Rambling About Gambling

I began gambling at age 23, greener than a dollar bill at planning my financial security. I knew chances of winning were against me but I succumbed to the temptation strictly because newly found friends had invited me to participate in what they viewed as entertainment at the Sanford-Hernando Kennel Club.

It was then that I was faced with placing my hard earned dollars across a betting window at the Sanford-Orlando Kennel Club. It was also then that I came to appreciate the exquisite, intelligent design of greyhounds. They’re not as stately as horses but their physique is envious. If only I could have a waistline like that proportionate to my stature!

I had no idea what I was doing. The racing form was filled with an array of numbers - a history of past wins, places and shows – plus body weights and daily odds. It was all gobbledygook to me. So I resorted to placing my first bet solely on a hunch by the name of the greyhound. There was no rationale whatsoever. Regardless, my chances of winning were about as good as they could get.

I was standing in line, anticipating my initial experience at a betting window. Yes, I was a bit nervous. When I got to the betting window, I made my choice. With the noisy distractions of the crowd, I thought he couldn’t hear me so I repeated the numbers.

When he said, “four dollars”, I was speechless. I hadn’t intended to double the risk factor but here I was with two tickets with the same numbers. This was a very costly mistake. I gambled twice as much as I had wanted, now 20% of my overall acceptable risk.

I couldn’t share my faux pas with my friends. I was alarmed, ready to call it a day at the races and leave, but I put on a show of anticipated joy. I soon heard the words, “Watch the bunny” with an inflection similar to “Here’s Johnny”.

It wasn’t one of those moments when nervous tension makes it seem like time has come to a standstill. Before I knew it, the race was over and my dog was the winner! Momentarily speechless, my jubilation was soon apparent when I announced to my friends that beginner’s “luck of the Scottish” had made me a winner. The tickets rewarded me with $45 each! By the end of the day, I was still pleased to go home with a good amount of winnings in my pocket.

Since then I’ve been taken to a floating gambling casino in Illinois, the Santa Anita Race Track and a few visits to Las Vegas. My biggest win came in 1989 shortly after moving back to Florida after a ten-year period of personal mobility. The moves were risky in themselves but I always came out ahead. This time, I had beaten the odds of choosing five out of six numbers in the Florida Lottery. I cashed in on $1200 in winnings! Today’s dollar values would make it twice as much.

Since then, lady luck has avoided me, most recently putting my financial security at undeserving risk. With no exception, every homeowner in Florida is unjustly in the same situation.
The cause? First it was Jeb. Charlie has followed suit. Citizens Property Insurance is the culprit, drummed up by the Florida Legislature in 2002 for homeowners unable to otherwise obtain coverage in high-risk (coastal) areas.

When I recently reviewed my insurance renewal charges I decided to check out other options for coverage. Come to find out, since few companies are writing new policies, my sole option would be Citizens. My insurance agent forewarned me that Citizens’ rates are currently frozen. In 2010 the fees will most likely double. I nixed the idea, just as I did with thoughts of increasing the hurricane deductible from $2K to $10K. I could save about $500 in yearly premiums. I heard a voice telling me “Don’t do it!” It wasn’t my subconscious telling me - I was talking out loud to myself.

Like a jilted lover, private insurers are most likely to refuse to take back homeowners who choose to switch to the government-owned competitor.

The problem is that politicians and lobbyists in Tallahassee are clueless on risk management. Casino gambling is an individual’s choice but when it comes to protecting the value of a home it’s more than just poor judgment blatant disregard for the financial well being of the homeowner.

Forgoing flood insurance coverage when you’re not in a flood zone is one thing but eliminating sinkhole coverage could be a living nightmare to a homeowner. When you live in a state that assumes the risk of a heavy hurricane season without having sufficient funds to pay for claims, the additional liability is eventually billed to its citizens.