Political elbows aimed at auto insurance reform

December 9, 2007

THE BOSTON Globe and the attorney general are playing politics with auto insurance reform rather than reporting facts about managed competition ("So much for insurance savings," Editorial, Dec. 2).

There is no credible evidence to support the claim that rates would have decreased by 11 percent if the commissioner had continued to set the rates.

The Globe should have informed readers that the attorney general's recommended rate reductions that were part of the old state-set rate determination process were always considerably higher than the final rate approved by the insurance commissioner. In fact, in 2006 when the previous attorney general was seeking higher office, the recommended rate decrease was twice what was finally approved.

The Globe also should have noted that despite the frequently large differences under the old system between the attorney general's rate recommendations and the final rates as determined by the commissioner, the attorney general almost never challenged those final rates in court, and when he did, he invariably lost.

The rate recommendations of the attorney general are political posturing. Come April, deserving drivers, good drivers - young, old, urban, and suburban - will experience rate decreases that will dwarf all of our political expectations.

ROBERT P. SPELLANE Representative 13th Worcester DistrictBoston
The writer is vice chairman of the Joint Committee on Financial Services.