Affordability Issues Top Voter Priorities

JENNIFER CRAWFORD, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US WITH THE GENERAL ELECTION. NOW, JUST 7 WEEKS AWAY, THE BROAD ISSUE OF AFFORDABILITY IS TAKING CENTER STAGE IN FLORIDA'S RACE FOR GOVERNOR. BOTH OF THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE BYRON DONALDS AND THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE DAVID JOLLY ARE USING IT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL AND IN POLITICAL ADS, ALTHOUGH THE CANDIDATES APPROACH THE PROBLEM QUITE DIFFERENTLY, THEY OFFER VERY DIFFERENT REMEDIES AS WELL. BUT IT REMAINS A FOCAL POINT IN A RACE THAT INDEPENDENT POLLS SHOW IS TIGHTENING. AS WE MOVE CLOSER TO NOVEMBER. JOINING ME NOW FOR A CLOSER LOOK IS WGCU HOST AND REPORTER JOHN DAVIS. AND JOHN, WHAT DO YOU THINK? AFFORDABILITY IS ONE OF THE KEY ISSUES IN THE FLORIDA GUBERNATORIAL RACE. I THINK AFFORDABILITY REMAINS A KEY ISSUE AMONG. >> FLORIDA RESIDENTS AND VOTERS. >> YOU KNOW, WE PAY THE HIGHEST PROPERTY INSURANCE PREMIUMS IN THE COUNTRY. THAT'S TO THE YOU KNOW, COMBINED ARE INCREASED RISK OF CATASTROPHES FROM HURRICANES AS WELL. AS YOU KNOW, INFLATION DRIVING UP, REBUILDING COSTS, INCREASING PROPERTY VALUES MEANS INCREASING PROPERTY TAXES. SO THAT'S MAYBE MAKING ART ARE PARTICULARLY FOCUSED ON FIXED INCOMES TO REMAIN IN THEIR HOMES, EVEN ON THEM OUTRIGHT HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS ARE ON THE RISE. WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, FEDERAL SUBSIDIES FOR INSURANCE PLANS UNDER THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT WE'RE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE IN JANUARY. FLORIDA HAD THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO RELIED ON THE ACA FOR ACCESS TO HEALTH COVERAGE. JUST IN SHEER NUMBERS AND AND PROPORTION OF RESIDENTS, SOMETHING TO THE TUNE OF 400,000 OR 450,000. PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY JUST DROP THEIR ACA PLANS BECAUSE THEY SAW THERE IN PREMIUMS DOUBLE OR IN SOME CASES, EVEN TRIPLE THE COST OF FUEL WE KNOW IS CONTINUING TO CLIMB THE CUT BECAUSE OF THE WAR WITH IRAN. THE COST OF UTILITIES HAVE INCREASED AND JUST COST OF EVERYDAY CONSUMER GOODS. EVERYBODY'S FEELING THIS. SO THIS CREATES KIND OF AN UNUSUAL OPENING FOR DEMOCRATS TO CAMPAIGNS BECAUSE REPUBLICANS HAVE DOMINATED IN STATEWIDE AND LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS HERE IN FLORIDA IN RECENT YEARS. SO THE QUESTION CAN I AFFORD TO LIVE HERE IS POTENTIALLY A MUCH MORE POWERFUL QUESTION ELECTORALLY. THEN STAY A CONVENTIONAL DEMOCRATIC ARGUMENT ABOUT NATIONAL POLITICS. >> HOW ARE THE DEMOCRAT, DAVID JOLLY AND REPUBLICAN BYRON DONALDS. HOW ARE THEY FRAMING THIS ISSUE OF AFFORDABILITY IN THE CAMPAIGN? >> SO JOEY AREAS JUMPING ON THIS OPPORTUNITY. LIKE I JUST MENTIONED, HE'S REALLY FRAMING THIS AS A FAILURE OF REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS AND TURNING AFFORDABILITY KIND OF INTO A REFERENDUM OF THE EXISTING REPUBLICAN GOVERNANCE MODEL. AND HE'S STRONGLY EMPHASIZING INSURANCE COSTS HERE. HE WANTS TO CUT AFFORDABILITY. HER EXCRETE EXCUSE ME, INCREASE, ADDRESS AFFORDABILITY BY CUTTING INSURANCE COSTS. HOME INSURANCE COSTS BY 60 TO 70% THROUGH THE CREATION OF THE STATE RUN HURRICANE INSURANCE PROGRAM. HE WANTS