A.M. in the Morning!: fair elections

$250,000 contribution to Mississippians for Fair Elections

OXFORD, MISS (July 31, 2007)--Today, I am announcing that I have contributed $250,000 to Mississippians for Fair Elections, an organization that was created to raise awareness about the role the Insurance Commissioner plays in the everyday lives of Mississippians.

The amount I have contributed may seem like a lot of money. But, it is nothing in comparison to the millions that insurance companies are refusing to pay to help Mississippians rebuild their homes and businesses or the millions big insurance pays to influence politicians at the expense of homeowners.

Big insurance has its voice in George Dale. Now, it's time for consumers to have a voice. I am donating this money as an advocate for families who continue to be abused by big insurance. That abuse is not limited to the residents of the Coast. Big insurance has proven it will abuse victims of tornados, ice storms, fires and illness with the same arrogance and contempt they have shown to hurricane victims.

I have contributed to this effort because it's past time for us to have an Insurance Commissioner who works for the people instead of the big insurance bosses. George Dale has been coached by big insurance for years on what he should say. He even turns to their lobbyist for free legal help. When you listen to his comments and statements, it sounds like he is reading a script written by big insurance. He consistently parrots their distorted numbers on claims paid. He never mentions the $68 billion in profits they made in 2006 or the hundreds of millions in bonuses paid last year to big insurance CEOs. Instead, he went so far last month as to imply that Katrina put a burden on the insurance industry.

Every word George Dale says probably comes from some speech writer in the Mid-Western headquarters of big insurance. They tell him what to say and how to regulate. Of course they are coaching him now to say he is running against me. But he is not. George Dale is running against Gary Anderson, Mike Chaney and other candidates who want to work for consumers, not the big insurance companies. By attempting to divert attention from the real issues in the race, George Dale is once again running from his record as the voice of big insurance.

Contact:
For more information, visit scruggskatrinagroup.com on the web
For media inquires, please contact Scruggs Katrina Group at: 662 528 2922
Send emails to: scruggskatrinagroup@gmail.com

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About the Scruggs Katrina Group

The Scruggs Katrina Group is a legal team consisting of Mississippi attorneys from the following firms: Don Barrett, Marshall H. Smith, Jr. and David McMullan, Jr. of the Barrett Law Office; Richard Scruggs, Sid Backstrom and Zach Scruggs of the Scruggs Law Firm; Dewitt Lovelace of the Lovelace Law Firm; and David Nutt, Mary E. ("Meg") McAlister and Derek Wyatt of Nutt & McAlister, PLLC.

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