Caveat Homeowner


Demonstrating the same mix of ignorance and arrogance that defines Team Bush's style of governance, Allstate can't even be bothered with trifles like inspecting property to determine whether or not it's been abandoned before they decide to pull the plug on homeowner policies.

I deliberately draw the parallel between the two--Allstate, and, for that matter, most other insurance companies--and yer modern GOP...Team Bush might be the burning torch that lights the path, but greed, mendacity, and for that matter plenty of good old fashioned stupid reside throughout the cabal (e.g., Tex Sensenbrenner's bankruptcy bill).

To them, Screw You Lane is a One-Way Street:


And that's one thing that I find so frustrating, and even baffling, when it comes to the viciousness with which some (thankfully, not all) Americans have evinced towards New Orleans. Aside from the maddening irony of penury (h/t Ashley Morris) towards their fellow citizens while they acquiesce in the burning of bonfires of money overseas (with ZERO chance of success), it seems as if these so-called Americans (a number of whom are also so-called Christians) are perfectly comfortable with a system awards what amounts to a certainly a breach of trust, if not an actual breach of contract.

For the record, I've got personal experience with this sort of fuck-you attitude from insurers...not my homeowners policy (yet), but from a health care plan I had back at another job. Short version: they denied a claim. I jumped through about a billion hoops without success in getting them to reverse this, so I gave up...whereupon they retroactively denied EVERY claim I'd ever made...

This was long after I'd changed employers, health plans, etc. Following up on this was like having to work a second job. About the only upside to it all was that the dollar amount, while not insubstantial, also didn't break me financially...unlike, say, a situation involving what for most people is THE major investment of their life.

But insurance companies do this--and get away with it--in no small part because they assume, often with justification, that they will have the benefit of the doubt: the government is essentially in their pocket...and these days, there's a whole horde of rock-throwers who can hardly wait until Sunday church services are over before cranking up the noise machine. But you can bet they'll be hollering even louder when their time comes...and it WILL come.

Meanwhile--oh, even Red Stick isn't immune from Allstate's decision to release Barabbas and wish us all a nice Passover:

In January, Allstate Insurance Co., as sponsor of the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, stood on the field of the Superdome and told America about its desire to help rebuild Louisiana.

Policyholders, watch your mail — your notice of nonrenewal may be coming. Mine did!

As a longtime policyholder, I was surprised when I recently inquired about a new policy and was told by my agent (a close personal friend who is placed in a very awkward position) that he could not write any new policies in East Baton Rouge Parish.

Then, as I opened my mail a couple of weeks later, I received a “Notice of Non-Renewal” on an existing policy which I have had for several years (without a claim).

Well, I, for one, believe that insurers should do business in all of the state, or none of it. They are supposedly in the business of spreading risk. Instead, seems like they want to pick the places where there is little risk, and stay out of the places where there is exposure (I didn’t know Baton Rouge WAS that risky).

Sounds like a recipe for pure profit — good work if you can get it!

“Good Hands”? I seem to have gotten only one finger.