TO CAP POWER COMPANY PROFITS TO STOP OUT OF CONTROL RATES. HE WANTS TO ADDRESS HEALTH CARE ACCESS BY ESTABLISHING LOWER COST HEALTH CARE CLINICS IN ALL. 67 COUNTIES ACROSS FLORIDA, DONALD, BY CONTRAST, HAS A VERY DIFFERENT DIAGNOSIS FOR WHAT'S BEHIND THE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS AND THEN THAT IT'S THE GOVERNMENT TAXES AND REGULATIONS AND MARKETING PROBLEMS THAT ARE DRIVING UP COSTS. AND IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING THAT HE IS MAKING AFFORDABILITY. A CENTRAL ISSUE AS WELL AS JOLLY BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE FROM WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN YEARS PAST WHERE, YOU KNOW, CONSERVATIVES HAVE TENDED TO FOCUS ON THE CULTURE WAR ISSUES. SO I THINK WE'RE SEEING A SHIFT AWAY FROM THAT AS WE SEE THE DESANTIS ERA COMING TO AN END, DONALD SAYS HE'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK TO REDUCE HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAXES, EVEN IF AMENDMENT 3 DOESN'T PASS A NOVEMBER ON INSURANCE. HE WANTS MORE MARKET ORIENTED REFORMS AND YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THESE ATTACK ADS CLAIMING THAT JOLLY'S PLAN WOULD AMOUNT TO HER HURRICANE TAX THAT THEY SAY WOULD REQUIRE ABOUT 30 BILLION DOLLARS IN STATE FUNDS AND THEY CITING AN ESTIMATE THAT IT WOULD COST THE AVERAGE FLORIDA FAMILY ABOUT $1000 A YEAR. NOW, JOLLY'S PLAN IS ACTUALLY BASED ON A MODEL, BUT HE INTRODUCED AN CONGRESSIONAL LEGISLATION. HE DIDN'T GET PAST WHEN HE WAS IN CONGRESS FOR A NATIONAL CATASTROPHIC FUND. IT'S NOT AN ACTUAL TAX LEVIED ON INDIVIDUALS OR HOUSEHOLDS. IT'S REALLY JUST A REALLOCATION OF TAX DOLLARS. BUT THE STATE ALREADY TAKES THEM. SO IT WOULD ESSENTIALLY MOVE THE CATASTROPHIC HURRICANE RISK WHEN DAME AND RISK OUT OF POLICIES THROUGH THE PRIVATE MARKET, PRIVATE INSURERS TO PROVIDE HOME INSURANCE WILL STILL COVER THINGS LIKE FIRE AND FAST. BUT THOSE THINGS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY AND, YOU KNOW, AND INSURANCE COMPANY IF A MAJOR STORM OR MULTIPLE MAJOR STORMS HIT THAT WOULD THEN BE COVERED BY THE STATE'S CATASTROPHIC FUND. SO THEY'RE SAYING THAT THAT WOULD ACTUALLY MAKE FLORIDA A MORE COMPETITIVE MARKET FOR HOME INSURANCE COMPANIES AND THAT WOULD BRING DOWN PREMIUM COSTS. BUT DONNA'S REALLY RAISES A LEGITIMATE QUESTION HERE. IF THE STATE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THIS DAMAGE FROM HURRICANES, SOMEONE ULTIMATELY HAS TO PAY WHEN THESE CLAIMS EXCEED THE MONEY ACCUMULATED IN THE FUND. THAT'S GOING TO COME IN THE FORM OF ADDITIONAL STATE BORROWING REDUCTIONS IN GOVERNMENT SPENDING, HIGHER TAXES AND FEES OR SOME COMBINATION THERE OF. SO THE REAL POLICY DEBATE ISN'T IS JOLLY PROPOSING A HURRICANE TAX? DOES SHIFTING CATASTROPHIC HURRICANE RISK TO A STATE-BACKED FUND ACTUALLY REDUCE FLORIDA RESIDENTS TOTAL COST OR DOES IT MERELY SHIFT THAT CAUSED FROM INSURANCE PREMIUMS? >> TO ALL TAXPAYERS BECAUSE THE MONEY HAS TO COME FROM SOMETHING OR NOTHING IS FREE. HOW IS THEIR MESSAGING PLAYING OUT AMONG VOTERS? >> WELL, THE SHORT ANSWER IS WE REALLY DON'T KNOW. I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY NON PARTISAN ACADEMIC POLLING ON FLORIDA'S GUBERNATORIAL RACE THAT WAS CONDUCTED THAT HAS BEEN CONDUCTED SINCE THE AUGUST 18TH PRIMARY. THANK YOU. JOHN DAVIS