Senator Lott should just pull on his bootstraps

[Jim]

Gotta love this. Want some cheese with that whine.

 

Senator now just an upset homeowner

 

It's a battle of titans. Mississippi Republican Senator Trent Lott is suing State Farm insurance to get them to pay for his hurricane-damaged home.

 

Hurricane Katrina leveled Lott's 154-year-old waterfront home in Pascagoula, Mississippi, last August. The insurance giant says the storm surge destroyed the home, and since Lott didn't have flood insurance, he isn't entitled to a big payout.

 

The house was worth $750,000. Lott got on the Senate floor in December, pounded his fist and said homeowners along the Gulf Coast are fed up, warning that insurance companies better do the right thing or there will be "hell to pay..."

 

One of Lott's more colorful neighbors, Pete Floyd, is still finding some of Lott's personal effects in debris strewn throughout the neighborhood, including a Christmas photo of Lott and a silver plate Lott's daughter received as a wedding present. Floyd paid about $300 a year for flood insurance and received $130,000 dollars from his insurance company.

 

We chased after both parties for interviews, but Lott's office says he isn't talking about this "personal" issue. State Farm isn't talking either, saying it is a matter of "litigation." In court filings, State Farm says precedent is on their side.

 

It's a familiar scene being played out in courtrooms across the Gulf Coast.

[foraker]

Banks and insurance companies, they're all your best friend when you're making payments. They're the spawn of Satan though when you want anything.

[underworld]

Banks, insurance companies and women, they're all your best friend when you're making payments. They're the spawn of Satan though when you want anything.

[Jim]

Thing is - he didn't have any flood insurance while living in a mapped V Zone - tidal flooding area, which would have cost a whopping $500 a year or so. Oh well.

[JayB]

What's worse is that if this precedent were to be overturned, any insurance companies were forced to pay claims for damages on uncovered properties - the net result would be that most insurers would pull out of the market, people in Mississippi that could get insurance would be forced to pay more - and in the short-term cluster, the absence of insurance coverage would surely hold up a significant amount of reconstruction and delay the recovery/rebuilding efforts. No ticky, no laundry.

[Dechristo]

Lott's a victim. He's been trained by our culture to believe congressmen get money for nothin' and chics for free.

[Jim]

Agreed. The biggest problem is that the southeast US has very little land use planning regulations. So folks are just allowed to build in susceptible places. Good idea to place floating casinos there eh? Flood insurance is a whole different animal, generally only available through the feds (with some expensive exceptions). Lott chose not to pay it - too bad, so sad.

[catbirdseat]

Agreed. The biggest problem is that the southeast US has very little land use planning regulations. So folks are just allowed to build in susceptible places. Good idea to place floating casinos there eh?

As long as the feds continue to bail them out, land use regs will remain as they are.

[Dechristo]

I believe it was the individual states that bailed-out the casinos. They make mucho money from 'em.

[foraker]

C'mon. He's just exercising that ethos of 'personal responsibility' that the right is always making such a big stink about. He's going to be personally responsible for making sure he gets paid, whether he deserves it or not, and who the fcuk cares if anyone else does? I mean, if you're a senator and you can wield the big stick, what's the point?

[Dechristo]

naw, it's the ethos of the big government, big corporation NeoCon.

His personal sense of justice demands that one hand wash the other (his).

[meadlx200]

As a native of Mississippi, I have watched Lott play the Washington game and screw everyone else for years. I bet he thought nature would not dare challenge him or his property--for Pete's sake he's stupor senator Trent shielded by his atomic hairpiece.

[ScottP]

Question:

Who's stupid enough to own water front property worth 3/4 million dollars in a hurricane region and not pay for flood insurance?

Answer:

[billcoe]

Nice summation ScottP.

 

I've wondered about something similar. My house is amost 100 years old.

 

I do not own Earthquake insurance which is almost $2000 a year. You probably know the story of earthquakes in the NW. Basically, geologic evidence suggests that we are due for a major massive earthquake which will make the SF 1906 quake seem like a small childs rattle toy moving in the next room.

 

If it comes, and it MIGHT..........well, some of us are hanging it wayyyyyy out there.

[Gary_Yngve]

Lott's probably not even that screwed. He's loaded, and I bet there are tax loopholes where he could writeoff the loss of his house.

 

He's a spoiled brat, and I wish the American people would see him for who he is.

[ZimZam]

Question:

Who's stupid enough to own water front property worth 3/4 million dollars in a hurricane region and not pay for flood insurance?

Answer: The same racist who supported Jim Crow & Dixiecrats. the redneck

[ScottP]