According to the Rocky Mountain News, the goal is to carve carbon dioxide emissions in an amount equivalent to removing 500,000 cars from the road.

While some parts of the idea may be popular, the News says there are parts that may be controversial: fines on heavy users of energy, and automobile insurance premiums based on miles traveled. The plan, which will be at the center of Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper’s campaign for a second term, is the result of several months of meetings between business and community groups and city planners. One driving force behind the “climate action plan,” was the fear that increased global warming could put Colorado at risk of more droughts and forest fires.

Elements of the view, according to the News, include energy efficiency standards for new home and older homes; incentives for carpools and for the exercise of fuel efficient hybrid cars; encouraging recycling and charging residents for the trash they throw away; as well as the fines on heavy users of energy and insurance premiums tied to miles traveled.

Other Colorado cities have already worked to reduce the amount of trash that ends up in landfills, the source of methane gas which is seen as contributing to global warming. Fort Collins, for example, estimates that its plan-charging for trash disposed of rather than recycled-has led to 30% of the trash being recycled compared to the time prior to the original plan. The city’s ultimate goal is to see 50% of the trash being recycled.

There have been some dramatic results, according to Susie Gordon, an environmental planner for Fort Collins. As she told the News, “The most considerable difference is that you used to see people with 15 bags of lawn clippings on the street; you don’t see that anymore.”

Some Denver citizens have adopted a wait-and-see attitude. One is City Councilwoman, Jeanne Faatz, who told the News, “I want to hear more about how they inquire this to play out. When government mandates the stick on private industry it concerns me. I’m not sure you have to manipulate markets to bring about desired results.”

Denver joins other cities that are committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including Seattle, Portland and Chicago. As the News reports, more than 525 mayors, including Denver’s Hickenlooper, have signed an agreement pledging themselves to gash emissions by 2012.

Sources:

Rocky Mountain News, Denver targets global warming, www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5580343,00.html

www.drudgereport.com/

When you are shopping around for auto insurance you want to obtain clear you get the best value for the price, so you will want to gather quotes from different auto insurance companies. You can get free auto quotes from many different auto insurance carriers. These are the best ways to get free quotes for your auto insurance policy.

One of the best ways to get a free auto insurance quote is online. When you shop for free auto insurance quotes online you will not need to talk to anybody from the insurance company unless you want to. You will need to provide some basic information about you and your car. If you are disturbed about providing your personal information online invent definite the auto insurance website is a secure website.

You will begin by filling out a form asking several questions about you and your car. First they will ask basic information about your car including the make, model, and year. Then they will want some information about you and your driving habits, providing your driver’s license number or your social security number is optional, but will help you get a more accurate quote. That’s all there is to it, you will then either get an instant auto insurance quote, or the company will send you a quote by email.

Getting free auto insurance quotes is important because it lets you compare not just the prices, but the actual insurance rates and services provided. Once you have your insurance quote you can decide which policy is best for you based on the price and the type of insurance provided.

Communication

One of the most important elements of motivation is communication. Without communication within the workplace, virtually nothing will be accomplished. This aspect of motivation is one that stems all the way back to the hiring process of each employee. During this process, it is best for managers to explain rules and regulations and ask as many questions as possible before choosing to hire that sure applicant. Colorful a person’s social background and their interests is crucial, as a manager shouldn’t hire a potential drug dealer or compulsive gambler.

Developing feedback from employees is also plays a very critical role in motivation, and also falls under the category of communication. It’s essential to know what counts and to what degree by asking yourself, “are safe and at-risk behaviors discussed regularly – on the spot, as soon as they occur? ” (Johnson 2005). “Performance is enhanced when people know what they’re doing well and where they can improve” (Jerus 2003). Through surveys, meetings, or some other type of input gathering situation, one can properly obtain feedback. Identifying one’s desires and needs will wait on managers figure out the best ways to motivate their employees through different incentives. Feedback should be timely, accurate and comprehensive. While negative input is important, the positive must be assessed as well.

Motivational Incentives

Promising promotions and raises provides incentives for employees to work harder and increase productivity. The promise to promote an individual to a higher place within their company will usually push that employee to perform at a higher level than previously seen from them before. “Without the aspect of individual promotions or raises, employees really do not feel that it is necessary to perform at a higher level than someone else in the company” (Chang 2005). This is true at my place of work, Washington Lake Park. All employees under managerial levels work for the same wage, regardless of how efficient one is. For example, a coworker of mine and I may work to our very hardest while another coworker of mine will sit in the office for their entire duration of their shift, and yet all of us will be paid exactly the same salary. In a situation such as this, no motivation is provided for employees to work to their fullest potential.

Another type of incentive for employers to provide stems help to the hiring process. During the hiring process, managers may tell prospective new hires that they will soon receive a raise after a definite time period. “This method makes workers try as hard as possible to retain their positions, almost locking these people in” (Jerus 2003). Although it seems to be a completely bulletproof type of incentive, it also has its problems. A few years ago, I worked for a company called Amazon Café, an upcoming restaurant chain that provides many healthy alternatives to fast food. Upon being interviewed, I was told immediately that after a three-month period, I would receive a fifty-cent raise on top of what my starting salary. It occurred to me then that I would only have to force myself to please my managers to only the minimum to hold my station and still acquire the raise I was promised. Also, there was no need for me to compete with the rest of my coworkers. This is why this method is not always the best motivation technique in the workplace.

