George Rebane
State Farm Insurance pulls out of California. Another one of the country’s largest insurance firms will no longer write new policies in the once golden state where wildfire risk continues high and the state’s regulatory and tax environment makes the cost of rebuilding a house prohibitive at the permitted premium levels. Bottom line – we have done it to ourselves again by electing certifiable idiots to represent us in Sacramento. Tragically things will not change peacefully since these policies don’t affect the state’s takers directly, and there are enough ignorant makers to maintain the voting block required to keep the legislature and administrative bureaucrats firmly in Democrat hands.
Dropout Derby time again? Back in the 2019 election season, leading up to the 2020 election, we had 26 Democrat hopefuls vying for the presidency. Knowing that sooner or later the slings and arrows of inevitably outrageous fortune would reduce that number to a manageable few, we introduced Dropout Derby to these pages (here and here). Readers were invited to record and submit the order in which the candidates would drop out of the race. Eight of us chose to enter the competition that ran for several months into 2020 with the eventual winner being Estonian Fox. (In memoriam we sadly note that three of the participants are no longer with us.) Given the number of Democrats lining up to relieve Bumblebrain from having to attempt another disastrous four years, I consider starting another Dropout Derby given sufficient interest and substantial number of declared candidates.
All cultures are not of the same worth/value to anyone living on this planet. However, the progressive mindset has taught us otherwise. Evidence for the inequality of cultures abounds, as measured along any attribute, and is confirmed daily in the news media – yes, even in the leftwing outlets. RR has made this point for years in its arguments on how to maintain the sanctity of our sovereignty (more here and here). Now the latest confirmation comes from the cohort of Sudanese immigrants rampaging through the chambers of the Minneapolis City Council (here). As pointed out before, it doesn’t take much of cohesive plurality in a minority for it to start impacting public policy.
"regulatory and tax environment makes the cost of rebuilding a house prohibitive at the permitted premium levels. "
Yah, I was gonna mention the State Farm announcement. Given that it's really not a free market situation, it wouldn't surprise me if it's only a negotiation gambit.
Lord knows what the California Cost(tm) of a house adds, what with solar/EV/fire supression/lots of permits/etc.etc. It's funny how people bitch about local rents and never consider the cost of property tax and insurance on the evil landlords.
You can make a case for being self-insured, and then simply buy the minimal house. Maybe own a luxury RV and stuff it into a stealth metal building in the woods.
Somehow people used to manage without all this insurance stuff, but then they also used to pay for and/or build their home.
Posted by: scenes | 27 May 2023 at 01:39 PM
"Sudanese immigrants rampaging through the chambers of the Minneapolis City Council"
roflmao. George, did you get a gander at that Man Bun Dude with the mic?
I'd be charging him some serious jizya fer shure.
Posted by: scenes | 27 May 2023 at 02:14 PM
ah now, here's the full Minneapolis hubbub.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmqHr62uCVI
Welcome to the future everyone.
Posted by: scenes | 27 May 2023 at 02:18 PM
Hey George, that reminds me - I never did receive that prize of untold value the winner was to receive. What's up with that?
Posted by: The (pissed) Estonian Fox | 27 May 2023 at 02:58 PM
Say, wasn't that an insurrection at the Democrat (Ok, OK D-F-L) nomination meeting there in Minneapolis? NO ARRESTS? Where is Merrick when you need him? Oh that's right - DOJ is Dept of Jihad. Sorry, got carried away.
Where is Chuck the Hammer (Charles Martel) 732 A.D. Defender of the Faith when we need him again?
Posted by: The (calmed down) Estonian Fox | 27 May 2023 at 03:18 PM
re: EF@2:58PM
Judging from George's post, I'd say that living another four years was first prize.
Posted by: scenes | 27 May 2023 at 03:28 PM
scenes 03:28 PM
Yeah, I thought of that. But this is America - too much is never enough.
And the Minneapolis Somali riot was just them celebrating Somali Trick 'r Treat Day. Part of their RoP culture.
Posted by: The Estonian Fox | 27 May 2023 at 04:03 PM
EF 258pm - Mr scenes 328pm presents a good proxy for a prize of untold value. Rejoice.
Posted by: George Rebane | 27 May 2023 at 06:18 PM
Hey…..anybody know where the hell has Tozer been?
Posted by: 🐠 | 27 May 2023 at 06:54 PM
Rampaging? at a City Council meeting has now been labeled a riot? by hard core far right wingers on this site.
No punches were thrown compared to the 2020 Nevada City Riot by hard core far right wingnuts. No cops were beaten, no property destroyed, no shit smeared on the halls of government as happened on Jan.6 by hard core far right wingnuts.
Posted by: Cereal Liar | 28 May 2023 at 11:01 AM
There was no 2020 Nevada City Riot. A bunch of unpermitted far left provacateurs marching and chanting managed to goad a few far right reactionaries to assert themselves.
BLM Inc. is all but bankrupt now.
Posted by: Gregory | 28 May 2023 at 11:26 AM
" A bunch of unpermitted far left provacateurs marching and chanting managed to goad a few far right reactionaries to assert themselves."
We live in odd times. The most politically effective people work the system right up to it's limits. It's 'legal' to scream at others and point a camera right in their faces, highly illegal to grab or bat the camera down. The Left has been expert at working the system that way. The cell phone has become the ultimate tool for those humans that used to get stuck in lockers in high school who now get the joy of playing bully themselves.
An analogous situation is in the Israeli vs. Palestinian fooferaws. It isn't like the Palestinians don't know about guns, but the upper limit from a PR standpoint is to have kids throw rocks.
I'm assuming that 'far right' here, as usual, means 'jus regular folks who thought what everyone thought 50 years ago'. The 'far left' means 'those who believe in things no one thought 50 years ago aside from William S. Burroughs'.
