Trump to declare Jan 6 as Patriot Day

January 6, 2025

We should be so proud, boys.

Just wait for it. It is coming. After he pardons those who attacked the capitol including the leader of the Proud Boys who is serving 22 years for seditious conspiracy, Trump is going to declare Jan 6 as Patriot Day. This is how dictators behave. This is how they thrive and with the cowards in the Republic Party he will rein unchecked. Members of the Capitol Police lost their lives during the Jan 6 riots. Those who beat these officers with flags and sprayed them with irritants will soon be released, pardoned, and will probably be invited to the White House for a formal apology.

This is who you voted for. This is who you are. Go fuck yourself.

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Posted by johncoby

Cliffnotes: Interim Report on Insurance from the Business and Commerce Committee

January 3, 2025

Underwhelming to say the least.

If you would like to read the report on the interim charges to the Texas Senate Business and Commerce Committee it is available online here starting on page 19. It is interim charge 7 titled “Addressing the Rising Cost of Insurance. It is only 2 pages. Here are my notes/thoughts.

  • The Committee held a hearing on Oct 1. The testimony was dominated by the industry.
  • Texas has the 2nd largest market in the nation bringing in $290 Billion in premiums.
  • The increase in premiums are due to climate change, inflation, labor expenses, supply chain disruptions and reinsurance (LOL. They are using climate change against us to increase our premiums. Inflation is well under control and has been for a while but it did NOT account for a doubling of premiums. Supply chain disruptions were corrected years ago.)
  • They ignored the inflated cost of roofing after an event such as hail or extreme weather. Why does a roof cost $24,000 to replace after an event, but only $6000 at other times?
  • They blame us for not “shopping around”.
  • TDI stated only 4 companies left Texas in 2024 but ignored comments from area such as the Bay Area where 5 of 6 members of the Texas Coalition for Affordable Insurance Solutions (TCAIS) will not longer write policies.
  • There was a significant uptick in the Texas Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) Plan from 72,626 to 91,841 from 2003 to 2024.
  • TDI claims homeowners in Texas saw an average rate increase of 21% in 2023. I’m not sure if that is a rise in rates or premiums which are two different things.
  • TDI reviewed 1313 rate filings with 107 filings withdrawn, 78 rejected for administrative discrepancies. They did not disclose how many rate increases were rejected by TDI.
  • The recommendations are basic if not ridiculous.
    • Implement guardrails to protect against unfair pricing practices, which could include, but is not limited to, rate filings and premiums assessed to policyholders.
    • Support the efforts of both TDI and OPIC to improve notice to policyholders about rate changes, coverage reductions, and comparison-shopping tools.

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Posted by johncoby

Community Meeting on the rising cost of Home Insurance

January 2, 2025

I have secured the Webster Activity Center on Jan 7, 2025 for another community meeting to discuss and take action concerning the rising cost of home insurance in our area. We will focus on the upcoming legislative session and how we can take the opportunity to influence our elected officials. For those who are not aware this session begins Jan 14 and will continue till June 2. 

Our elected officials have been invited to attend and discuss what we can do. Please save the date, invite your neighbors, and I will see you Tuesday. Preliminary agenda:

  • Short recap of the last meeting
  • Update on upcoming legislation
  • How can we participate in the process
  • Open forum, Q&A

Join our newsletter at www.tinyurl.com/BayAreaHouston

Tuesday Jan 7, 2005 6:00PM-8:00PM
Webster Activity Center
311 Pennsylvania Ave
Webster Texas 77598

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Posted by johncoby

2025 The year of Luigi?

December 31, 2024

Violence is never an acceptable response. (except for Jan 6 according to the Republic Party)