It’s becoming a very celebrated trend for many college graduates with a bachelor’s degree to continue their formal education by completing a master’s or doctoral program in their field of study. Often times, these employees will find themselves stuck because they are financially unable to pay for the required courses. This is where their company’s management steps in. If a company feels that an employee is a critical part of their team, it’s common for that company to compensate that employee to further his or her education, ultimately helping the company in the long urge. This process is a motivational incentive called “tuition reimbursement” (Ayers 2005), under which most companies will provide if these employees are achieving a ‘C’ GPA or higher. Among the biggest users are the hotel industry, business services industry (i.e. accounting/management consulting firms), and retail/wholesale trade. Those industries that offer the lowest levels of tuition reimbursement include food and tobacco, textile and apparel, lumber and paper, and printing and publishing.

One interesting incentive method old-fashioned by many companies, including world-renowned coffee blender Starbucks, is the stock option. A stock option “gives the option holder the right to buy shares of stock at a future date at a fixed price” (Schermerhorn 2005). This links ownership directly with performance, since employees holding stock options will almost always be motivated to work hard to raise the price of the company’s stock. Starbucks is one of the first companies across the globe to start using this method for its lowest-level employees. Most firms will only provide this option to the highest-ranking senior members of the company.

Stock options are one form of what are called employee fringe benefits. As defined by Schermerhorn, fringe benefits are “nonwage or nonsalary forms of compensation” (IBID). Four reasons to have employee benefits are: “to attract and hold sterling people, to preserve up with competition, to foster generous morale, and to keep employment channels open by providing opportunities for advancement and promotion as older workers retire” (King 2005). Aside from stock options, other types of employee benefits include health and dental insurance, an automobile provided by the company, childcare, disability benefits and more. For many employers, a benefit plan is an important part of total compensation, because employers either pay the entire cost of a befriend plan or have employees contribute a small portion of costs for their coverage. Many employees will continue to work for their company for the sole reason that the benefits are good, even if they’re not ecstatic with his or her current position.

More than just a nice gesture, the process of rewarding employees is an effective way to drive performance and reinforce the behaviors that help your company meet its objectives. There are two forms of rewards. The first form is internal, called intrinsic, which “are the good feelings that come from accomplishing something” (Jerus 2003). While the employee receives these kinds of rewards, managers need to communicate to their employees just how important they are. These are usually the best form of rewards for boosting morale within the workplace. Extrinsic rewards “are externally administered, and are provided by someone else” (Schermerhorn 2005). Bonuses, paid vacation time, improved status and security, free coffee breaks or lunches provided by the company, or the potential of a pay raise are all examples of extrinsic rewards. Some theorists, including Frederick Herzberg, argued that “extrinsic rewards are only hygiene factors, as they neither motivate nor de-motivate” (Ayers 2005). Of course, this does not apply to all people, but the theory is simple in its meaning: intrinsic rewards are more rewarding to people as humans because they affect them for a long period of time, and extrinsic rewards are in the long accelerate less rewarding because they are simply material. But, all people are different, so Herzberg’s theory may not apply in all cases.

Incentive Pay

Commission pay is also a great form of incentive. It’s one of many forms of what is called “incentive pay,” as it is a “payment made to employees based on the value of sales achieved” (Chang 2004). The main advantage of commission from an employee’s point of view is that it enables high performing sales people to accept large amounts, while the main advantage from an employer’s point of view is that the cost of wage expenses is equivalent to the value of business achieved rather than just the amount produced. This form of incentive pay is fairly common in gigantic retail stores such as Sears, Boscov’s, etc. Unfortunately, commission payment also has its drawbacks. According to Dave Johnson,

“the biggest problems with commission payment include sales people who cut corners, high commission earnings enjoyed by some of the sales team may be resented elsewhere in the business, and it is difficult to change what proves to be an over-generous commission structure without upsetting and demoralizing the sales team” (Johnson 2005).
Although it has its downsides, commission pay is still a very popular means of motivating employees to work their very hardest.

An alternative but increasingly popular style of incentive pay is the skills-based pay system. Skills-based pay “provides pay raises for years of experience, education units and university degrees” (King 2005). These variables are indirect indicators of knowledge and skills. Under this system, an employee with more education units and more experience in their state of work is assumed to have developed a greater professional expertise. It’s a new wave of motivational incentive that’s sweeping companies gargantuan and small all over the country, including companies such as Best Choose and Federal Express. This type of incentive is crucial in work environments in which knowledge is constantly being updated and new products and services are frequently being produced. In my past experience with Best Select, most of the learning that I received followed by a system such as this, in which we (associates) were tested almost daily on new technological information. Unfortunately, I wasn’t so lucky enough to ever receive promotions or raises for completing these tests. At Fed Ex, “test scores are incorporated into the employee’s performance appraisals, and pay can be increased for employees scoring high” (Schermerhorn 2005). Although I was given no raise for completion of any of those tests, I unexcited felt better about myself knowing that I wasn’t as ‘left in the dark’ anymore after taking them.

Competition in the workplace can gain for a stressful environment, but will usually make for a very productive environment. “Human beings are competitive by nature, and this also applies to the workplace because we know we won’t win anywhere with someone else always outshining us” (Different Strokes 2005). When employees see their coworkers receiving raises, promotions and rewards for luminous at work, they too will most likely feel it necessary to do whatever it takes to match whatever those coworkers are doing.