CL: 'hard core far right wingnuts' lol. Keep adding the adjectives and you'll sound like a livestock auctioneer. Put it to the music from Rock Island (f/ The Music Man) and you might have something.
Posted by: scenes | 28 May 2023 at 12:41 PM
Rampaging? at a City Council meeting has now been labeled a riot? by hard core far right wingers on this site.
……yes….I’m sure that it wasn’t much fun hiding under your bed on that frightful afternoon.
Posted by: 🐠 | 28 May 2023 at 12:52 PM
In my use, "far right" meant the guy wearing a Trump shirt, had a shaved head for a haircut, and looked like he drank a six pack of Budweiser that morning for breakfast.
Posted by: Gregory | 28 May 2023 at 01:59 PM
Serial Liar - "no shit smeared on the halls of government as happened on Jan.6 by hard core far right wingnuts."
My - what an imagination we have. Apparently Liar was there and can document this.
Posted by: Scott O | 28 May 2023 at 05:13 PM
re Gregory's definition - "looked like he drank a six pack of Budweiser that morning for breakfast."
Perhaps for quite a few mornings.
I dunno - most of the actual "far-right" types I've encountered tend towards the lean and mean type. I doubt they drink much beer at all. A few shaved heads - most have a military type do.
There's far right authoritarians (strict Constitutionalists) and there's far right libertarians (I can do whatever I want).
Both left wing and right wing can only go so far and they end up meeting at anarchy.
Then the only difference seems to be who they want to have sex with.
Posted by: Scott O | 28 May 2023 at 05:26 PM
Here's another look at who is left and who is right:
"Last month the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee notoriously rebuffed the group’s request to be chartered as an official club over baseless accusations its members are secretly racist Republicans funneling dark money and using the word “family” as a dog whistle for right-wing values."
I thought only dogs could hear the whistle.
A bunch of lefties that aren't completely bat-shit crazy get called out as MAGA because they uttered the word 'family'.
OK.
It is SF in Krazy-fornia.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/bayarea/heatherknight/article/westside-family-democratic-club-18119572.php
When you are hurling yourself off the cliff into the chasm of insanity, it doesn't do you any good to blame the ones still at the edge, calling out: "wait, don't jump".
Posted by: Scott O | 28 May 2023 at 08:43 PM
Scotto: "Perhaps for quite a few mornings."
For fun and memory's sake, I went back through all the vidya I could find of the Great Nevada City Riot. I was prepared to laugh at the idea of identifying peoples' political tribe through their appearance, but there's a pretty obvious morphology difference between the Holy BLM folks and the hard core far right wingnuts.
Naturally, the guy who dropped the cell phone and pushed someone down is looking at a year in jail, court case ongoing. If that's all it takes, Wayne's World will be mighty full after just a few weeks of downtown bar hijinks. Of course, it isn't like the law is applied evenly in this world.
Bummer that people bring kids to these events, it's like the ugliness of a child yelling 'scab' at a picket line.
One thing I was musing about is just how much talky talk most rarefied political discourse is. Except for the most energetic sorts, I'd say these political sides are more organically-grown social groups than any kind of philosophy. People know where they belong without thinking when pressure is applied. The working-class dudes will clique up as will the Man Bun Force. Italian Communist or Fascist writing really means zip to either side and is mostly sophistry I think. Dunno how Team Blue ever handle being in prison as they likely won't get a table to sit at in the day room but given modern DA offices they rarely end up there.
Posted by: scenes | 29 May 2023 at 06:54 AM
GR: "State Farm Insurance pulls out of California."
Yeehaw.
https://patch.com/california/across-ca/allstate-stops-offering-new-insurance-policies-california
Posted by: scenes | 08 June 2023 at 10:29 AM
Like a good neighbor State Farm pulls out. There is something to be said about the rhythm method.
Posted by: Bill Tozer | 15 June 2023 at 05:26 AM
Scott 28 May 2023 at 05:13 PM
Can you disprove it Scotty?
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/jan-6-under-the-capitol-dome-the-darkest-entry-yet-in-clios-tablet
Posted by: Cereal Liar | 15 June 2023 at 06:50 AM
Greggy 28 May 2023 at 11:26 AM
"managed to goad a few far right reactionaries to assert themselves"
GG, far right apologist.
Posted by: Cereal Liar | 15 June 2023 at 06:54 AM
re: BillT "Like a good neighbor State Farm pulls out."
Good to hear from you. Keep fighting the good fight.
My basic, and uneducated, guess here is that the main problem tends to be reinsurance. State Farm doesn't want to go broke on the 1:50 (or whatever) chance that there are a couple of big fires. As a further guess, it's just another case where economies of scale, and economies of political influence, have allowed near single-sourcing in a thing.
Monopolies and near-monopolies appear to be the order of the day. Choices seem to grind down to reliance on VISA/Amazon/BlackRock/gubmint/Walmart vs. full self-sufficiency. The middle ground tends to fritter away. Self-sufficiency in the insurance case being not caring a tinker's damn for fire insurance, small and rebuildable homes are a thing.
Posted by: scenes | 15 June 2023 at 07:16 AM
Geoff Pellini 654p, who never saw a classical liberal before. People are moderate no matter how hard to the left they are, and are far right no matter how centrist they be.
Peeline, you are all wet.
Posted by: Gregory | 15 June 2023 at 08:51 AM
Greg's dictionary of synonyms: violence = assertiveness. LoL!
Posted by: Cereal Liar | 15 June 2023 at 10:20 AM
"Greg's dictionary of synonyms: violence = assertiveness. LoL!"
Jeff Pelline's idea of a joke... make something up and then pretend to laugh at it.
Posted by: Gregory | 15 June 2023 at 12:50 PM