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Marco Rubio on Environment
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State-run insurance carriers mean more taxpayer subsidies.
A series of devastating storms in Florida over the last few years had nearly wiped out the private property insurance market in the state, and a few companies that were still offering property insurance were charging exorbitant rates.
It was the biggest political issue in Florida .Just weeks after I was sworn in as speaker, the new governor, Charlie Crist, [offered] a purely political remedy. He wanted to go to war with the insurance companies.
He wanted to give the state-run insurance carrier the authority to compete in the private insurance market. But if the public carrier was unable to pay claims after another devastating storm or series of storms, taxpayers would have to cover the
shortfall.We tried to modify the bill with some small successes. We limited the public carrier's ability to expand, and got everyone to agree that the measure would be temporary.
Source: An American Son, by Marco Rubio, p.147-148
, Jun 19, 2012
Partner with private companies for transportation system
Keep Florida Moving...Forward- Improving Florida's Roadways through Private Sector Involvement
- Partner with private companies to build a model transportation system.
- Lease existing toll roads to private companies.
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Privatize the Division of Drivers' Licenses
- Allow private companies to operate the Division of Drivers' Licenses
- Offer multiple-year vehicle registrations
Source: 100 Innovative Ideas for Florida's Future by Marco Rubio
, Nov 1, 2006
Hurricane Savings Accounts for homeowners' insurance
Affordable Homeowners' Insurance for Florida- Increase funding of home inspections and grants to upgrade homes to better withstand hurricanes by creating a recurring source of funding
- Ensure all insurance companies provide discounts to homeowner
engaging in hurricane mitigation
- Adopt a uniform statewide building code
- Allow the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund to give companies the option to buy more reinsurance and charge near-market rates
- Allow homeowners policies with higher
hurricane deductibles
- Permit policyholders to reduce their hurricane deductible if they implement verifiable mitigation measures
- Ensure that insurance companies expedite payments for damages and consider expanding the short-term, no-interest bridge
loan program
- Advocate for the federal government to establish a Federal Natural Catastrophe Reinsurance Fund, allow insurers to accumulate tax-deferred reserves for catastrophes, and create "Hurricane Savings Accounts"
Source: 100 Innovative Ideas for Florida's Future by Marco Rubio
, Nov 1, 2006
Utilize toll revenues to widen & improve expressways
For many years, Florida has leveraged toll facilities including Florida's Turnpike, Miami-Dade County Expressways, Orlando-Orange County Expressways, and Tampa-Hillsborough County
Expressways, utilizing toll revenues to widen and improve these expressways and to build new expressways. The toll rates, while not at market rates, have been increased periodically to help fund these improvements.
Florida has numerous un-leveraged toll facilities that currently have comparatively low toll rates. These include Sunshine Skyway and Alligator Alley, both part of the interstate system.
Florida should examine its existing toll practices and policies and explore opportunities for privatizing roads to help fund needed transportation improvements.
Source: 100 Innovative Ideas, by Marco Rubio, p. 81-82
, Nov 1, 2006
Increase funding for making homes hurricane-resistant
Safe construction is the best way to protect homes from hurricanes. Ensuring safe construction would require repairing many older homes. This would create large up-front costs ranging from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, but would result in
long-term payoffs. If homes could incur only minimal to moderate damage in hurricanes as opposed to total destruction, insurance payouts would significantly decrease, thus reducing premiums, allowing more companies to enter the market, creating
competition, and lowering prices. In 2006, the Legislature appropriated $250 million for home inspections and grants to make homes hurricane-ready. On the program's first day, over 30,000 people called to inquire if they were eligible. Florida should
increase funding of home inspections and grants to upgrade homes to better withstand hurricanes by creating a recurring source of funding. Hurricane-ready homes would further drive down insurance prices and ensure greater preparedness for future storms.
Source: 100 Innovative Ideas, by Marco Rubio, p. 90
, Nov 1, 2006
Rated 20% by HSLF, indicating an anti-animal welfare voting record.
Rubio scores 20% by the Humane Society on animal rights issues
112th Mid-Term Humane Scorecard: The Humane Society Legislative Fund has posted the final version of the 2011 Humane Scorecard, where you can track the performance of your federal lawmakers on key animal protection issues during last year. We rated legislators based on their voting behavior on measures such as agribusiness subsidies, lethal predator control, and the Endangered Species Act; their cosponsorship of priority bills on puppy mills, horse slaughter, animal fighting, and chimps in research; their support for funding the enforcement of animal welfare laws; and their leadership on animal protection.
All of the priority bills whose cosponsorships we're counting enjoy strong bipartisan support; in the House, each of the four now has more than 150 cosponsors.
The Humane Scorecard is not a perfect measuring tool, but creating some reasonable yardstick and allowing citizens to hold lawmakers accountable is central to our work. When the Humane Scorecard comes out each year, it helps clarify how the animal protection movement is doing geographically, by party affiliation, and in other categories. It helps us chart our course for animals by seeing where we have been effective, and where we need to improve.
Source: HSLF website 12-HumaneS on Jan 13, 2012
Page last updated: Apr 22, 2013