Not all motivation has to be positive. In fact, it’s sometimes more beneficial as a manager to instill some kind of fear or instability within the hearts of their employees. Punishment is “the use of an aversive unpleasant consequence following behavior, with the intention of reducing its frequency” (Chang 2004). It can pick many forms such as; criticism, reprimands, extra work, demotion or even corporal punishment for more terrible acts of unwanted behavior. “In an extreme space where an employee’s behavior is personally dangerous or excessively disruptive to the workplace, punishment may be well-known to suppress poor behavior in the short term” (Ayers 2005). However, this can be a dangerous course upon which to embark. Persistent punishment is likely to evoke dislike of the manager and the rest of the corporate environment, which in turn can lead to a withdrawal of co-operation, contribution to work accomplished or even attendance. Thus the employee fails to become an active participator. Punishment can only serve in stopping a bad behavior, never starting good one.

Morale and De-motivation

While it may be an effective means of motivation, the employ of too grand negative reinforcement in the workplace can cause depreciation in the value of workers’ morale. Employees are human beings, and as some may be more sensitive than others, they all have feelings and limits to those feelings which can only sustain a certain amount of criticism and hurt. The concept is simple – if morale is high, employees will enjoy coming to work and performing at an appropriate pace but if it is low, just the opposite will occur. “Absenteeism, humdrum performance levels, and neglect for getting things done on time are all very possible outcomes for low morale” (Johnson 2005). Keeping morale high is absolutely a key element to motivating employees. Design a positive, high morale work environment for employees that enable them to use their talents and skills.

Big-box store Best Recall is definitely an example of a company that needs to work on increasing employee morale. Of course, Best Buy does offer a stout stock option and a discount that’s absolutely mind-blowing, but nothing more than that would probably keep many employees around for more than a few months. During the short period of time that I worked for the group, I quickly discovered that not only would I have one manager to instruct me, but somewhere around five. Under the general manager of the store were four assistant managers, a manager of each department, and assistant managers to the manager of each department! Needless to say, any employee under the title of ‘associate’ such as myself was considered a serf and was treated no higher than that of an easily replaceable one. Therefore, I really never felt as though I wanted to go to work, as I was completely unmotivated and my level of morale was so coarse that I sometimes regarded Best Buy as my own personal ‘Hell on Earth.’ “If companies would just cease using this bad obtain of chain management and start enforcing head managers to focus more on employee well-being, they would be more likely to maintain valuable employees for a much elongated period of time” (Chang 2004). It’s a simple theory – profits are higher when morale is higher. Extreme morale is just one example of what’s called de-motivation.

De-motivation occurs when motivational factors are absent from the workplace. “Lack of incentives or unhappy conditions will drive any workforce out of the office and into another, sometimes regardless of employees’ salary” (Ayers 2005). Even if not highly educated, employees generally hope for some kind of psychological contract. If that is not fulfilled, serious unhappiness arises rapidly. Likewise, broken promises are guaranteed to de-motivate.

One way to analyze de-motivation is to refer to behavioral psychologist Abraham Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ theory. Diagrammed as a pyramidal chart, the Hierarchy of Needs explains in an ascending fashion how people need to be satisfied on five levels: physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization needs, respectively. Physiological, safety and social needs are considered “lower-order needs,” while like and self-actualization needs are regarded as “higher-order needs” (Schermerhorn 2005). Lower-order needs are desires for social and physical well-being, while the higher-order needs are desires for growth and psychological development. “According to Maslow, people try to satisfy the five needs in sequence. They progress step by step from the lowest level in the hierarchy up to the highest” (IBID). Based on the theory, once an employee has joyful all of these needs, he or she will operate more efficiently and managers will see an improvement in that employee’s morale.

Managers must understand that not every employee is the same. The fine boss understands this and assesses how he or she can accommodate each employee without disregarding fairness to other employees. Being respected in the workplace plays a very crucial role in heightening morale. For example, employees of foreign origin may celebrate different religious holidays than the majority of the rest of the employees and/or the manager. The importance of this must be recognized, as “distributing vacation time amongst other opportunities and benefits to these employees must be completely equivalent in comparison to what is distributed to other employees” (Johnson 2005). Once again, profits are higher when morale is higher.

Employee Engagement and Goal Setting

There is a theory that states that the leader is solely responsible for curious his or her workers and that the truly engaged employee is “one whose needs and values are aligned with their work and with their organization” (Ayers 2005). This theory is proposed by Keith A. Ayers of New York University. He argues that there are five steps to developing truly engaged employees. Firstly, one must build trust. Like most things, it does not happen fair because you’re trustworthy. People do not know how trustworthy you are until you expose it by using trust-building behaviors, as the most important behavior is trusting others. Secondly, managers must implement some sort of mentoring. “The relationship between the employee and his or her immediate manager is a critical factor in how engaged the employee will be, as employees need feedback” (IBID). Next, one must carefully use inclusion. Effective leaders know that everyone on their team has strengths, which are important for team to be successful. Fourthly, alignment is a necessary element because engaged employees feel aligned with their organizations’ purpose, values and vision. Finally, great leader focus a great deal of energy onto team development. Effective leaders ensure that all team members understand the strengths they and other members bring to the team and work on capitalizing all of these strengths. They focus on developing the leadership potential of each team member and ultimately implementing a shared approach

Your employees must be part of the goal setting process so that they will work towards the same goals that you are working toward. Your clients have to be curious enough, desperate enough, or thoughtful enough to commence and continue doing business with your company. “When they have a tremendous experience (and this is the key) with your company employees they will likely stay as long as you maintain giving them concise, educational information that will help them save money” (King 2005). Goals give direction to people in their lives, including everything from education, work, social interactions, etc. Also, they are a great procedure to establish a system of generating feedback and making the performance expectations between a subordinate and a manager distinct. “It may not always be possible to allow participation when selecting exactly which goals need to be pursued” (Schermerhorn 2005). Setting goals is a crucial part of motivating employees, as it gives them a sense of belonging and a desire to approach the “light at the end of the tunnel.”

