas.

Basically, excuses for charging us more. But, dare I even say, that since Hurricane Irma landed in the Florida Keys and then near Marco Island in 2017, we’ve been largely spared violent storms down here, while the Panhandle hasn’t been so lucky?

IT’S NOT FAIR

Northwest Florida, in fact, is the most hurricane-prone area in the state, but we’re the ones saddled with the highest rates.

That we experienced the worst hurricane, catastrophic Category 5 Hurricane Andrew in 1992, is the excuse to overcharge us, a hot-potato issue no one north of the Broward County line wants to discuss.

Unfortunately for MiamiDade, GOP lawmakers here are in a cockeyed political alliance with the parts of the state not paying their fair share. The few Democratic lawmakers who still represent us in the Legislature have no power, thanks to Republican voters who elect candidates who don’t defend our interests, only their careers.

Democrats wanted a rate freeze, but Republicans wouldn’t have it.

But these same GOP lawmakers (and DeSantis) who gave us no relief took good care of insurance companies during the special session. The industry may be in trouble, but it can still finance lobbyists and line Tallahassee pockets with campaign donations.

Legislators protected the insurance companies — from us.

Now we can’t hire claim adjusters or legal help to sue them. Because, you know, the Republican theory of economics is that we’ll magically reap the benefits from those generous insurance firms now that they don’t have to face costly lawsuits.

But wait — weren’t insurance companies getting sued in the first place because they were turning down lawfully due claims from insured homeowners? Anyone who has ever dealt with a claim knows that nice-playing property owners finish last.

Sure, there’s insurance fraud, but that’s a criminal offense and, as such, can be prosecuted. But fraud — and the insurance industry’s unwillingness to prosecute offenders, opting instead to settle wrongful claims — is no excuse to stiff the rest of us law-abiding Floridians.

NO REAL SOLUTIONS

So why couldn’t legislators both help people having trouble paying outrageous insurance premiums and address insurance-company problems?

Because the special session was just a quick hit to give the appearance that legislators and the governor were doing something about what really matters to Floridians. What they were actually doing, however, was playing political games in a midterm-election year.

Bottom line: The so-called “solutions” the DeSantis signed into law didn’t deliver what we need: lower homeinsurance rates.

Given this reality, how did Florida become one of the most sought-after places to live in the country?

Sure, we pay no state income tax, but our vulnerability to hurricanes, climate change and rising seas is expensive — and will cost us more in the future.

Thanks to the onslaught of newcomers from New York, California and the Midwest throwing around a lot more cash than Floridian home buyers can drum up, there isn’t a bargain to be had in Florida’s overheated real- market.

For homeowners, this means property values that are through the roof. Yay, you and I say. But taxes, along with insurance, are only going one way — way up, while salaries remain flat.

Worst of all, as we’ve seen with the insurance- and houseaffordability crisis, we have terrible politicians who only work on behalf of the special interests that fund their careers. They do very little to mitigate adverse conditions for homeowners.

Financially speaking, we’re in the perfect storm in Florida, but Republicans just don’t care enough to do anything about it.

Joke’s on you if you believed they would protect us.