America needs "super dooper disaster insurance", that every home owner has to buy

[SoCalDem]

Too many states do not have income taxes or a "rainy day fund", and when the disasters come (no matter what kind they are...all states have to potential to have them), there will be a ready pool of money waiting to help..

Every state has property taxes, and the fees could be assessed with them.

By everyone participating the rate could be rather low (compared to flood zone ratings)..

Regular insurance would still be required ..this would be in place of flood insurance, and would be available for ANY natural disaster..

[guillaumeb]

1. Almost like an insurance program for health that tax dollars would support?

Texas has no state income tax.

What if taxes went to a government agency, similar to Social Security, that would administer this fund and eliminate the profit motive and typical insurance company overhead?

[onethatcares]

2. being in Florida

this works for me. Hurricane/wind insurance/ tornado insurance/flood(both river and coastal)/ fire for the forested areas, and you know the list can go on and on.

Count me in.

E Pluribus Unum.............correct?

[vlyons]

3. individual mandate

It's called an individual mandate, just like the ACA had, and which the T-party people whined and bitched about relentlessly. The Republican ideal way is to have no regulations, or zoning, or business taxes to maximize private profits. Then when disaster strikes, taxpayers can pay for cleaning up the damage. It's called maximize profits and socialize costs.

[ProudLib72]

4. How are you going to keep the politicians

from going after those funds? They are just sitting there. It's too tempting. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but there are plenty of examples of cities and states needing funds and finding out they've gone somewhere they shouldn't.

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. Absolutely. Cause they will. they always have. n/t

[stopbush]

5. On a sliding scale, of course. If you choose to live in a high-risk zone,

it costs you more. If you live in a low-risk zone, it costs you less.

OR, we could do what we do now: offer flood and other disaster insurance to people in high-risk zones. Make it mandatory.

[dbackjon]

6. Some of us like living in areas with little chance of such disasters

Like Phoenix

Little risk from Earthquakes, Floods (building in Flood plains prohibited), Tornados, Hurricanes, etc.



Let's get good planning and zoning first - DON'T build on flood plains, don't build on barrier islands, don't build on the beach, etc.


Then I will happily contribute. But don't brag about your beachhouse, then beg for help rebuilding. Don't keep rebuilding in a flood plain.

[Motley13]

7. I find you can buy hurricane insurance in Wyoming, earthquake insurance in Florida

Does Hawaii get tornadoes? If not, they can get insurance.

[wryter2000]

8. You can buy earthquake insurance in CA

No one can afford it.

[Demsrule86]

10. That sounds like a tax ...no GOP would go for it.

[procon]

11. That's the major flaw in everything Republicans stand for.

It wasn't always so, Republicans had no problems supporting taxes that were for the greater public good, and then Reagan came along.

The government has vast responses to call upon, and it has enormous clout in purchasing power and the ability to organize nationwide distribution and oversight. That ability tops anything an individual or the private sector can do, and when government programs can benefit the majority of the populous, we should take advantage of it.

The government should be using tax money to uplift people, but somehow Republicans rewrote the script so that the government only works for the benefit of the wealthy few and Big Biz.