What could possibly drive someone to killing? Many years ago during a hearing in Austin I was describing what homeowners experienced during their fight with their homebuilder concerning a major construction defect in their new home. I had experienced this frustration dealing with my own defect back in 1992. It’s not fun watching as someone with the power to make things right turn to their team of attorneys and ignore you. It’s not fun looking for help from the court system just to learn the builders are well protected by the laws that were originally designed to protect you. It can eat on you and I can see someone being driven to violence. (I had my own thoughts about doing something but it was not violent)

Well years later a man in Georgia after arguing with his homebuilder for over 6 months invited him back to his house and killed him. He served 10 years in prison. Luigi Mangione did the same thing taking the life of an insurance company CEO. He took matters into his own hands much like the Jan 6 rioters. According to trump the rioters were justified because they thought the election was rigged. (hum….who in the living fuck convinced them of that?) Maybe trump will pardon Luigi since he believed his violence also justified.

Maybe others will get the idea of taking advantage of our lax gun laws and solve their problems with their God given right to the 2nd Amendment. America is poised to bring back western style justice against those who harm them financially or physically. When the criminal and civil courts abandoned you and you are left with only memories of a loved one, or left with the job of taking care of a loved one for the rest of their life, or left in financial ruin and you have easy access to military style firearms what could possibly go wrong for those who are responsible? Top that off with elected officials on every level of government condoning violence as they did on Jan 6.

Maybe Luigi did us a favor, but in the wrong way. Maybe CEO’s might want to think twice about screwing people. Maybe homebuilders might want to fix the defects they created. Maybe law makers might want to create laws to protect us from gun violence instead of offering useless thoughts and fucking prayers.

In America those who take the law into their own hands usually end up being held accountable….except for trump’s Jan 6 rioters. So America, stand back and stand by.

FILE PHOTO: ear gas is released into a crowd of protesters, with one wielding a Confederate battle flag that reads “Come and Take It,” during clashes with Capitol police at a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, U.S, January 6, 2021. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

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Posted by johncoby

Cliffnotes: Matt Gaetz investigation report

December 24, 2024

And to think trump was going to appoint him as the United States Attorney General. Based upon this report he would have been perfect for the job! This is who people wanted to lead our country.

I took one for the team and read the House Ethics report on former Congressman Matt Gaetz. It’s full of evidence concerning prostitution, rape, drugs,human trafficking, group sex, misuse of office resources, and obstruction of justice. Here is their conclusion:

Ouch. Here are my notes:

  • Gaetz was asked to volunteer his testimony in his defense. He refused.
  • Gaetz was subpoenaed to appear before the committee. He refused.
  • Many of the allegations stem from Goetz’s relationship with former county tax collector in Florida named Joel Greenberg, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2022 
  • Evidence showed that Gaetz would split the cost of their sexual encounters, hotels, and drug use
  • Gaetz paid a woman $750 with a check marked as “tuition” after having group sex with her and others.
  • After a photo was released of Gaetz and a woman he arranged to meet with in Key West, Gaetz denied he knew who she was. Evidence later showed he paid her $650 the day after the photo was taken.
  • Greenberg introduced women to Gaetz via SeekingArrangement.com. One “older” women, who was 25 at the time, was paid to attend “events” ranging from $500-$1000 each.
  • Victim A was 17 at the time. Gaetz denied knowing she was 17. Evidence showed he paid her for sex.
  • Gaetz had group sex with her. She was a junior in high school.
  • The Committee did not receive any evidence indicating that Representative Gaetz was aware that Victim A was a minor when he had sex with her.  
  • The group sex was at a home of a lobbyist, Mr. Dorworth, who claimed to the committee he was not at his house when the sex occurred. Phone records obtained by the committee proved otherwise.
  • Gaetz denied having sex for money and using drugs. The committee provided evidence to the contrary from 15 women.
  • Gaetz refused to answer specific questions about sex, drugs, and payment with Victim A, the 17 year old.
  • Gaetz asked his Chief of Staff to help one of the women he took to the Bahamas to obtain a passport which was usually handled by lower staff. she lived outside of his district. He paid her $1000 which she claimed was for the passport.
  • Gaetz whined about “weaponizing” the Ethics Committee and obstructed the investigation.
  • Some of the women feared retaliation for their participation in the investigation
  • The Committee did NOT find evidence of federal human trafficking laws
  • The Committee Found that Representative Gaetz Engaged in Commercial Sex 
  • The Committee Found that Representative Gaetz Violated Florida’s Statutory Rape Law 
  • The Committee Found Representative Gaetz Used Illegal Drugs 
  • The Committee Found that Representative Gaetz Violated the House Gift Rule 
  • The Committee Found Representative Gaetz Dispensed Special Privileges and Favors to Individuals with Whom He Had a Personal Relationship 
  • The Committee Found Representative Gaetz Sought to Obstruct Its Investigation of His Conduct 