Conclusion

Obviously, there are many forms of motivation. In this paper, I have examined various types such as effective communication, employee incentives including pay increases, promotions, benefits, stock options, commission, skills based pay, competition, negative motivation, engaging employees, and goal setting. The world’s best managers may spend some or all of these techniques. Motivation within the workplace fuels the fire in every employee’s soul. Creating and facilitating a workplace that supports motivation rewards the organization with higher personal and group productivity. It also enhances an employee’s work environment and increases the chances of retaining high-quality people for much longer periods of time. Most importantly, it is an integral part in the long-term growth, stability and success of any organization, and thus, is incumbent upon every manager to master these skills to the best of his or her ability. Effective motivators are not always leaders, but leaders are always effective motivators!

References

Schermerhorn, Management, 8^th edition, John Wiley and Sons, 2005

Johnson, Dave. 25 ways to motivate employees & power profits. Ebscohost, Vol. 39, Number 5 (May 2005).

Jerus, Robert G. The Top Ten Creating Motivation at Work. Proquest/Coachville Publications (June 2003).

Chang, Emmui. Composite effects of extrinsic motivation on work effort. ScienceDirect Abstracts, Volume 38, Issue 1 (February 2004).

Ayers, Keith E. Leading the Way. ScienceDirect Abstracts, Vol. 52, Iss. 8 (Aug 2005).

King, Ruth. Real Employee and Client Motivation. Community Mental Health Journal, Volume 37, Number 4 (August 2005), pp. 347-358

Different Strokes For Different Folks. Ebscohost Vol. 34, Iss. 4 (Jul/Aug 2005).

If “justice,” social or otherwise, is the goal of Progressives as they so often argue, then where is the justice for those of us who earn the money the Progressive movement wishes to confiscate from me in order to achieve their vision of “social justice” and “equality of outcome? “

How can taking from one who earned it and giving it to one who did not be any form of “social justice? ” Would anyone be surprised if I revealed that the familiar Liberal/Progressive term and bumper sticker, “No Justice, No Peace” is meant to be a threat as well as an admonishment? Anyone shocked by that revelation? Don’t be. As I opened this article with, “Social Justice” is a Progressive phrase used to bludgeon we non-Progressives with.

I maintain I can best note this whole article’s point with a direct quote from Saul Alinsky and his Rules for Radicals. In the opening paragraph of the book Alinsky writes, “What follows is for those who want to change the world from what it is to what they believe it should be. The Prince was written by Machiavelli for the Haves on how to hold power. Rules for Radicals is written for the Have-Nots on how to grasp it away.”(Wikipedia)

Can the reader peer the dovetailing of what I have thus far presented? The phrase about justice, and it’s indeed social justice they are addressing, and Alinsky’s points fit together like a hand and glove. Social justice is a tool to achieve a political end. Alinsky said outright “Rules for Radicals is written for the Have-Nots on how to take it [power] away.”(Wikipedia) This isn’t about the poor, the needy, or anything else they bawl as the laudable reasons for their agenda. As Alinsky states, this IS ABOUT POWER!

All this feigned pains for the have nots is bogus. It is employed by those wanting a different outcome than our nation was constituted to be. They will use any tool – lies, obfuscation, misdirection and any other weapon at their disposal – to achieve their goals. They truly adhere to “the ends justifies the means.” And based on Alinsky’s words clearly there is a political goal with regard to any phraseology that addresses justice as a component of peace.

Of course their point in the phrase is to invoke the impression that if we do not give them what they want, there will be NO peace. I mean, that is what the phrase says verbatim, moral? Methinks some real self-enamored folks think they are intimidating someone.

I ask rhetorically, do these folks actually think I will be cowed by their poking me with that amusing little stick? Anyone who reads my work knows Whippy does not like people messing with him. He especially hates it when people think they can manipulate him by cleaver turn of phrase and implication.

Or do they really mean the “no Justice, no Peace” mantra? If they do, oh boy-o-boy is this gonna be fun! Either it is a tool of intimidation, or it is a valid statement of intention – one or the other. And if it is a real statement of intention, then aren’t we really talking about violence and civil unrest? Are they really ready for the “violence and civil unrest” part? So, is this where I ask them, as my hero Cornholio asked, “Are you threatening me? “

To move this to a less personal level, do those forwarding the No Justice crap grasp, even remotely in the recesses of their brains, that there are tens of millions of Americans who will not tolerate this? We are very determined. Y’all wanna play rough, we’ll be glad to accommodate your wishes.

Take to the streets and play “Alinsky” for us. Bring your “community organizing” to our doorsteps. Hold up with the incessant denigration of our American patriotism and pride in such. Force your hand upon us. We welcome your efforts. We look forward to them. See, I know secrets many of you don’t.

Here’s a few for ya to dismiss because Whiplash is a big-mouthed blowhard: Every single day our tolerance for this lessens. Every day we grow more disgusted with what we see some wish to do to our nation. We tire of their pretending this is about those abominable have nots. We know this is about politics. We know this is the opposition using any and all methods they can lay their filthy little mitts upon to salvage what they want. And every day our numbers grow by leaps and bounds.

The only thing that goes wrong for them, those desirous of this Alinsky-type change, is that they under-estimate their quarry – that would be me and tens and tens of millions of other Americans who feel similar to the feelings I am expressing. These usurpers are clueless as to the hill they will need to climb to do what they want.

When it comes to peace and justice, I and multiple tens of millions of Americans do not adhere to the Alinsky vision of that concept. Instead we see it as an outright attack and attempt to destroy us and our nation and way of life. Do these usurpers think we are fools that will fair stand around, our hands buried deep in our pockets because we do not know how to respond? Wonderful luck with that.

The usurpers first mistake was trying to manipulate us. Their second mistake was to ever imply that their justice mantra had the weight of force behind it to “force” into reality that which they so desire. Their third mistake was to ever leave any impression that they can “make” us do what they want, and to intimate ‘no peace” as a tool for forcing us by implied violence to go along.

Based on Alinsky’s words there is no doubt as to what they favor and are seeking to employ Machiavellian methods to reach their ends, and they are intentionally using ambiguous language to force compliance.

Folks, this is a scream threat to this nation, its social structure and its longevity. It is implied, but it is clearly stated as well. How else can one interpret “No Justice, No Peace? ” If they do not get the “justice” they think is due, they will cause “peace” to go away, is all I can gather from the phrase. That’s a threat.

And to close, I will leave you with another passage from Wikipedia’s page on good ol’ Saul Alinsky, that great Commie Bastard…er, I mean American – “Alinsky’s teachings influenced Barack Obama in his early career as a community organizer on the far South Side of Chicago. Working for Gerald Kellman’s Developing Communities Project, Obama learned and taught Alinsky’s methods for community organizing.” (Wikipedia)

Sooooo …. who is the head honcho of all this nonsense? Ya got me – I haven’t a clue, and as the Lefties will tell ya, ol’ Whiplash is clueless.

SOURCES: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul_Alinsky

To net the most affordable insurance rate you must shop around and compare policies. It will take some time to find the best coverage for you, at the lowest price.

Before you open comparing rates, find out your state’s just requirements for car insurance. States vary with the amount and type of coverage needed. To find the insurance rate that suits your needs, you need numerous quotes from multiple insurance carriers. When comparing rates and companies, make sure you are comparing and being quoted similar policies for similar insurance coverage.

The internet has made finding car insurance rates easier and faster. Most online insurance services will even provide you with free quotes, making it easier to pick up car insurance rates from multiple insurance carriers. Most of these sites simply ask you to enter the policy amount, the type of coverage, and the preferred deductible. It’s always a good idea to ask for several quotes with different criteria, check some with higher deductibles and some with lower liability. Compare the quotes for the price and coverage that matches your budget.

By taking the time to shop around and compare prices, you are sure to find a policy that will attach you money and give you the best coverage. Remember, the best car insurance can mean different things to different people. By shopping around, you will come by the best insurance rate and policy tailored to your needs.

Flo - Flo, the upbeat Progressive Insurance salesgirl who sells insurance in a bright, white, afterlife-ish world, has become a runaway hit with ad watchers. Just be forewarned: her white outfit is one of the Halloween costume ideas here that’s easiest to bag dirty. To enact her high hairstyle, you can part your hair to the side and employ a Bumpits with a blue headband in front of your bump. Then all you need is a white shirt, white jeans, blue Converse sneakers, a white apron, and a “tricked-out” nametag that says “FLO”. For makeup, wear bright red lipstick and counterfeit eyelashes. Give yourself a smoky eye with gun-metal gray eyeshadow and black eyeliner, extending the line you draw out from the corner of your eyes just a bit to create a classic cat eye look. Since Flo is such a friendly and helpful character, this is one of the best Halloween costume ideas for looking approachable.

Erin Esurance – If you’re looking for sexier Halloween costume ideas, you may want to get animated with an Erin Esurance getup. Erin Esurance’s spy girl peer has made her one of the most popular insurance characters on TV, and she has a fun, funky, and covert style that’s fun to imitate. For her gaze, all you’ll need is a pink, short wig, a black body suit, a pink belt, black, high-heeled boots, and a Bluetooth Headset (of course you don’t have to go out and buy this if you don’t already have one). You can also add some pink writstbands and wear a stretchy pink headband around your upper thigh for added pink accents. Now just finish your eye off with some pink lipstick and use the same cat eye makeup map described above, and you’ve got one of the sexiest Halloween costume ideas to ever come from an insurance commercial.

Caveman - This insurance icon is one of the easiest Halloween costume ideas on this list, as long as you recall a screen like the one found here. Then all you have to do is wear a normal outfit like a button-up shirt and khaki pants, and everyone will know that you’re supposed to be one of the only commercial characters to ever get his own TV show.

Gecko – This is one of the more difficult insurance-related Halloween costume ideas to create yourself, but you could pull it off with a little work. To create the gecko head, you’ll need a green cold-weather face veil with just your eyes showing, sad, white, and red fabric paint, and green face paint. You’ll also want a picture of the Geico Gecko for inspiration. On the side of the mask, paint two big, black, sideways teardrop shapes for the eyes, and paint two white dots on the middle top of them to make the eyes look like they’re quick-witted. Now brush a little red paint in the center of the mask and a minute white paint over where your mouth would be. Then use the black paint to put two diminutive black dots lawful under your ogle hole for your nose and draw a long black line underneath the dots and on top of the white paint for your mouth. Then you’ll shroud your witness area that’s exposed with the green face paint. Now you’ll just need to put on a green sweat suit or bodysuit, green gloves, and green shoes to complete the look. I know this is one of the Halloween costume ideas here that would take a lot of work to make, so if you don’t want to go through all the trouble, you could always simply purchase a gecko costume like the one found here.

