Hi Neighbors,

David here, reaching across our Tar Heel State with a friendly wave and a serious call to action. We're up against something big, and I've gotta ask—do we think 283 signatures will make the folks sit up and take notice? With roughly 2.87 million households owning homes here in NC, our tiny but mighty group needs to grow, fast.

Here’s the deal:

• Our Current Stand: Just 283 of us have signed the petition. We're a speck in the sea of 2.87 million homeowner households in our state.
• Reality Check: The public forum is on Jan 22, and our petition signatures need a massive boost by then. Will we really be taken seriously with our current count?
• Deadline Looming: You have until Feb 2 to submit a letter to the insurance commissioner. It's our chance to be heard before the rate hike hits.

What Can You Do?

• Get Sharing: If every one of us convinces just one friend to sign, we double our impact. Share on social, chat over the fence, make it your coffee talk. It literally 30 seconds to sign. It takes another 15 seconds to share on Facebook or Instagram.
• Make it Personal: Draft a letter, make it heartfelt, tell them why
  this matters to you, to your family, to your neighbors—renters and owners alike. (link below to a draft letter)

We Can't Afford Silence:

• A Thousand Bucks on the Line: If insurance rates soar as proposed, we're talking about real money out of our pockets—nearly $1000 more a year.
• If you rent or own, your wallet will be impacted: Renters, your wallets won't be spared. When landlords face hikes, so do you. It's a shared struggle for every North Carolinian.
• The local economy will be affected: For every additional dollar we spend on insurance, that is a dollar that does not support your local economy.

I'm asking you, neighbor to neighbor, friend to friend: Will you help us make our voices thunder across the state? We've got the spirit, we've got the cause, now we need the numbers.

Let’s show them what North Carolina is made of—grit, heart, and the kind of community that looks out for one another.

Here are the links to reference the news story, the draft letter and table to show what the NCRB is proposing for your wallet:

1. Here is a letter you can use to write directly to Mike Causey, the NC Insurance Commissioner: LINK for a Draft a letter directly to Mike Causey, the NC Insurance Commissioner

2. Here is a link to the Original story from WITN Greenville: WITN Original News Story Link - By Dave Jordan Published: Jan. 5, 2024 at 7:43 PM EST

3. Here is a table provided by WITN with proposed Rate Increases: 2024 Proposed Homeowners Increase

4. Here is a link to with a RATE TABLE to show your rate could increase to: 
   2024 - Quick Reference Google Sheet - NC Insurance Proposed Increases (Dollar by Percentage)

With hope and a hefty dose of neighborly concern,

David Sabine Your Hoke County Neighbor