(This story appeared in Saturday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution and can be found here: http://www.ajc.com/... )
State Rep. Bill Hembree, a Republican of Winston, who is an insurance agent, has proposed a bill giving insurance companies in Georgia the authority to raise automobile insurance rates. Let me repeat that, an insurance agent, who is a member of the state government, wants to make it easier to raise insurance rates.
Hembree and his allies in the state government, some of whow, like Rich Golick of Smyrna who is a counsel to an insurance company, also have interests in the auto insurance industry, argue that this will somehow bring more competition to Georgia and lower rates for consumers.
More over the flip...
Please take a moment to stop laughing hysterically...
How stupid does Hembree think we are? Why would a businessperson want to create a business environment that would invite more competition to their firm, resulting in lower rates, driving down their own profits. The answer is: they wouldn't.
Even State Insurance (and Fire) Commissioner John Oxendine, who, like Hembree and Golick, is a Republican, can see through this rouse:
"You have something that is mandatory for people to have (car insurance) and they could charge whatever they want."
Please take a moment to contact your state legislators, even if they are next to useless, and write some letters to the editor. This is bullshit.
EDITTED: Link fixed.