Sinkholes, a Sign of the Times

our forum to that end. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2010 Sinkholes, a sign of the times ... by gimleteye The Miami Herald and other state newspapers continue to report on $2 billion in property losses from sinkholes in Florida-- without even a whisp of information connecting this property destroyer with the destruction of Florida's aquifers, enabled by withdrawals authorized by the state's water management districts. EOM posted on this topic, two months ago. Not a word about how Florida has emptied out its drinking water aquifers to support growth-at-any-cost. Like emptying out your bank account but expecting to live on interest. On my regular dog walking route, there is an expanse of parkland where a sinkhole has been developing. You wouldn't need a gimlet eye if you lived in Pasco and Hillsborough counties where the underlying soil is sandy and prone to collapse and where attorneys advertise on billboards for sinkhole litigation and insurance claims. Fault belongs with the state's water management districts, and eventually the insurance companies will go after them. Sinkholes are also a metaphor for the chop shop ethos that encouraged the conversion of Florida's open space, farmland, and natural resources into a hodge-podge of suburban sprawl, ghost suburbs, and a massive oversupply of foreclosures. No one went to jail, but they should have. As a nation, we've spent down our capital, the dollar is teetering on worthlessness, and if Florida's dimmed star fell into a sinkhole, you couldn't claim to be surprised. Posted on Wed, Nov. 10, 2010 Claims for sinkhole damages climbing fast in state BY STEVE BOUSQUET Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau Florida homeowners are filing damage claims from sinkholes at a rapidly growing rate with claims this year totaling one-third more than the previous four years combined. State Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty briefed Gov. Charlie Crist and the Cabinet on the trend Tuesday. He said the payout figure for this year could exceed $2 billion. McCarty attributed the trend in part to the role of public adjusters, who file claims on behalf of homeowners and receive commissions on claims paid. ``Public adjusters in many cases play a valuable service, particularly when a company has been nonresponsive,'' McCarty told reporters. ``But what we're seeing is a proliferation of cases where cracks in the pavement or cracks in the stairwells that are a result of settlement, and it's costing billions of dollars in claims.'' Over the past four years, total sinkhole costs amounted to $1.4 billion, making sinkhole claims a primary reason for escalating insurance rates. Pasco and Hernando counties remain far and away the top two counties in sinkhole claims, accounting for half of all claims statewide between 2006 and 2009. Hillsborough accounted for 16.3 percent of all claims during that period and Pinellas 6.3 percent. Hillsborough this year accounts for 23 percent of all claims filed. Sinkhole claims from Miami-Dade and Broward counties also have spiked. So far in 2010, Miami-Dade has accounted for 137 claims compared to 261 over the previous four years, and Broward reported 149 claims this year compared to 252 for the previous four years. Times/Herald staff writer Mary Ellen Klas contributed to this report. Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/11/10/v-print/1917878/claims-for-sinkhole-damages-climbing.html#ixzz14sdEyLvF Sphere: Related Content   __________________________________________________________________   Easily grow your own vegetables anywhere .      Click here: Easy Victory Garden