Insurance pick

Columbia Daily Tribune

Incoming Gov. Matt Blunt had been impressive with early round personnel decisions. He was aggressive and decisive, and if some thought too much so, the general impression was of gubernatorial leadership and strength. ...

But he made a big mistake with the outright favoritism shown in his process for selecting a new director for the Department of Insurance.

The director has a clear job description: to represent the interests of the public by overseeing and regulating the insurance industry. The director should be fair to the industry, but his primary duty is to impose discipline. ... However, Blunt proceeded as if he thinks the job of the director is to protect the industry

Tort-reform advocates were not happy with statistics released during the Holden administration showing damage awards in Missouri lawsuits during recent years were lower than in previous years and did not reach the level of proposed tort reform damage caps, indicating reforms would not necessarily produce lower premium rates as claimed by tort-reform advocates.

Now, apparently, the new governor has concocted a process for selecting a new director who will make no such "error." This is bad stuff. The job of the director of insurance is to be skeptical and analytical, not openly supportive of the industry. ...