Posted On: May 12, 2005, 2:50 pm CDT

Posted By: Kenneth Shearer

While I abhor those actually-committed acts of impropriety by certain insurance brokers and companies, Mr. Csiszar's criticism of Mr. Spitzer is right on target and timely. Like his choice of words or not, Mr. Csiszar was correct to voice the feelings of much of our industry about Spitzer's actions and I appreciate his stepping forward and doing it. Spitzer has in effect indicted the entire industry for a few acts of a few people. Spitzer has threatened various companies in the industry to the point that the dread the prospect of his pointed investigations. Insurance regulators, always "thin-skinned" about their regulative effectiveness, and insurance company executives, have knuckled under to Spitzer innuendo. Whatever his ambitions, Spitzer's prosecution by public attack through the media is without objectivity and produces no benefit to the public and unfairly does immense damage to the insurance industry for no purpose except Spitzer's own designs. Its time for companies and regulators alike to tell Sptizer and others to "show me what is illegal" before we disrupt the entire industry.
Ken S.