No? Why not? This guy has most likely spent years working to protect and save people from dangerous situations. I am sure he would have also spent many hours being trained on how to fight fires. He may even have worked a part-time job, sweeping floors at a hospital, where by the way, they actually perform heart surgery.
Well how about this guy? He has years of taking a public paycheck, has shown dedication in being out there in the rain, snow, hail, gloom of night, a real public servant. Surely you would feel good about having this guy take on a new profession midlife, picking up a scalpel and cutting into your chest, right? No? Why not?
After all, Democrat, Trinidad Navarro, is banking on the voters of Delaware ignoring the extensive qualifications of his opponent, Republican Jeff Cragg, for Insurance Commissioner, and that they will vote for Trinidad instead.
Mr. Cragg, has under his belt, a lifetime career in the insurance industry, in sales, in management, as a business owner buying insurance for his employees. He didn’t just wake up one morning and decide he was qualified to be Delaware’s next Insurance Commissioner, it is, as if, his whole life was in preparation for this moment in time.
Considering the national race for the President of the United States of America, Delaware’s next Insurance Commissioner will be faced with the possible dismantling of “Obama Care”, or with dealing with the attempt to repair and expand “Obama Care”. Either way, the citizens will need the most, and best qualified person to navigate the mind numbing intricacies of the insurance industry, in order to bring the best final product available to the citizens.
We will need a person who not only has experience running an office, which Mr. Cragg does, but someone who has extensive experience reading and understanding the language of both government and insurance, which Mr. Cragg does. Mr. Cragg grew up in a home where his father was an insurance agent, and after his father’s death, his mother took over the family business, and not long after, Jeff Cragg followed in their footsteps, reaching the highest levels of the insurance industry.
This experience gives him, in this race, unique qualifications to be the number one advocate, for we the citizens of Delaware, when it comes to the issues of insurance.
Mr. Navarro, and some of his supporters, have attempted to state, that Mr. Navarro is the “MOST” qualified person in this race. But based on what?
This is from Mr. Navarro’s own Facebook page bio.
“Trinidad was born and raised in New Castle, Delaware. After graduating
So, what do we see here? Mr. Navarro states he worked part-time jobs after college, and that he was a New Castle County Police Officer for twenty years, and then a County Sheriff for six years. He does mention he was a licensed insurance agent but doesn’t mention for how long. I wonder why?
Let us look a little deeper into his own bio.
“He served in the Patrol Section of the New Castle County Police Department
So again, there is a lot about his background as a police officer, and nothing about his background in insurance. Even his college degree speaks to a life long desire to be in law enforcement, not the insurance industry.
But let’s be fair and take one more look for his insurance credentials.
“Prior to his police work, Trinidad was a licensed insurance agent. He followed in the footsteps of his father, whose career was servicing the life and health insurance needs of his community.
So we again are told he was an insurance agent, but no mention of how long. Again, why? Could it be, because he was only an insurance agent for something like eighteen months following college? Was this his quote, “part-time job”? And let us not lose sight of the fact, his only, short experience in “selling” insurance was twenty-five years ago. I’m thinking a couple of things have changed since then, wouldn’t you?
It seems as though, Mr. Navarro is under the misconception, that being the next Delaware Insurance Commissioner, is all about being a public servant, that somehow being a road cop, and PR guy for the NCCPD, prepares you for the intensely complicated world of today’s insurance nightmare we call “Obama Care”.
That being a process-server, as a County Sheriff, and running a government office, has given him the skill set, to be the best advocate for the citizens of Delaware at this crossroad of the future, of insurance in America.
That having held a part-time job selling insurance, for less than two years, back when floppy disks were still state of the art technology, somehow makes him the “MOST” qualified person to be my Insurance Commissioner.
This is not to minimize Mr. Navarro’s service as a police officer, or the office of Sheriff, but he is clearly not the most qualified person in this race. That would be Jeff Cragg, without question.
So if all you are looking for is a person who has been on the tax payer’s ticket for nearly thirty years, with almost no experience in the field of insurance, beyond a part-time job, then I guess Navarro is your guy. But if you want the “BEST” qualified person for the job, with a lifetime of experience in the insurance field, then Jeff Cragg can be your only choice, in my opinion.
Hey if you haven’t noticed the De. election is already over.
John Carney – Governor
Bethany Hall Long – Lt. Governor
Trinidad Navarro – Insurance Commissioner
Dem. Woman going to beat Reigle for Congress
All Democrats incumbents candidates will win NC
It’s a done deal. GOP lost another election. Nothing new.
You want someone who actually is qualified to be insurance commissioner? Then do what 38 other states and DC do: Change the law so that this office becomes an appointed one, not an elected one.
Until or unless that happens, then get someone fresh to run on the ticket. Someone in the mold of Ken Simple.
That old fat bald white guy looks like an inside the beltway guy who is in the pockets of of insurance cabals
Frankie:
A little full disclosure would go a long way.
You are doing noting more than most American domestic workers are doing . That is kissing up to your BIG BOSS, Jeff Cragg who probably promised you and your under-boss Stevie Grossman cushy overpaid do-nothing jobs at the Insurance Commissioner’s office if the voters are dumb enough to elect him.
The thought of grifters and and parasites like you rats on the state payroll is enough to make anyone puke. We have more than enough political hacks on the public dole already. Anyone who would have you as a writer has poor judgement and is unfit for public office from the get go.
You are probably being paid by the word, so that’s why you took up so much space saying nothing but BS as usual.
You are entitled to your opinion just like all the other idiots with laptops and two-bit blog sites, but you are totally delusional if you think that posting this garbage would get anyone to vote for Jeff Cragg.
Next thing you’ll have us believe is that you were seriously considered for the Nobel Prize in literature or you’ve signed on as a pitcher with the Cubs.
So, what else is new?
Nah ha
I love how folks like “Red Arrow” seem to believe that flinging personal insults is some kind of substitute for Trini Navarro’s complete lack of qualifications in relation to insurance.
Honi, not sure appointing this position guarantees qualified people getting the job. But Jeff Cragg is in the mold of Ken Simpler who was the finance guy for the finance job. