Space Coast residents are overwhelmed with the skyrocketing cost of property insurance, with some annual bills coming in at $5,000, $6,000 and more.

That could force people from their homes not just here but around the state, where rates also are going through the roof.

But instead of acting now -- which he should -- Gov. Jeb Bush is playing politics about calling a special session of the Legislature on the insurance crisis.

Should he do it before the election, so the Democrats can't say the GOP is doing nothing? Or after the election, so a certain Republican majority can pass more GOP "reforms" to please the insurance industry?

Bush isn't saying.

But with homeowner anger reaching a crescendo as the election looms and GOP politicians panic, he says he wants to wait for his handpicked insurance commission to complete its list of suggestions.

Predictably, the commission is made up mainly of people with insurance industry connections.

Meanwhile, experienced consumer advocates who applied were rejected.

Bush's response to questions from the St. Petersburg Times about why was met with a condescending "Do they have any ideas?"

That sounds oddly like the goal of a town meeting held Sept. 15 in Melbourne by local Republican state Reps. Mitch Needelman, Thad Altman and Ralph Poppell.

They said they were "seeking ideas" too. But they were faced with the fury of the 150 homeowners who attended, many waving their bills in justifiable rage.

Did the three think voters don't know the Legislature ended this year's session boasting of all they'd done to "fix" insurance?

Did they think the public doesn't know they've been sold out?

Many even know the cost:

It's $19 million in political contributions by the insurance industry for the 2002-04 season, and $10 million for this fall's campaigns through mid-August alone -- mostly to GOP candidates and the Florida Republican Party.

Suggestions ignored

The fact is, plenty of ideas have been offered to Bush and lawmakers.

They come from homeowners, small businesses, the Florida Consumers Action Network, the Consumers Federation of America and Americans for Insurance reform, a coalition of more than 100 public-interest groups.

The problem with those ideas?

They don't deliver what the insurance lobby wants -- the ultimate goal of deregulation, which would be a disaster for the consumer.

Insurers like things the way they are.

They like it that lawmakers have let them cherry-pick risk and hand off the risks they don't want to state-run Citizens -- meaning the same taxpayers struggling to pay their own annual bill also must pay for Citizens now-$1.7 billion deficit.

They like being allowed to jack up rates seemingly without limit. And they love it the state lets insurers set up subsidiary Florida companies, so they can cry poverty while their parents companies stuff their pockets with billions.

News flash, GOP lawmakers:

Smart Floridians know U.S. parent companies made $45 billion in profits last year, even after the payouts from hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Instead of taking fast, pro-consumer action, Bush claims there's no insurance problem -- it's "more of a hurricane problem." Or a re-insurance problem, which ignores the fact that many buy re-insurance from their own parent companies.

Or he and GOP leaders talk about hurricane-risk exchanges, ignoring that the state's last foray into arcane Wall Street funding went broke. Or they bandy the idea of sending out checks for $140, to make up for rate boosts in the thousands of dollars.

It's all insulting and ridiculous.

Real consumer help