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Monday's letters: Florida is overcharged on flood insurance

 
Published Sept. 4, 2015

For flood insurance fairness Sept. 1, commentary

Florida pays more than its share

Florida Rep. Jeff Brandes is very much on track with this piece. The National Flood Insurance Program is using Florida to help subsidize the rest of the country's flood rates.

NFIP has used unjustified rates in Florida for years. Its officials insist on using the term "subsidized" for Florida coastal rates. The opposite is true. For more than 30 years, the amount paid out in Florida by NFIP is less than 10 percent of the premiums paid in. This makes flood insurance the most profitable property and casualty line in Florida. A good ratio would be 40 percent paid out.

So the truth is Florida's flood rates are too high — not too low or subsidized.

J. Kipp Wall, St. Petersburg

Conservative columnists | Sept. 1, letter

Hearing the other side

I strongly disagree with this letter criticizing the Tampa Bay Times for publishing columns by certain writers with a conservative viewpoint. I am most definitely not a conservative, however it never hurts to hear what the "other side" has to say, if for no other reason than to be able to formulate a reasonable and effective counterargument. In addition, you might surprisingly find something you can actually agree upon.

In the past, the Times regularly ran columns by writers like Charles Krauthammer and George Will. I haven't seen much of them lately, and I miss them. They made me think.

Michael Ross, St. Petersburg

Florida's new tests deserve 'F' | Sept. 3, editorial

Faulty logic on tests

When experts at Alpine Testing Solutions conducted a study of Florida's new computerized tests, they "found problems in just about every aspect," but said the state could still use them. They were paid $600,000 for this.

Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart calls that "welcome news." It appears that the attitude behind those comments is, "What the heck, it's just kids — let's move on."

When expert engineers test a new bridge construction and find "problems in just about every aspect," would they say go ahead and use it? Would you drive your car on it?

Mortimer Brown, Lutz

Aisles of emptiness | Aug. 30

Fight the blight

Thanks to Justine Griffin for her excellent article analyzing the reasons for many former Sweetbay Supermarkets remaining unoccupied 2½ years after closing. It is disturbing that a major chain such as Winn-Dixie would refuse to allow these former supermarkets to be leased or sold to other supermarket operators out of a fear of competition, and also not give consideration to the negative effects of this on nearby neighborhoods. As the article points out, it is not just the former supermarket space that remains empty but also much of the adjacent commercial space.

In my case, I live only a few blocks from a shopping center that lost its Sweetbay. It then lost its drugstore, gas station, cleaners and several other small businesses. Now the shopping center stands mainly empty and boarded-up, a blight on the surrounding neighborhoods.

Hopefully our city leaders will give increased attention to this issue. We residents are eager to help.

Will Michaels, St. Petersburg