http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-bonuses8feb08,0,1101565.story

From the Los Angeles Times

Reserved gratitude
A $1-million donation from Mercury Insurance to aid in LAPD hiring shouldn't become a habit.


February 8, 2008

Los Angeles needs more police officers, but they're hard to recruit because living here is so expensive. Although the pay is good, attracting officers might be easier if there were even more money to offer. Higher salaries aren't possible, though, given the city's huge budget shortfall.

City Hall's solution: Get a private donor to give money to be used for one-time signing bonuses. Mercury Insurance -- a company founded and still based in Los Angeles -- gave $1 million. Now any new LAPD recruit who completes academy training and is assigned to the department will get a bonus of $5,000. Returning officers and lateral hires will get $10,000.

The city calls on businesses to be good corporate citizens, and Los Angeles owes them a debt of thanks when they pick up the tab for civic goods ranging from playground equipment to Thanksgiving turkeys. Even deeper gratitude, then, is due Mercury for a donation that could mean safer streets for all.

Yet there is something unsettling about the city accepting such a large donation to do something that is inherently a public function. There is a saying -- don't look a gift horse in the mouth -- that means the recipient of a gift has no business inspecting the merchandise for flaws. Still, it's tempting to tell this horse to open wide and show any evidence of hidden strings or improper motive.

None present themselves. Mercury may stand to gain from insuring residents of a safer city, but there certainly is no conflict there. We'd all gain from a safer city. The donation may help Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa make good on his pledge to expand the LAPD by 1,000 cops, but so what? Those cops are for us, and there is little the mayor could do for Mercury unless he returns to Sacramento.

The disquiet comes not from Mercury's generosity but from the prospect of a city government becoming progressively more dependent on corporate gifts and donations. The past three decades have seen citizens gradually de-fund their government by voting to slash taxes. That means either downsizing the notion of what government should do or picking up the slack with requests for funding from private companies that may expect something in return. Such a trend would make donors, and not citizens, the constituents of elected officials.

Los Angeles may be choosing a better path. Voters' decision this week to retain a utility tax may be evidence that citizens still expect to be in charge of, and foot the bill for, their government. The coming city budget debates will test that theory.

Shawn Pirnia
www.expertins.com
Expert Auto Insurance Agency
Mercury Insurance Group

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Mercury General Corporation reported that on Monday, February 11, 2008, the Company will release results for its fourth quarter and twelve month period ended December 31, 2007. The Company will host an investor conference call and webcast that same day at 10:00 A.M. Pacific Time (1:00 P.M. Eastern Time) to review the Company's results of operations for the fourth quarter and twelve month period ended December 31, 2007.

All interested investors will be able to access the conference call at (877) 807-1888 (USA), (706) 679-3827 (International) or the webcast at http://www.mercuryinsurance.com. A replay of the call will be available beginning at 1:30 P.M. Pacific Time and running through February 18, 2008. The replay telephone numbers are (800) 642-1687 (USA) or (706) 645-9291 (International). The conference ID# is 31139571. The replay will also be available on the Company's website shortly following the call.

Mercury General Corporation and its subsidiaries are a multiple line insurance organization offering predominantly personal automobile and homeowners insurance through a network of independent producers in many states. For more information, visit the Company's website at http://www.mercuryinsurance.com.

Mercury Insurance Group has provided the following contact number for Los Angeles County and San Diego County Wildfire Victims.
Mercury Casualty Group
1-888-913-6372

