Texts weaponized by hackers and containing malicious code or links are becoming an increasing problem in Florida as people continue to click on them.

The latest example is the “Toll” text, which may read: “You failed to pay your toll, and you will be fined or arrested unless you click here.” Please do not click.

Protect yourself from hackers harvesting your data. I won’t delve into that issue further, so let’s focus on something we should all be grateful for every day as citizens of the United States: the American Dream.

Throughout the various phases of my journey — education, ten seasons of The Sopranos, work, marriage, Gator football seasons, houses, condos, pets, and family — the American Dream has always played a role in my life. While I may not have fully recognized these blessings in my younger years, I appreciate the gift of being an American more as I grow older.

The dictionary defines the American Dream as: “the ideal that every citizen of the United States should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.” You can learn more about the immigration process into the United States from the American Immigration Council.

As a kid in the ’80s, I often heard people discussing the American Dream. The message was clear: work hard, study hard, and you can enjoy the rewards.

However, the first time I recall seeing the phrase in print was not in history books or on the news; it was when I read the collected works of Hunter Thompson in the ’90s. “Savage Journey into the Heart of the American Dream” was a recurring theme in his work, particularly in the Las Vegas book and movie. I don’t think he was referring to the opportunity to climb the corporate ladder or own a home. The Godfather of Gonzo Journalism’s meaning was elusive, but it made for entertaining reading. “We came out here to find the American Dream, and now that we’re right in the vortex, you want to quit … You must realize that we’ve found the main nerve,” Thompson writes in “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.”

One person who embodies the actual American Dream of homeownership and provides that opportunity to his clients is a Florida developer named Hadi Boulos. When Hadi arrived in Tallahassee in the 1990s at Maclay School, he mentioned that the first two people he met were Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey and me, as John and I welcomed Hadi on his first day. What a warm reception! Hadi remarked that we were both very kind. (We discuss this story and more in our latest podcast with Boulos.)

Years later, when I asked him about that initial meeting and the years that followed, he reflected positively on our kindness. Although high school had its ups and downs, athletic triumphs, and academic successes, the rest of Hadi’s journey was more complex as he left war-torn Lebanon to seek peace and chase his dreams in our state.

The phrase ” American Dream” was first articulated in 1931 in James Truslow Adams’ book “Epic of America.” He defined it as “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” The essence of the American Dream is to pursue upward mobility and lead a fulfilling life.

I found two resources while researching this column that I loved. Writer Jeffery McNeil, who came to Washington, D.C., broke and homeless, is now a successful author. He asserts that the American Dream isn’t about getting rich; it’s about living life on your own terms, a freedom we still enjoy every single day. Additionally, an NPR piece profiles former President Barack Obama, describing his story as the embodiment of the American Dream.

Netflix also produced a documentary on our current President titled “Trump: An American Dream.” Both leaders have certainly experienced remarkable journeys.

The American Dream means different things to different people, so I asked Hadi what it means to him and his business. He shared, “Building the American Dream is the mindset that with hard work and dedication, anyone can achieve the goal of homeownership, creating a foundation for themselves and future generations. This vision involves building a life, security, a place to raise a family, pursue dreams, and develop a sense of community and belonging through love and commitment.”

Not long ago, I had the opportunity to tour our high school alma mater, Maclay School, with Hadi and our head of school, James Milford.

As we passed by many old trophies from the sports teams of the ’90s, Hadi mentioned that he had earned a title on the tennis team; however, we didn’t see that trophy. After the tour, James went into the school’s storage and found that trophy, sending it to Hadi at his office.

The gesture was incredibly thoughtful and adds a meaningful chapter to the story of Maclay’s role and the connection Hadi and I share in our respective American Dreams.

For me, the American Dream could involve hosting a podcast, leading a company, choosing to live in Florida, or even enjoying a jazz record on a cold Sunday afternoon while reading “Expeditionary Force.“

Thank you, Hadi Boulos, for your friendship; thank you, Hunter Thompson, for your thought-provoking insights; and thank you, President Ronald Reagan, for our closing thoughts today as we all pursue our individual versions of the American Dream together.

“The dreams of people may differ, but everybody wants their dreams to come true. And America, above all places, gives us the freedom to do that.” — President Reagan.

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As an insurance agent serving Florida homeowners for decades, I have seen firsthand how the challenges of our state’s insurance market impact policyholders.

A recent article in the Tampa Bay Times by Laurence Mower presents an incomplete and misleading view of our industry. It implies that insurers are funneling money to investors while crying poor.

That narrative is not just inaccurate — it’s reckless.

Mower’s reporting relies on half-truths, cherry-picked data, and a blatant disregard for the structural realities of Florida’s insurance market. His article is a textbook example of sensationalist journalism that ignores hard facts in favor of a clickbait narrative that fuels public anger while doing nothing to solve the real issues at hand.

The reality of rising costs for policyholders

I don’t need a report to tell me what my clients already know and what I’ve seen every day for over five years — insurance rates have gone up, and coverage options have become more limited. But the reasons behind these increases are often misunderstood.

Mower’s article suggests that insurers are manipulating their finances to justify rate hikes, ignoring the real factors at play: massive legal abuse, skyrocketing reinsurance costs, aggressive and blatantly fraudulent roofing claims, and a market that has seen multiple companies fail in just a few years.

