Louisiana insurance market recovering, state-run insurer has less risk

In marked contrast to the bellicose approach of Florida officials under Gov. Charlie Crist, Louisiana, in the down insurance market on the southern Coast after Hurricane Katrina, decided on the soft sell. In one way, you could say, Louisiana didn't have a lot of choice. Unlike a big, populous state such as Florida, Louisiana like most states has little leverage with insurance companies -- if it threatens to shut them out or impose onerous or stupid regulations, insurers don't lose all that much by packing up their suitcases. When you're the fourth guy off the bench on a basketball team, your threats to quit if you don't get your way are insufficiently persuasive.However, reality often has little to do with the course of conduct of politicians and their sort, so Louisiana could hav