Advocates for a federal catastrophe fund on launched a direct mail campaign today calling on voters to demand answers from candidates as to where they stand on the issue of such a program.

“Voters in states prone to massive hurricanes or major earthquakes deserve to know where the candidates stand on catastrophe protection before they cast their votes,” said Pete McDonough, the national director of ProtectingAmerica.org.

ProtectingAmerica.org said it will send out a mailing of 150,000 pieces to likely primary election voters in the key states of South Carolina, Florida and California.

South Carolina holds its Democratic primary Saturday. Delegate-rich California will hold its vote for both parties Feb. 5.

Although natural catastrophes and the resultant spike in property insurance premiums have been among the most important to Florida voters in the past few years, the state was penalized by both parties for moving its primary ahead of the Feb. 5 votes.

The Republican Party stripped the state of half of its delegates and Democratic candidates have pledged to stay out of the state after the party decided to eliminate of all of its delegates at the Democratic national convention this summer.

One Republican presidential candidate, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, has included a call for a national catastrophe fund in his Florida campaign advertising.

However, Mr. McDonough noted that “this is a non-partisan effort; catastrophe protection is a non-partisan issue,” and added that voters across the country should know where the candidates stand on catastrophe issues.

“ProtectingAmerica.org is not endorsing or supporting any of the candidates in either party, only seeking to provide important information to voters in the presidential election cycle,” he added.

Mr. Mcdonough spoke at a press conference in Tallahassee, where he was joined by Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum.

“Residents of Florida, and indeed voters throughout the nation, deserve to know which candidates are supporting efforts to help them rebuild, repair and recover when the unthinkable happens,” Mr. McCollum said.

Ironically Florida is currently involved in a legal imbroglio with Allstate insurance one of ProtectingAmerica's biggest backers. State officials have attacked the firm over rate increase requests and claims handling practices.

The front of the mailing includes a photo of the White House and asks, “They want to live in this house. But who is fighting now to protect your house?”

The back of the 8 1/2 ” x 11″ mailing includes pictures of homes destroyed by hurricanes and earthquakes, and directs recipients to Web sites that will allow them to automatically send letters to each of the presidential candidates asking for their position on catastrophe protection and the creation of a national catastrophe fund.

According to ProtectingAmerica, the mailing in Florida and California began to reach households yesterday. The mail for South Carolina was delivered last week and generated over 1,000 responses, the group said.

“Catastrophe protection is a critical national issue,” Mr. Mcdonough said. “Fully, Six-in-ten American families live in areas that are exposed to massive hurricanes or major earthquakes. Families that live in the Midwest are exposed to a replay of the massive New Madrid earthquakes of the early 1800s, families along the West Coast live in constant fear of earthquakes, and Gulf and east Coast residents are exposed, every year, to devastating hurricanes.”

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