For years, Florida’s insurance market has been crippled by excessive lawsuits and roof fraud. Prior to recent reforms, our state accounted for nearly 80% of all homeowners insurance litigation in the U.S., even though we made up just 9% of claims.

The cost of these lawsuits didn’t just hurt insurance companies — it was passed down to every homeowner in the form of higher premiums. As an agent, I’ve seen long-time clients struggle with these increases through no fault of their own, and I’ve had to explain why their choices are shrinking. And it’s awful.

The essential role of MGAs in Florida’s market

One of Mower’s most misleading claims is his attack on Managing General Agents (MGAs), which he paints as a tool for insurers to extract profits at the expense of policyholders. This argument is not just false — it’s dangerously ignorant.

The MGA structure is the backbone of Florida’s insurance market, ensuring that private insurers can operate efficiently in one of the highest-risk insurance environments in the world.

Why MGAs are critical to Florida’s market stability

Florida is unique in that its extreme hurricane risk makes it a financial minefield for insurers. Large national carriers have largely pulled back from the state, unwilling to bear the catastrophic exposure, leaving Floridians dependent on a network of smaller, specialized domestic insurers.

These insurers rely on MGAs to provide essential operational functions, including:

• Underwriting Expertise: MGAs ensure that risk is assessed accurately, and policies are priced appropriately, preventing financial instability that could lead to mass insurer failures.
• Claims Management Efficiency: In a state where hurricanes can lead to tens of thousands of simultaneous claims, MGAs provide the infrastructure to process claims swiftly and fairly.
• Reinsurance Procurement: MGAs negotiate reinsurance agreements, a necessity for any insurer operating in Florida’s high-risk environment. Without effective reinsurance strategies, insurers would be unable to pay claims after a major storm, leaving homeowners unprotected.
• Policy Administration and Compliance: MGAs handle policy issuance, regulatory compliance, and administrative functions, allowing insurance companies to focus on financial stability.

The economic reality: MGAs attract capital

One of the most critical but least understood aspects of MGAs is their role in attracting private investment to Florida’s insurance market.

Without a structured system that allows for investor returns, capital would flee the state, leaving homeowners with even fewer choices. We don’t get a pass on the economic reality of operating a business just because we don’t like it.

Former Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty has explicitly stated that MGAs are indispensable in keeping Florida’s market afloat.

Similarly, Jeff Grady, former CEO of the Florida Association of Insurance Agents (FAIA), has warned that dismantling the MGA structure would “kill the only thing that we have left, which is the manner in which we bring capital to our state.”

The reality is simple: If MGAs are overregulated or dismantled, Florida’s private insurance capacity will collapse, driving even more homeowners into Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, the state-run insurer of last resort.

Exposing Mower’s reckless journalism

Laurence Mower’s article doesn’t just misinform — it actively undermines efforts to solve Florida’s insurance crisis. His claims rely on selective reporting, ignoring key industry realities while cherry-picking data that fits his predetermined narrative.

Mower fails to acknowledge that every MGA contract is rigorously reviewed and approved by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) to ensure fairness. He neglects to mention that MGAs are essential to keeping insurers solvent, and he blatantly ignores the role that rampant litigation, roof fraud, and reinsurance costs have played in driving up rates. He glides right by the comment that many affiliated companies poured back almost $700 million to the insurance companies in order to keep them from insolvency.

By focusing on a sensational attack on insurers, Mower diverts attention from the real issues: the trial bar’s exploitation of the legal system, the billions lost to frivolous lawsuits, the abusive and fraudulent roof replacement schemes, and the increasing cost of catastrophic reinsurance. These are the true drivers of Florida’s insurance crisis — not the necessary and well-regulated role of MGAs.

The path forward: Smarter solutions, not misguided attacks

Rather than feeding into misleading narratives like Mower’s, we need real solutions that address the actual problems plaguing Florida’s insurance market:

• Reducing Litigation Abuse: Florida has made progress with recent legislative reforms. Although more work is needed to curb predatory lawsuits and roof replacement schemes, we need to allow the 2022 reforms to continue to work. It took us ten years to get into this mess, and in an ultra-regulated industry, it will take more than 24 months for the effects to really be felt.
• Reinsurance Affordability Initiatives: State and federal policymakers must work to make reinsurance more affordable, ensuring that insurers can remain solvent while keeping premiums manageable.
• Protecting the MGA Structure: Lawmakers must resist reactionary policies that weaken MGAs, which are essential to keeping private insurance capital in Florida.

The bottom line is that MGAs are not the problem — sensationalist reporting and misguided regulatory efforts are.

If we allow misinformation to drive policy decisions, we risk collapsing Florida’s still fragile insurance market. Instead of attacking the industry, we should work toward solutions that keep insurance affordable and available for homeowners.

Mower’s article does nothing to help Florida’s homeowners. At best, it’s misguided. More likely, it’s simply naïve and uninformed about business economics or the insurance industry. Either way, the narrative drawn is misleading and undermines the very reforms that could stabilize our market, bring back coverage options, and reduce rates for Florida property owners.

As an agent who sees the real impact of these policies every day, I will continue fighting for truth, transparency, and real solutions while pointing out incomplete or naive information when I see it.

___

Allen McGinniss is the principal of the McGinniss Himmel Insurance Agency, LLC.

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