I spent several days in Orlando recently at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Fall 2010 National Meeting. As I listened in at various committee meetings and task forces, I was struck by how often Florida came up in discussions: "Florida is the critical player here." "What did Florida do?" "How did Florida react?"

The emphasis was not altogether due to our state's size or geography. Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty is a very big player in this very significant arena. Love him or hate him, he is no dilettante. He understands the complex world of insurance and is an incredibly hard worker. For that, he is well respected in NAIC circles, evident by his selection as the 2011 president-elect of the group. However, being well respected does not confer favorite-son status on Florida or McCarty; the attitude that other regulators and states have about Florida is not necessarily positive. His election may be due more to the fact that NAIC is dominated by pro-regulatory states than admiration for how Florida oversees our industry.

Indeed, the environment here is awful, although that is not entirely McCarty's fault. Gov. Charlie Crist has almost single-handedly destroyed the state's property insurance market. We should all offer up a prayer of thanks that we have had no major storms during his term.