NC Campaign 2012: things getting a little testy in the insurance commissioner race
I never imagined that we’d be dealing with mud-slinging and controversy in the race for NC Insurance Commissioner.
Right out of the general election starting gate, incumbent Democrat Wayne Goodwin is firing off campaign finance complaints against his GOP challenger Mike Causey. Current polling shows Goodwin with a 40-36 lead over Causey, with 24 percent undecided. So, one can see the need for Goodwin to play some hard-nosed defense.
Instead of nitpicking over campaign finance laws — which can be as overwhelming as the tax code, and DO change regularly — why aren’t we talking about real issues that affect everyday, average North Carolinians? Perhaps Mr. Goodwin knows he will sink deeper into hot water by doing so.
North Carolina places strict limits on which insurance providers can do business in North Carolina, as well as on what services they can provide. Blue Cross Blue Shield controls 80-90 percent of the individual market in the state. Where is the incentive for them to offer competitive pricing? (They just announced a hefty premium increase for 2013, by the way.)
I was just talking with my auto insurance provider the other day — trying to get see if I can save a little on my premiums. My provider told me that a lot of states allow them to offer discounts to in-state customers. North Carolina DOES NOT. Why would state government, specifically DOI, not approve opportunities for drivers to save money?
Mike Causey made an interesting point when I interviewed him recently. He said a small group of companies get together and set pricing for the rest of us. Causey says one of the best ways to improve the insurance business in the state — for consumers — is to crack open the state market to all lawful, credible comers. Anyone who has had an economics class or two knows that greater competition reaps all kinds of price and customer service benefits for customers.
It appears that HE who has the best lobbyists and doles out the biggest campaign contributions WINS in Raleigh. It’s not right for someone like Blue Cross to be able to overwhelmingly dominate the state’s market in a restricted, closed system. It’s not right for a few politically connected insurance providers to be able to set rules that benefit themselves at the expense of their competitors — and the state’s consumers.
Campaign report complaints are a distraction to get us to take our eye off the ball. THIS stuff is what we really need to be talking about between NOW and November.
Thanks for your interest in the truth about the corruption and injustice at the NCDOI. What our group is currently doing is getting the word out about the corruption and injustice that exist at the NCDOI. We are fighting to see that you will never have experience what some of our members have had to go through at the hands the current administration at the NCDOI.
We know that we are not the only ones out there that have experienced these injustices from an administration that not only gives you your license to conduct business but has the ability to yank your license and bring unjust charges against you. Our problem with the NCDOI Investigators is they possess the unrestrained abiliity to promote their own agenda while ignoring existing laws, and the persecuted victims of the NCDOI Investigators have no recourse against these unjust criminal acts perpetrated by these Investigators. When an NCDOI Investigator can get up on the stand and perjure himself in attempt to get a conviction; then, this criminal act is brought to the attention of his supervisors and they refuse to even investigate this criminal act, there is a problem with the NCDOI Administration. Criminal acts are being perpetrated by the law enforcement arm of the NCDOI and there is no recourse within the NCDOI Administration for justice to be administered as the system now stands. Anyone having a complaint about crimes committed by employees of the NCDOI should have their complaints addressed as seriously as person who makes a complaint against a bondsman. Unfortunately, that is not happening with this administration.
Bondsmen feel intimidated and (as you will see in uncoming newsletters) threatened by these all-powerful unrestrainted Investigators if the bondsman try to stand up against the NCDOI and speak out for the cause of justice. We are hear to let these individuals know that they don’t have to take these abuses anymore. We are offering a platform to openly or anonymously let theirselves be heard. We will be asking all of our members to let their voices be heard. Listen to the upcoming newsletters and know that if you stay quiet about abuses by these NCDOI Investigators, you could be the next victim of the NCDOI heavy handed tactics.
We now have months worth of newsletters coming down the pipeline about abuses at the NCDOI that are being ignored and seemingly covered-up by the administration. We want to hear your stories too. Let us know if you have been a victim. If you know someone who have been a victim, pass this information on to them or forward the newsletters to them and all of the people in your contact list. Don’t forget… YOU COULD BE THE NEXT VICTIM OF THE NCDOI INVESTIGATORS.
Thank you for your support and interest.
Victims of NCDOI
PS : November elections are coming. You can vote the crooks out of office and get someone who will clean up the NCDOI.
Mike Causey is entertaining the idea of changing the way the rating system works. I am not versed in the details but it is a conversation he is trying to start and we should educate ourselves. What I find fascinating about Comm. Goodwin’s accusations which may or may not be true is that Mr. Causey has raised $14k and he has raised much more.
goodwin is about to be found out and it couldnt be at a better time. His Republican challenger should have easy pickings by november. He has shown he cannot be trusted to do the right things in office. He is hurting the business climate in NC and costing the taxpayers loads of money for his ineptitude. Even democrats cannot tolerate the racial discrimination, shady dealings with lobbyists and hosing of the consumer. This usually quiet noninteresting race has Hundreds of people goodwin has doublecrossed and alienated working to defeat him. it will be done.