Home Insurance

* When I got my annual bill for home insurance a few months ago, I was horrified to see that my insurance company (Auto Club of Southern California) had raised my bill from $1,500 to $12,000-plus. After proving that my home had been retrofitted to meet earthquake standards, I thought that everything would be OK, but was again stunned, when told that my insurance for the year would be $4,700. Only by drastically reducing the amount of coverage could I get the tab down to $3,100. Fortunately, I will be able to meet this unexpected expense, but I wonder how many others, during these difficult economic times, will be able to do so.

When California voters rebelled against the arrogant greed of the insurance companies, passed Proposition 103, and elected Democrat John Garamendi to oversee the reform, it looked as if things might improve. Now that Republican Chuck Quackenbush is in office, the consumer is once again being pillaged by the obscene rate increases of insurance companies with the active collusion of their cronies in the state Legislature and Insurance Commission.

FREDERIC W. GRANNIS JR.

Arcadia