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I have always been an advocate for working to get homeowners insurance lower in Broward County and Florida. I think that there has been good discussion between governor Crist and local residents of Broward County that have been submitted from right here in Sunny south Florida’s Sun Sentinel. Recently, readers were asked to submit questions as to what bothers them about homeowners insurance and our own didn’t shy away from the tough questions. Here is what you asked him about homeowners insurance and property taxes and what his answers were.  Here are some tough questions that real Floridians asked him and his answers.

Property taxes

Q. Why would we treat our financial situation in Florida government any different than what we do with our own household? If I do not have enough money to purchase what I need or want ... I cut back spending in other areas and prioritize the essentials. This basic concept needs to apply with government spending as well. Let's not raise taxes, nor increase Homestead Exemption or even the Save Our Homes.

-- Todd McDaniel, Coconut Creek

A. State government is required to do that by the constitution of Florida, but the concern I have is that local governments need to have a little more financial discipline, just like Florida families. I also believe we need to reduce property taxes, and I think we need to do it significantly, and I'm confident the Legislature will present a plan to the voters of Florida to do just that.

Q. Do you approve a sales tax increase to 8.5 percent to remove property taxes? I think it is very unfair to the poor and middle class.

-- Sharyn Parker, Lauderhill

A. I'm not throwing water on any idea. It is the job of the Legislature, along with me, to come up with ideas as to how to address this problem. Within the next couple of weeks, we will have a plan to put before the people of Florida ... to give them significant relief.

Property Insurance

Q. I just received my new homeowners insurance bill and it doubled. My wife and I are new parents and are keeping our child in daycare for almost $1,000 a month. What happened to our savings? I do not want to sell my house and move from the state. What are we supposed to do?

-- Steven Platkin, Boca Raton

A. What the Legislature did in January gave us the great first start to turning around what has been a practice for years around here. It always had been the mindset that in order to improve the insurance market for Floridians you had to let the companies raise their rates so more would come here. Well, thank goodness the Legislature turned that debate on its head and said, no more, not in Florida, our people's rates have gone through the roof, that's not an option for us. I'm trying to do everything I can to strengthen what is the people's insurance company [Citizens].

Q. Why don't you just tell insurance companies that write homeowners [policies] that they cannot sell other insurance such as auto unless they write homeowners insurance in Florida? Maybe the Geico Gecko could handle homeowners.

-- Mitchell Cohen, Jupiter

A. The cherry picking is an issue that concerns me, and it concerned me during the campaign. The cautionary note I would send here is there are companies who may have never written property insurance and only wrote auto coverage. I'm not talking about them. I don't think it's fair to make them do business they've never done before. But if they've done all lines, they've done property, they've done auto, they ought to offer whatever they offer in other states to Floridians. Why not?

Affordable housing

Q. I am 27 years of age, work a 40 hour/week job, college educated and unmarried without children and somehow I am unable to buy a home. I don't necessarily want to be married any time soon. However, it seems I might have to for the second income to buy a house. Will I have to relocate in order to afford housing?

-- Melissa Lawres, Dania Beach

A. We're going to make housing affordable by pushing down the property insurance you have to pay for that home and continue to push down the property taxes you have to pay. So, on two enormous fronts, the affordability of a home will expand greatly in our state.

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