Why is the government in the business of providing insurance in the first place? If private insurance companies say we won't insure you because the risk is too high, why should the taxpayers foot the bill? Many TWIA properties are not average people's primary homes but rich people's second (or third) home or homes held as commercial investments by out of state corporations and individuals.

TWIA, like the NFIP, is just a big taxpayer ripp-off from the get go.

What is so ironic that the NFIP and FAIR plans (TWIA is a type of FAIR plan) were originally passed into law in the '60s as part of the Housing and Urban Development Act which was supposed to bring insurance to poor racial minority urbanites when inner cites couldn't get insurance because of race riots! What a pervision of a government program's original intent.

The following is the complete statement provided to Texas Watchdog by Jim Oliver of TWIA:

Hurricane Ike was a unique and significant hurricane that caused tremendous

damage to the Texas coast. The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association has

worked diligently since the storm to ensure that our policyholders were paid

to the fullest extent based on the terms of their policies.

We have also been very mindful of the responsibility we have to the State of

Texas to be careful stewards of monies available to TWIA to pay claims. To

that end, we have been extremely careful every step of the way to handle

legal disputes fairly, but strategically, for the benefit of all Texans whom we serve.

Because, MM, in years with no catstrophic events, insurance is EXTREMELY profitable; the fact that management at TWIA spent a dime trying to save a penny does not reflect on the fact that they are inddeed in the right business. It reflects, rather, on their inability to mange with any certitude

as a former executive with a large public service company and the recognized founder of the legal auditing industry 26 years ago it always amazes me the some public avenues still choose the legal bidder. When in fact the it be the lowest most responsive bidder who has the reputation and means to provide the very best services. We were informed that TWIA choose a low bidder to provide them with legal cost control services however it appears they did not do a very good job of due diligence as the company they choose needs to be vetted a little better just by checking public records they may have made a different decision. Even if they would have goggled maps and saw the little shared office building their chosen vendor operated out of they may have went in a different direction. I have reason to believe their chosen vendor subcontracts most if not all the work out to independent contractors. It is hard to believe they even checked out any references which again could have resulted in a different decision. This is not a sour grapes rant because we did not get this job it's because I'm very passionate about the industry I founded and I want all clients to get he very best services available. I wish TWIA the very best because they are going to need it just check with your 60 insurers and they will give you their independent assessment as to rather vendor of choice.