|
News & Features
From the Idyllwild Town Crier weekly newspaper, 07.24.08 edition.
State may assess fire fee
By J.P. Crumrine, Assistant Editor
Many legislators dismissed the governor’s January proposal to impose a
surcharge on residential and commercial insurance policies. Some
questioned its appropriateness, so Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger listened
and modified the proposal to increase the rate on high-risk fire areas.
But now the state legislative budget committees have called his ante
and raised it back to him.
A final decision is waiting passage of a budget and the governor’s
signature. Until then, the total 2008-09 budget and the insurance
surcharge remain in limbo.
“It’s too early to tell if this will be part of the final budget,” said
Assemblyman John Benoit (R-64). “The conference committee is four
Democrats and two Republicans and has no bearing on what can actually
be passed on the floor.”
Last week, the Assembly and Senate budget conferees adopted the
governor’s proposal, but doubled the rate. This should generate more
than $200 million for fire protection in State Regulated Areas, of
which Idyllwild is one.
The Assembly Budget Committee estimated that the surcharge would add
$25 to insurance policies in high-risk fire areas and about $13 for
policies on property in low-risk areas.
“We’re concerned about the level of fire protection, particularly in
areas like Idyllwild,” Benoit said. “But this really is a way of using
a fee on insurance policies instead of a tax to offset the overspending
in the general fund.”
The current fire siege has already exhausted state funds and most of
the U.S. Forest Service’s firefighting money. Supplemental funding will
be needed at both levels. The state has already requested more federal
disaster funding.
California’s two senators, Boxer and Feinstein, have already written
President George W. Bush requesting more money for federal firefighting
agencies. On July 10, nine days later, Feinstein wrote Sen. Robert Byrd
(D-WV), Senate Appropriations Committee chair, requesting $910 million
for the Forest Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior. Nearly
two-thirds of the total is for fire suppression activities.
While several 2008-09 federal appropriation bills are advancing through
Congress, the Forest Service legislation is held up because of the
debate over additional oil and gas drilling on federal lands and
offshore. Possible Republican amendments forced Democratic leadership
to withdraw the Interior and Related Agency appropriation bill, which
includes funding for the Forest Service.
Web Site designed by the Idyllwild
Town Crier © 1995-2007 by Idyllwild Publications
WEBMASTER
|
