Yesterday, the Livingston Daily published a spot-on commentary from Paul Mueller, president of Citizens Insurance, a large local employer in Howell, MI.  Mueller called into question some items from a recent article about auto insurance in Michigan and the state's "Insurance Advocate," Butch Hollowell, and responded with... wait for it... facts.

Mueller wrote:

The legislation, which is currently under consideration, would damage competition among the state's auto insurers and do little to actually address the main factors contributing to high insurance premiums. These main factors include the requirement, under our current no-fault system, for Michigan drivers to purchase unlimited medical benefits (outside Michigan, the highest limit that is required is $50,000); the absence of a dedicated fraud-fighting resource; and the lack of a collision deductible on most hit-while-parked claims.

In fact, the effect of the proposed changes would produce little more than cost shifting — high-risk drivers would pay less, and good drivers would pay more. Consumers would be ill-served by such an approach, which is fundamentally unfair.

And then concluded:

We think the state should also do its part to provide Michigan consumers with value for their money, by taking real and responsible action to fix the main problems that are driving high costs for auto insurance — implementing medical-fee schedules and utilization-management protocols; prosecuting fraud; and by giving consumers the choice of how much no-fault coverage to carry on their policy.

Facts.  What a novel idea.