A.G. Gancarski
Ron DeSantis continues to hone his messaging on property insurance, climate change, and the culture war, and the three topics became one mass on the campaign trail Saturday.
The Governor told Iowans Saturday that environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) was to blame for high insurance costs.
“I think you have a lot of movement to things like ESG and climate change and stuff which is causing these policies to be more expensive, which I don’t think is a legitimate way to do it,” the 2024 presidential candidate said.
“But I think I’m concerned about this ESG, I’m concerned about them trying to say climate change and everything because that’s going to make some of these things very, very expensive if they’re pricing in all these things that very well may not happen. And that’s new from where we were 20 or 30 years ago.”
DeSantis made the comments at a town hall event in Johnston.
DeSantis has found ESG to be a durable topic. He’s promised to “protect meat” from it, and has promised as a candidate to “kneecap” ESG and social credit scores. However, this is the first time he’s wrapped it into insurance.
Interestingly, his position on climate change has been flexible over the years. Depending on the day and audience, he admits it exists and that humans cause it or kvetches about “politicizing the weather.”
The Governor’s comments come just days after the U.S. Senate Budget Committee began a probe of Citizens Property Insurance and its ability to handle underwriting losses, including the question as to whether the state insurer might need a federal bailout.
DeSantis hasn’t suffered much political blowback from challenges in the insurance market, at least from his own party. A recent poll from the University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab shows just 3% of Republicans primarily blame the Governor, though Democrats and independents are more likely to blame him.
That said, insurance has been a major issue for Floridians’ pocketbooks. A Cygnal survey last month showed 91% of voters are “concerned” about higher rates, with just 0.5% of all respondents saying their rates have decreased in the last year.
Though it hasn’t hurt him with his in-state base, Florida’s insurance market has been an issue nationally, as former President Donald Trump has made a campaign issue of Florida’s troubled insurance sector.
23 comments
Elmo
December 16, 2023 at 8:45 pm
Pass the buck Ron.
Earl Pitts "Sage Expert on Cheating the Devil" American
December 17, 2023 at 9:56 am
Good Morn ‘Ting Dook 4 Brains Lefty’s,
You are all wrong and suffer from mental illness. You all know it but The Devil is in control of your simpleton child-like brains.
BUT HERE’S GREAT NEWS:
You Lefty’s can all be usefull to me, Earl Pitts American. I’ve arainged for all voting places in America to be surrounded by new electronic “Devil Sheilds” *patent pending* what these sheilds will do is prevent the Devil from seeing you leftys doing what you know is right …. which of course is voting for DeSantis.
So relax your sphincters Dook 4 Brains Lefty’s I, Earl Pitts American, have made a way for you to “Do The Right Thing” without getting caught and punished by the Devil.
Thank you Dook 4 Brains Lefty’s our Great Nation has removed all obsticals which may have prevented you from voting for DeSantis.
EPA
Joe The Plumber
December 17, 2023 at 10:10 am
Thats great Earl
These electronic Devil blocker devices will save our great nation.
Thanks,
Joe
rick whitaker
December 17, 2023 at 3:19 pm
CAUTION ⚠ TROLL COMMENT FROM A FAKE EARL SHITTS POST
rick whitaker
December 17, 2023 at 3:20 pm
WARNING ⚠ TROLL COMMENT BY EARL SPHINCTER
Marvin M.
December 16, 2023 at 9:10 pm
Apparently with this one it’s always the fault of three letters.
BLM
CRT
DEI
now it’s ESG
Reducing a concept to three letters might be catchy, but it doesn’t even begin to address or solve the problem.
It also helps keep people ignorant of the problem, but, that’s exactly what DeSantis wants. He does not want any of you to have any knowledge of the actual issue. Just wants you to react negatively to “CRT” or “DEI” and now “ESG”.
Gotta hand it to him for using the propaganda, I guess.(?)