These Halloween costume ideas are ample for groups, so if you and your friends want to dress up like a few funky insurance frauds for Halloween, have fun hashing out who will get to be Flo, Erin Esurance, the caveman, and the gecko.

SOURCES:
http://www.buycostumes.com/Caveman-Mask-Adult/32190/ProductDetail.aspx
http://www.buycostumes.com/Gecko-Adult-Costume/32436/ProductDetail.aspx

“A mind once stretched by a new opinion never regains its original dimensions.” – Anonymous

“Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.” – Will Durant

“Learning is what most adults will do for a living in the 21st century.” – Perelman

“Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.” – Jim Rohn

“I cannot content anybody anything, I can only make them reflect.” – Socrates

“Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army.” – Edward Everett

“Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is, not a preparation for life; education is life itself.” – John Dewey

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” – Aristotle

“Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.” – Albert Einstein

“The highest result of education is tolerance.” – Helen Keller

“Education is not a product: mark, diploma, job, money in that order; it is a process, a never ending one.” – Bel Kaufman

“Only the educated are free.” – Epictetus

“A truly respectable book teaches me better than to read it. I must soon lay it down, and begin living on its hint. What I began by reading, I must finish by acting.” – Henry David Thoreau

“Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity.” – Aristotle

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The valuable thing is not to stop questioning.” – Albert Einstein

Insurance companies go out of their way to convince you that it will be very expensive to insure your teen driver. Many insurance companies shamelessly target parents of teenaged drivers, relying on scare tactics or sappy themes. Many wish to create the illusion that the auto insurance company can actually withhold your child safe – of course this is ridiculous.

When you call your insurance provider to add your new driver, be very careful what you say. An initial quote of $4000 to add your 16 year old son to your insurance policy could be drastically reduced (to $800) by knowing the important things that insurance companies do not want you to know.

1. Most Insurance companies offer a “good student discount” so be sure to ask. They will require you to fax your teenager’s narrate card and meet some variation of the following criteria:

B average prior semester, 3.0 grade point average (GPA), dean’s list or honor roll, top 20% SAT or ACT score, top 20% PSAT rep, home-schooled students may be eligible based on standardized exam results.

2. Insuring a car and omitting collision coverage can be far less expensive, especially if your teenager is the primary driver on the car. Collision insurance covers an auto’s book value less the deductible; for an older model car, this can be less than the extra cost of insuring the car’s value. Of course, you must have liability insurance, but when your teenager drives a car that has no collision coverage, you can save thousands of dollars on your insurance bill.

3. A college student should be considered an “occasional driver” if he/she attends college 100 miles or more away from home. Be sure to call your insurance company when sending a child off to school. Your overall bill should go way down. But, the only way to assure that the child is not on your auto insurance and not increasing your premium is to switch companies and tell the new company that you have a college student who does not have a car and is more than 100 miles away. The insurance company may ask for the child’s driver license number but you are not required to provide the information.

Source:

Personal Experience

To start, there is a slight difference between a cancellation and a non-renewal. Although they both result in the termination of the policyholder’s policy, the contrast comes when they occur and the amount of notice an insurance company must give the policyholder.

A policy cancellation occurs during the policy term. If an insurance company has apt grounds to cancel a policyholder’s policy during the policy term, they must give the policyholder a minimum of 10 days notice if the policy was recently purchased within 60 days. The insurance company must give a minimum of 20 days notice anytime after the first 60 days of the policy has passed.

A policy non-renewal occurs at the end of the policy term. If an insurance company has legal grounds to non-renew a policy, they must give the policyholder a minimum of 30 days notice that the policy will not be renewed.

For both a cancellation and a non-renewal, the notice must be sent Post Office Receipt Secured or Certified Mail to the last address the policyholder has provided the insurance company. a Phone call or E-mail does not count.

The following are the guidelines first of what an insurance company cannot use as a grounds to cancel an auto insurance policy, followed by what they can use legally. Please stamp that a spouse of the Named Insured is also considered a Named Insured. Named Insured is another name for the policyholder of the policy.

Specific exceptions that cannot be the basis for an underwriting decision;

An insurance company;

Cannot base underwriting decisions on sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, marital area, or sexual orientation. Coverage and terms offered to registered domestic partners must be equal to that of spouses of a Named Insured.

Cannot abolish or non-renew a policy for an accident in which a Driver on the policy is a Peace Officer, Fireman, Paramedic or California Highway Patrol and the accident occurred while the driver was operating an authorized emergency response vehicle during performance of his duties.

Cannot execute or non-renew a policy based on the fact the applicant or named insured is in the military or other government agency.

Cannot execute or non-renew a policy as a result of the Named Insured’s inability to speak, write, read or comprehend the English language.

Cannot kill or non-renew a policy because the Named Insured uses a radar or laser detector.

Cannot cancel or non-renew a policy because of a mental or health issue regardless of whether a physician statement has been received indicating the driver should not drive, unless the department of motor vehicles has suspended or revoked the driver’s license or refused to insist a license. Also the policy must be reinstated if the license is issued or the suspension or revocation is lifted prior to the cancellation date of the policy.

Cannot cancel or non-renew a policy solely because of a physical handicap if it has been compensated for. We may required proof that the person qualifies for the issuance or renewal of their driver’s license.

