inmates running the Asylum ?

Well this is Stupid. Someone is willing to buy a home in our great state and they have to pay more than the Florida resident who lives next door? Dumb. Very Dumb.

House plan would charge some homeowners more for insurance

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- March 17, 2006 -- House lawmakers followed their Senate colleagues Thursday in approving a plan to charge owners of vacation and second homes more for hurricane coverage from the state's insurer of last resort.



The House

Insurance Committee plan would also charge all Florida homeowners 3 percent more on their policies to help pay off the debts of Citizens Property Insurance Corp., which is burdened with claims from two destructive hurricane seasons in a row.



The committee voted to charge second and vacation homeowners who are insured by Citizens up to twice as much as year-round Floridians will pay, said Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, the panel's chairman.



''As legislators our choice should be, in terms of priorities, to the residents who are permanently here,'' Ross said.



Under state law, Citizens can assess a surcharge on all Florida homeowners regardless of their insurance company to make up any of its deficits. The agency has already assessed $515 million in losses from 2004 hurricanes, and another $1.4 billion assessment is expected for last year's storm season.



''What we've got to accept is that consumers are going to have to pay higher rates for insurance,'' whether they're covered privately or by the state, Ross said.



The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee took similar action Wednesday by approving a proposal by its chair, Sen. Rudy Garcia, R-Hialeah, to slap a 25 percent surcharge on Citizens policies for second and vacation homes.