Rick Whitaker
December 16, 2023 at 9:26 pm
marvin m., i noticed the same thing you did. the first time i saw dei i looked it up and couldn’t believe anyone would be against those 3 concepts. but then we are talking about the white christian nationalist ron desantis, so it makes sense. i agree he uses it as a propaganda tool. another one of his favorites is the 4-letter word woke. to me it means, i care. so now i tell everyone that i am very woke. desantis, what an ass. that 3-letter word fits him well.
Beverly J Webb
December 19, 2023 at 5:44 am
What does ESG stand for?
Michael K
December 16, 2023 at 10:07 pm
Hey Ron: My Blackrockmanaged ESG retirement funds have out-performed every other investment. You don’t know what you are talking about.
My auto and homeowner insurance continues to rise because you are in the pocket of insurers. I’ve never had an accident or a claim, but see double-digit increases. And you are worried about drag queens. Wake up.
Rude Eye
December 17, 2023 at 8:55 am
“WOKE UP”
Sonja Fitch
December 17, 2023 at 4:42 am
Desantis has been told repeatedly the causes! Desantis does not give a damn ! Desantis lies and lies. Desantis is going to bankrupt the state Citizens plan! Why? Cause there ain’t enough funding in plan! I want to laugh! But I now have two
homeowner plans! Get out Desantis!
risk is real
December 17, 2023 at 7:05 am
Property insurance costs increase based upon risk. Since Florida is often hit by tropical cyclones, it is risky to write insurance for Florida properties, duh. Some experts opined that climate change has increased cyclone intensity and frequency. Floridians who live in coastal and wetland areas are especially vulnerable to property damage. Yet, Florida’s “leadership” has accelerated building in these areas, despite the higher risk. So, Rona just needs to wake up to the basics of risk, rates and insurance and stop trying to blame “woke” corporations for rising insurance costs. By the way, if the quotes are accurate, Rona needs to learn about grammar too. His quotes are nonsensical.
Ocean Joe
December 17, 2023 at 7:26 am
Denialism carries a much heavier price.
Abram Nicholson
December 17, 2023 at 8:57 am
DeSantis is a lying piece of dangerous garbage responsible for the fact that Florida has the third highest death rate from Covid 19 in the US. His policies and mouth are the cause.
DeSantis sucks
December 17, 2023 at 9:33 am
Yea Ron, Keep passing the buck, wasn’t it 20 million that the insurance industry gave you for your campaign! Your insurance Commissioner must be lining his pocket, as he hasn’t done a dam thing
Tom
December 17, 2023 at 10:13 am
I wonder why poor governance or corporate greed is never the problem? Occam’s razor is an actual thing but not in rhonda’s worldview I guess. Everything to him is just culture wars. He’s just another useless politician.
Earl Pitts "Sage Expert on Political Matters" American
December 17, 2023 at 1:35 pm
America, try to remember Rick is one of us, a fine Patriot, on infiltration assignment deep in the land of The Dook 4 Brains Leftys.
Rick has to foment terroist retoric or the Evil Dook 4 Brains Leftys will take him hostage and gang his sphincter in their underground lairs.
Keep up the good work Rick we are all proud of you.
EPA
rick whitaker
December 17, 2023 at 2:24 pm
WARNING ⚠ TROLL COMMENT BY EARL SPHINCTER
Earl Pitts "Sage Expert on Political Matters" American
December 17, 2023 at 6:11 pm
Thank you for your service Rick.
EPA
Anthony Dixon
December 18, 2023 at 3:58 pm
Your ignorance is astounding and perfectly highlights Florida’s disinvestment in public education over the past few decades.
Lee Roller
December 17, 2023 at 10:44 pm
That is such transparent bullflop that it isn’t worth the effort to refute.
He might as well blame it on bad karma for all the veracity this drivel holds
Joe
December 18, 2023 at 1:15 pm
He’s wrong and/or lying. Take your pick, incompetence or malice, it all ends up the same for the poor saps who have to live with Tiny D as their governor.
Anthony Dixon
December 18, 2023 at 3:55 pm
Hey Ronny Boy, how is home insurance thousands of dollars less in “liberal shithole cities” where ESG and ‘wokeness’ thrive.
Stop trying to pass blame and take responsibility for your inaction to save Florida homeowners.
Comments are closed.