Home Bethel Island Bethel Island Business Hit with $3,468 Insurance Increase

Bethel Island Business Hit with $3,468 Insurance Increase

by ECT

For all the naysayers out there who claimed the insurance rate increase was a scare tactic, I would urge you to apologize to East County residents and our businesses as it’s only been a week and a Bethel Island business is already being hit with an increase due to the reduction of fire service.

The owner of a Bethel Island restaurant Island Joe’s said her insurance has already more than doubled in the wake of this week’s ECCFPD cuts according to the Brentwood Press.

“I should have gotten more involved” in the effort to pass Measure S, said Donna Simon, owner of Island Joe’s restaurant on Bethel Island after she was informed that her policy was jumping from $200 to $489 per month. “I don’t know what I’m going to do now.”

With an increase of $289 per month, that equates to an increase of $3,468 per year for a total of $5,868 per year. Clearly, it would have been cheaper to pay the $200.

Throughout the campaign for Measure S, the real-life example of Morgan Territory Road was ignored and overlooked by many as the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association claimed the  “scenario that doesn’t apply” to East County. Now that same scenario is playing out and those who were attacked were the ones who were actually correct when they stated Morgan Territory Road had increases of up to 400% and it could happen here.

Even the States Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones got involved by writing a Letter to the Editor urging support for Measure S when he  stated “Insurance rates will skyrocket”.

Dave Roberts, a clear opponent of Measure S, wrote many articles stating voters should not pay $2,200 per parcel over 10-years. Clearly, $3,468 increase in one year is a lot more than $2,200 over 10 years.

Island Joe’s is potentially the first of many to see an increase in the coming year.

You may also like

3 comments

Frank S Jul 5, 2012 - 3:14 pm

I would ask people next time to simply do the math. This is actually pretty telling when broke down like this. Why didn’t East County fire do this in the first place?

Barbara DuMont Jul 5, 2012 - 3:42 pm

Many of us tried to do this. The majority of the voters in east county didn’t even bother to vote. Other listened to people that had an agenda. We have no one but ourselves to blame for this mess and its only going to get worse and more costly. A tax HAS to be passed to restore our level of service to a safe level but according to people in the know, its going to take up to TWO YEARS!.

burkforoakley Jul 5, 2012 - 5:57 pm

I think we would be very lucky if it’s two years. At this point, may be longer!

Comments are closed.