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Posted by johncoby

Movie Review: Homestead

December 23, 2024

Watch it? Rent it? Skip it?

For fuck sakes. Skip it. That was a complete waste of 2 hours. Great idea, stupid script, poor acting, incredibly dumb plot. This movie is the complete package. It has a load of paranoia by a bunch of government hating, gun toting, former military, bad acting, survivalists who sees an opportunity after a nuclear bomb hits Los Angelos and takes out the grid across the country. People flock out of the Los Angeles area running to the hills looking for someone who has food, water and shelter. Many camp out at the gates of a property in Colorado who just happens to have food, water, and shelter but won’t let them in. This is where the movie remains.

The worst part of the movie is when the wife of the property owner ends the show with having faith in god to bring peace and love and joy and more food, water, and a fuckin TV show once in a while. OMG it is so corny. God will fix it all just like he fixed Los Angeles, just prior to being blown off the goddamn map.

It’s an incredibly stupid movie but has an after credit that is not worth watching because this is the beginning of a series. One of the gun toting, government hating, bad acting, survivalists asks that you scan a QR code on the scree to view the 1st episode of the new series.

Just don’t do it. This is just a stupid ass movie.

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Posted by johncoby

The cost of price gouging after a weather event. Bags of ice. Gasoline. Roof repairs.

December 19, 2024

And you wonder why your insurance premiums are so high?

I filed a claim for roof damage after Hurricane Ike in 2008. I received about $5000 from USAA, my insurance company at the time. Bids for the roof replacement ranged from $10,000-$16,000. At the time I did not have the extra funds to pay for the roof and since there was no leaks I put the repairs off for 2 years.

In 2010 I had my roof replaced for $4800. One of the companies that quoted over $10,000 in 2008 provided a quote of $6800 in 2010. At the time I knew the Commissioner of the Texas Department of Insurance and mentioned the price gouging after a hearing in Austin. Soon afterward he left the Commission and I ended my consumer activism.

So here we are in 2024 and I filed a claim for hail damage. Eventually I had my roof replaced for a cost that was listed at $24,000 about 5 times what I paid in 2010 just 14 years ago. I’ve heard from others in my subdivision whose estimates were even higher, $32,000 for one homeowner. What is disturbing is that the insurance companies are paying these inflated prices. It’s a win-win for the roofer and the insurance company who can simply pass the inflated cost to consumers in higher premiums. Everyone is happy except for the consumer.

Last year Harris County Attorney filed a number of suits resulting in settlements for price gouging of gasoline. According to Houston Public Media:

The Bellaire location allegedly sold regular unleaded gasoline for $3.79 and $4.29 per gallon, an increase of 25% and 41% respectively from the gas station’s pre-hurricane price of $3.03. The Baytown location was allegedly selling premium gasoline for $5.49 per gallon, which is 44% higher than the gas station’s pre-hurricane price of $3.80.

Price gouging after an event like a hurricane is illegal. Raising the cost of a gallon of gas by 40 cents can be considered price gouging and could be investigated by the County Attorney. Charging 2 to 4 times the regular price for a roof should be considered price gouging.

