[Evans, Marv]

I'll join in on this rant. I will be changing my homeowner's insurance -if I can. My premium bumped along increasing maybe $50/yr. for a long time. Year before last, it went up 38%. I talked to my insurance agent & asked how I might be able to lower the premium. He said I could get it back to the previous range by tripling my deductible - which I did, and the premium went back down to slightly higher than previously. I just received my new premium notice today. It went up by 55% over last year, and that includes the previously tripled deductible. Last year I asked a couple of agents how they could have raised my premium by 38%. Both answered, "Because they can." I live in a fire danger area in SoCal. The company I'm insured with (Farmers) doesn't write policies in the area anymore, it's the same with all other companies. Now the consensus seems to be they are raising premiums to force residents to drop policies with them. Others around here have had to go with the State sponsored program for insuring people living in fire danger areas, which I will probably opt for. President Eisenhower warned against the industrial/military complex. Now we have to worry about the political/corporate complex. I will be writing a letter sending copies to the State Insurance Commissioner, my State Senator, State Assemblyman, and CCing the insurance company. I know it will be dismissed, but at least I will feel better.