Cannot cancel or non-renew a policy solely because the Named insured is Blind and frequently changes drivers. The blind insured may be excluded. We can still underwrite as usual for the drivers listed on the policy.

Cannot kill or non-renew a policy solely for the reason a driver on the policy performs voluntary services consisting of providing Social service transportation for a non-profit charitable organization or governmental agency. This includes providing transportation for senior citizens, or persons with a physical or mental handicap. This instance shall not be considered commercial use.

Cannot destroy or non-renew based on NOT At Fault accidents or for claims that are pending under the policy if the liability and the extent of the damage has not been determined. This means they cannot list any claim- including comprehensive claims as a reason for canceling or non-renewing the Named Insured’s policy, if the accident was not considered at least 51% of the driver operating a vehicle covered under the policy’s fault.

Insurers are prohibited from requiring an insured to carry collision coverage as a condition to having comprehensive coverage. This means an auto insurance company cannot force a policyholder to carry collision coverage if they want to have comprehensive coverage and vice versa.

Insurers must offer Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage and Uninsured Motorist Property damage coverage (including deductible waiver coverage) on all vehicles on the policy.

Cancellation within or over 60 days and Non-renewal;

Please mark that California does not have an initial underwriting period for modern business policies. All underwriting cancellations regardless of whether the policy is a new business policy within 60 days, must tumble within the following residence guides.

Non Payment of premium

The driver’s license or motor vehicle registration of the named insured or any other driver is suspended or revoked during the policy period. The policy must be reinstated if the suspension or revocation is removed prior to the cancellation date of the policy.

The discovery of fraud by the named insured in pursuing a claim under the policy provided the insurance company does not rescind the policy

The discovery of material misrepresentation of any of the following information concerning a driver on the policy; Safety Record, Annual miles driven, number of years of driving experience, record of prior insurance claims, any other factor determined by the commissioner to have a substantial relationship to the risk of loss. Any insured who negligently misrepresents the information described may avoid cancellation by providing corrected information within 20 days of receiving the notice of cancellation and paying any difference in premium.

A Substantial Increase in the Hazard insured against.

The following are the only instances considered a Substantial Increase in the Hazard insured against;

Failing to provide requested underwriting information within 30 days after a reasonable written request. The information requested must be necessary to underwrite or rate the risk. A notice is required on each request in English and Spanish advising of policy cancellation or non-renewal if the information is not received by the insurer.

Permissive use by unlisted drivers which indicates frequent use. 2 lending losses by the same driver is to be considered frequent use. We should offer a named driver exclusion prior to canceling under this provision.
A vehicle on the policy does not comply with Federal or California safety requirements and the condition is not removed prior to the cancellation date.

A vehicle on the policy is altered or modified in order to increase speed or acceleration which renders it unsafe in accordance with California Vehicle Code section 24002. This basically refers to all racing alterations such as NOS tanks, illegal cam and headers, etc…

A driver’s license is suspended or revoked and the suspension or revocation is not lifted prior to the cancellation date. Suspensions or revocations based on the fact the insurer failed to file an SR22 cannot be considered.
A driver’s license is expired and the driver does not come by a valid license prior to the cancellation or non-renewal date of the policy.

Commercial use of a vehicle on the policy. Commercial exhaust is defined as carrying goods or passengers for hire.

A conviction of any alcohol related offense specified in California Vehicle code sections 23152, 23153, 23220, 23221, 23222, 23224, or 23226. This is provided the driver does not otherwise qualify for the California Good Driver Discount. These are all your basic DUIs- including under the influence of drugs

While a auto insurance policy could be Non-Renewed instead of canceled for any of the above proper reasons, a policy may be Non- Renewed and Non-Renewed only, for the following reasons;

Please inspect part 1 for a summary of California Department of Motor Vehicle points, including what accidents are considered 1 CA DMV point and which ones are considered 2 CA DMV points.

A driver has 3 or more CA DMV points within 36 months preceding the renewal effective date AND one of the points occurred during the last renewal term. This means that a driver of the policy could have started the policy with 2 CA DMV points, but if he were to be in an at fault accident or have received another traffice conviction that resulted in an additional CA DMV point being applied to his/her record, the insurance company would have grounds to non-renewal the policy.

Conviction of a 2 point CA DMV violation preceding 36 months of the renewal effective date. The conviction must have occurred during the last renewal period or must have been unknown prior to the last renewal date. If the conviction was unknown prior to the last renewal date, the last driving record ordered must have been within 75 days of the prior renewal date or the conviction must have occurred within the last 60 days preceding the last renewal date.

A Driver Exclusion build, is a legal binding statement that a policyholder has an option to sign on a driver in order to keep the policy active or to reduce the premium of the policy. In California it basically states no coverage will be provided for a claim that arises when the driver excluded from the policy was the operator of a vehicle covered under the policy.

If a policy is being set to cancel or non-renewed because of a listed driver on the policy, a driver exclusion must be offered for the offending drivers to the Named Insured if the Named Insured is a California Good Driver based on the definition of a California Top-notch Driver discussed in portion 1, to give the Named Insured the opportunity to prevent the cancellation/ non renewal of the policy. This also applies in situations where the policy is a joint policy between married or registered domestic partners and the policy is being canceled or non-renewed as a result of one of them.

This part will conclude with the coverage and descriptions available on California auto insurance policies. While most insurance companies offer all the coverage listed below, California only requires that insurance companies offer the basic minimum liability insurance coverage. Basic liability insurance coverage is Bodily Injury Liability, Property Afflict Liability, Uninsured and Underinsured Bodily Injury, Uninsured Motorist Property Harm, and the Collision deductible waiver if the insurance company offers collision coverage.

