Declarations

A Tremendous Asset

“John Wortman has been a tremendous asset to Louisiana during our recovery from the catastrophic hurricanes of 2005. He came to Citizens in a time of great turmoil within the organization and worked tirelessly to set Citizens on a course for future efficiency and professionalism. I am grateful to him for his extraordinary contributions and I wish him well in his much deserved retirement.”

—Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon praised the work of John Wortman, CEO of Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the state’s property insurance of last resort, who has announced plans to retire. Wortman came on as the CEO of Citizens in April 2007 in the wake of financial and administrative problems following the upheaval in the Louisiana property insurance market brought on by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. He has been instrumental in stabilizing Citizens and reducing the number of policies it holds from around 170,000 to approximately 127,000.

Money and Influence

“I have not requested that anyone violate any of the rules. I have never made the suggestion that a contribution would influence me.”

—Kent Eldridge, the presiding judge of the Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Court. Eldridge has been criticized for retaining his post while running for a job as an Oklahoma County district judge. Eldridge and his legal adviser say he’s not required to resign. Critics say Eldridge’s campaign has created an unseemly atmosphere at the workers’ comp court. They claim attorneys who represent both employers and injured workers are being pressured by other lawyers to give to his campaign. Eldridge said he has instructed his campaign chairman and treasurer not to tell him who his contributors are because he can’t be influenced by contributors when he doesn’t know their identities. AP

Seeking Financial Soundness

“The hurricane season runs two months beyond the NFIP’s new Sept. 30 expiration date. …Congress must not let the program lapse again. …The best thing they can do is take this time to pass legislation that would implement common sense reforms and help the NFIP make the first steps toward financial soundness.”

—Jimi Grande, National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies senior vice president of federal and political affairs, comments on Congress’s temporary reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program through Sept. 30. The reauthorization is retroactive to June 1. Since the extension is retroactive, any new policy applications or renewals that were signed and submitted during the hiatus will be effective from the date of application or, in the case of waiting periods, the waiting period will start from the date of application.