I’ve asked the County Attorney to investigate.

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Posted by johncoby

HCDE drops censure of Trustee Dick for a $40,000 donation

December 19, 2024

This is pretty damn strange.

So last month the Harris County Department of Education Board unanimously approved to censure Trustee Eric Dick for lapses in ethical conduct including refusing to pay $40,000 in fines to the Texas Ethics Commission, refusing to honor a subpoena, providing false information to the TEC, providing false information under oath along other things stemming from an ethics complaint filed in 2019. You can read the detailed results of that investigation here.

A month later they reversed course and in lieu of censure Eric Dick promises to donate $40,000 to the educational foundation of Harris County Department of Education “to be used for the CASE debates program for future lawyers.”. Elizabeth Sander of the Houston Chronicle wrote a detailed article about Dick’s ethical problems with the Texas Ethics Commission, the Harris County and Galveston County courts, and for possibly illegally soliciting clients affected by the Maui wildfires. The proposed censure was based only on his conduct concerning the Texas Ethics Commission. According to the article:

“In lieu of a censure, the Harris County Department of Education accepted a $40,000 donation,” Cobarruvias said. “But he still owes the taxpayers and the Ethics Commission $40,000.”

I highly recommend that HCDE cash his check as soon as possible.

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Posted by johncoby

Texas Homeowners Left Behind: The Insurance Crisis

December 18, 2024

This should really piss you off.

Sixteen years ago States along the coast began implementing a plan called Fortified, including Alabama. According to an article written by Megan Kimble of the Houston Chronicle: “Alabama offers $10,000 grants to homeowners to upgrade their roofs – and requires insurers to give discounts of 25% to 55% to those who do”. That program started 16 years ago!! What the hell did elected officials in Texas do?

Nothing. Not a goddamn thing and now we are paying for it. Literally. We are now in crisis mode with premiums out the roof, excessive deductibles, and companies threatening to leave the Sate. In the upcoming legislative session bills will be filed to protect the insurance industry at our expense. While other States were actively working to lower the risk our elected officials did nothing to protect our homes. This article is another in her series concerning home insurance. It’s a VERY good read. I should be available to read here. It might make you mad. Let me summarize:

  • While other states on the coast, like Alabama, took action 15 years ago to reduce the risk to homeowners, Texas did nothing, at all, except pass the cost of the risk to consumers.
  • Other states give incentives to homeowners to “fortify” their homes and requires reduced insurance premiums.
  • A bill has been filed in Texas to create a program similar to Alabama’s “Fortified” but does NOT require a reduction in premiums
  • Of the country’s 70,000 Fortified homes, only 200 are in Texas and half of those were built by Habitat for Humanity.
  • While Texas officials were busy cutting regulations and chasing social issues we were left to find our own insurance solutions.
  • I love this quote “Home builders along the coast say they already follow stringent building standards and don’t need more.”
  • “In coastal Alabama and North Carolina – both states that incentivize Fortified standards – researchers say homes certified through the program have shown a 20% reduction in losses compared to non-Fortified homes.”
  • Alabama offers $10,000 grants to homeowners to upgrade their roofs – and requires insurers to give discounts of 25% to 55% to those who do. That program started 16 years ago!!

So take some time to read the article then make plans to attend our next meeting.

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Posted by johncoby

The Rising Cost of Insurance. CCISD

December 16, 2024

This isn’t right.

As said before the rising cost of property insurance is affecting everyone in the Bay Area, including taxpayers. According to an open records request CCISD’s property insurance doubled in just five years from 2019-2024. In 2019 CCISD’s property and flood was $3.3M. In 2024 it was $6.6M. This is not solely due to inflation. There is much more to this increase than inflation.

Everyone is paying for the rising cost of insurance including homeowners, businesses, government entities and taxpayers. Come join us next year to have a discussion with elected officials.

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Posted by johncoby

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