HAPPY

NEW YEAR

2007 ?

Hopefully you all had enjoyable holidays, despite all the complicated problems Florida ’s citizens experienced in 2006. And there is no doubt, we do need 2007 to be a better year than 2006, if we don't want to see many families lose their homes. 

The year 2006 clearly showed that “the foxes have been guarding the henhouse” in Tallahassee , causing Florida 's consumers to suffer serious financial hardships. And these hardships weren’t caused by international or national problems, as some spin-doctors would have you believe.  These overwhelming hardships were created in Tallahassee by our elected officials who are obviously more interested in serving special interests than in protecting the welfare of their constituents!  

So, in November we voted for a new Florida Cabinet and quite a few new legislators -- and can only hope that we didn't fall again for election fairy tales:

We can only hope that we didn't fall for fairy tales again. 

Did we elect legislators who will keep their election promises?  If not, we will see our economy going down the drain and many of us unable to meet the financial challenges!

2006 created for many of us severe financial problems, caused by three major factors:

• PROPERTY INSURANCE 
• PROPERTY TAXES
• SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS FROM HOMEOWNERS' ASSOCIATIONS + CONDO ASSOCIATIONS

THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE - REALLY FAST!

2007

PROPERTY INSURANCE: Do you still believe that the insurance industry is willing to come up with feasible plans to create affordable premiums for property owners?  You may recognize this deliberately offensive pattern:  Insurance companies demand that we pay exorbitant premiums, while they smugly record huge profits.  Then when we file a legitimate claim, the claim is denied or our coverage is cancelled!    Florida consumers cannot afford “insurance” that makes the insurance companies rich while we go broke!  If the insurance industry doesn't offer practical solutions, we have to create our own -- without the insurance industry. Desperate times call for desperate measures!

PROPERTY TAXES: Do you foresee a future where ALL OF US can pay reasonable property taxes?  We need to create a system that will allow us to move into a smaller and less expensive home without getting punished by higher taxes.  We also need a system that will encourage even the “snowbirds” to return here every winter!  When everybody pays into the big pot, our economy will thrive.  To develop a fairer property tax system our local government entities must get back down to earth.  Stop wasting our tax dollars! 

SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS FROM HOMEOWNERS' + CONDO ASSOCIATIONS:

Do you notice the trend in associations to levy more and more special assessments?  We can no longer afford to allow our money to be wasted by boards that lack the knowledge to make the right financial decisions.  Some prime examples of how boards waste our money:  By filing frivolous lawsuits that cost our association members millions of dollars; by lack of enforcement of the statutes and rules; and by total absence of accountability of the people in charge.  We need a system that will guarantee owners more say in the management of their communities, more say in how their money is being spent -- and a government agency that will do more than provide lip-service when it comes to enforcement! 

AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) and LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) -- two of the biggest consumer advocacy groups -- have realized that association reform is desperately needed to protect the welfare of our citizens and their families. The AARP published the AARP Bill of Homeowners’ Rights -- A SAMPLE MODEL STATUTE -- that encourages legislators from all over the nation to consider the various proposals to meet those goals.  Bill proposals that improve Florida ’s existing statutes are in the final stages of preparation for the 2007 legislative session.

Florida 's legislators must realize that consumers need reforms on all three issues. 

Only when successful efforts are made to reform these three serious problems will Florida 's citizens have a 

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2007!