Bodily Injury Liability- It pays the medical bills, lost wages or income, pain and suffering, and funeral expenses for other people who are injured in an auto accident when the insured is held legally responsible for their injuries. Expenses are paid up to the limit (amount) of coverage the insured has selected. This coverage also pays the right and court costs to defend you in a covered lawsuit. This is a required coverage in most states. In California the minimum Bodily Injury Liability limit a policyholder must carry is $15,000/$30,000- the first number indicating the maximum payout per person per accident, the second number representing the total amount the insurance company will pay for each accident.

Property Damage Liability. It pays the repair or replacement expenses for another person’s property when the insured is held legally responsible for a covered accident. Expenses for repair or replacement are paid up to the limit of coverage on the policy. The minimum limit for this coverage in California that must be carried is $5,000.

* Please note that some insurance companies offer to combine both Bodily Injury and Property damage liability into one coverage. In these cases, the minimum limit a policyholder can carry $35,000. The coverage maximum is per accident and there is are no stipulations as to how much an insurance company will payout per person or for the property damage.

Medical Payments. This coverage protects the insured, their family and other passengers in an automobile. It pays for medical expenses, if the insured and other in an auto are injured in a covered accident. The expenses are paid up to the limit of coverage selected. It will also protect the insured and other members in the household while riding in another person’s auto.
Medical Payments coverage is to assure that there is some protection for those passengers in your auto who may not have comprehensive health insurance coverage.

Uninsured Motorists Bodily Injury. This coverage is designed to protect the insured and other passengers in the covered auto if they are injured in an auto accident by a motorist who is uninsured and held legally responsible for their injuries. It pays the medical expenses and related expenses incurred up to the coverage limits selected. It is protection against expense incurred because of other drivers who may drive without insurance.

Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury. This coverage is designed to protect the insured and other passengers in a covered auto if they are injured in an accident by a motorist whose coverage is insufficient to cover the damages one has suffered. This policy compensates the injured party for the difference between the injury suffered and the liability covered by the insurance of the driver at fault. It should be pointed out that underinsured coverage may have limitations that prevent the insured from receiving the fat amount of coverage purchased. This is due to the reason most policies define an underinsured driver as one with less liability coverage than the insured’s underinsured coverage limits. For example, if an insured carries underinsured coverage with limits of 15/30, and the at fault driver carried bodily injury limits of 30/60, then the insured’s underinsured coverage would not apply even if the damages were over the at fault drivers bodily injury limits. The coverage applies on most policies only when the limits of underinsured coverage exceed those of the at fault driver’s bodily injury limits. In the previous example, if the coverage limits were reversed, then underinsured coverage would apply for the insured.

Comprehensive. This coverage protects the insured’s automobile. It pays a covered auto’s repair or replacement expenses for damages caused by hazards other than a collision. These hazards usually include fire, theft, glass breakage, vandalism, wind or hail storms, or damage caused by hitting an animal. It will pay up to the actual cash value of the vehicle, minus the deductible selected.

Collision. This coverage protects the insured’s automobile. It pays a covered auto’s repair or replacement expenses for damages caused by a collision. It will pay up to the actual cash value of the vehicle, minus the deductible selected

Uninsured Motorist Property Damage. Will pay for damages to the insured’s automobile, set up to a limit, when caused by a motorist who is uninsured and held legally responsible.

Deductible Waiver. Will waive the collision deductible when an insured’s a covered auto is involved in an accident with a motorist who is uninsured and held legally responsible.

Rental Reimbursement. Will pay for exercise of a rental vehicle when a covered loss has occurred. Insurance companies will usually set a daily amount limit and total day limit for this coverage. For example, an insurance company might offer this coverage with a limit of 30 dollars per day and a max of 30 days of coverage for the policyholder to use on a rental vehicle.

Roadside assistance. Will pay for basic towing, manual labor at the site of the breakdown, gas delivery (but not the gas itself) on covered autos. This means that unlike AAA the insured must be subject to the breakdown and the vehicle must be one that is listed on the policy or a normally covered vehicle under the policy contract.

Well I can boom you that this is not exactly true. I spent about 2 hours online one day checking all the websites for quotes. When I went to Esurance I found that my insurance would raise about $400.00 every six months through them. AIG was even worse, it took me over 30 minutes to even get my quote and I am sure you figured out already the quote was upwards of $500.00 more than I already pay.

Interestingly I am a married woman age 57 ½ and I have a clean driving record. My husband also has a clean record. So why I ask myself were our quotes so high. Not because of our credit rating as it is 769, which not to brag but this is a valid rating. When I challenged these companies regarding the cost of my quote. I was told, it was because they included my adult children in the quote. Why I ask, because they use my home address as their own. Now my children do not live in the house they use our address as their permanent address of record. So when they run a check to quote your insurance in Oregon, they run the records of all residents at your address. Even if those people do not reside in the home nor drive your automobile.

No problem with this as I was just testing the waters. We are privileged to carry Geico because my husband is a government employee so we are have our policies through them. They are not the lowest I am determined of that, no accident forgiveness like Allstate. But as my mother use to say, “if it sounds too good to be true, it is too capable to be true.” I must lift there is a derive to the entire accident forgiveness and the check they state will come to you for no accidents every 6 months or year.

So in the end I decided it is better to stay with my cramped lizard friend, I think he is so cute anyway.