LOS ANGELES, March 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Mercury General
Corporation (NYSE: MCY) will be ringing The Opening Bell at the New York
Stock Exchange on Friday, March 9, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time (6:30
a.m. Pacific Time), commemorating its tenth anniversary of being listed on
the NYSE. Ringing the bell will be Gabriel Tirador, Mercury's CEO and
President. Tirador will be joined by Ted Stalick, Vice President and CFO,
and Chris Graves, Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, as the
Company celebrates the event.
"It is an honor to be ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock
Exchange," said Tirador. "Everyone at Mercury General is extremely proud to
be part of this great success story begun in 1961 by our founder and
Chairman, Mr. George Joseph, and we will continue to focus on building
shareholder value while striving to provide our policyholders with low
rates and the best possible service."
The ringing of The Opening Bell can be viewed live beginning at 9:25
a.m. Eastern Time (6:25 a.m. Pacific Time) on the NYSE home page at
http://www.NYSE.com.
Mercury General Corporation is a multiple-line insurance organization
offering predominantly personal automobile and homeowners insurance through
a network of independent agents in California, Florida, New
Jersey, Texas, Arizona, New York, Georgia, Oklahoma, Illinois, Michigan,
Nevada, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Mercury concentrates its operations on building and improving long-term
shareholder value through careful underwriting, strict cost control and
efficient claims management, which support affordable, competitive
automobile insurance rates

The process of filing an auto insurance claim is regulated by the California Department of Insurance, but the best execution of it prevails in the market. In a very competitive auto insurance market, great service from the claims department can set an insurance company apart from the pack. This is a goal of all good insurers, so good service is the norm. Drivers’ Rights Under the Fair Claims Settlement Practices Regulations of the California Department of Insurance (www.insurance.ca.gov) mandate that insurance companies are required to do a lot for drivers, including the following:



• Advise you of all benefits, coverage, time limits, or other provisions of your insurance policy.



• Acknowledge claim, start investigation, provide forms and instructions, and provide reasonable assistance immediately, but in no event later than 15 days after receiving notice of claim. (Notice of claim is any written or oral communication to the insurance company that reasonably apprises the insurer that you wish to make a claim.)



• Respond to communications received from you immediately, but in no event later than 15 days.



• Accept or deny the claim immediately, but in no event later than 40 days after receiving proof of claim. (Proof of claim is documentation in your possession which provides any evidence of the claim and supports the magnitude or the amount of the loss such as estimates of repair or police report indicating theft of your vehicle, et cetera.)



• Pay reasonable towing expenses, unless the insurer has provided you with the name of a specific towing company prior to your using a towing facility.



• Offer a fair settlement. If you suffered a total loss, settlement must include taxes, license and transfer fees. The settlement must reflect the value of comparable deductions from the settlement for salvage and must be fair, measurable, and discernable.



• Pay the claim no later than 30 days from the date settlement was reached on an accepted claim.



• Advise you whether or not they will pursue subrogation. If the insurance company pursues subrogation, they must include your deductible unless you have already recovered your deductible.

What To Expect after An Accident-IMPACT ON PREMIUMS:
-Tips From Mercury Insurance-

The process of establishing auto insurance premiums is very complex, and each accident is analyzed with considerations for many variables, including but not limited to fault, history of accidents, moving violations, and auto insurance claims, as well as age, car type and much more.

Not Your Fault: If the accident is not your fault, it is the first in which you have been involved, and your driving history is free of moving violations and/or insurance claims, you may have no premium increase at all.

Your Fault with Property Damage: If the accident is your fault and caused property damage only, you do not lose the good driver discount, but might see an increase in your premium.

Your Fault with Bodily Injury: If you injure someone and are at fault, you lose your good driver discount and could see an increase of 20% to 25% depending on your company.

Non-Renewal & Cancellation: Your company may also decide not to renew your policy if your driving record gets markedly worse or you have several accidents. Different insurers have different rules about what constitutes an unacceptably bad driving record. But some accidents, such as those caused by drunk driving, will probably trigger a non renewal from virtually every insurance company.

In General: Practices vary from company to company. In general, an insurer will increase your premium by specific percentages for each chargeable claim made against your policy above a specific dollar amount. A chargeable claim is one the insurer considers primarily your fault. The percentages and ceilings vary from company to company. These increases generally stay on your premium for three years following the claim.

SAVE MONEY & TIME:
If the claim you are reporting is under the deductible you can still save money and time with repairs, as many insurance companies will arrange work such as windshield replacement at your location. Insurance companies may also extend to policyholders their volume buying power, much better than an individual will find.

AVOID STRESS AND A NIGHTMARE SCENARIO:
Professionals can spot red flags and are trained to deal with people and resolve problems – it takes the adversarial aspect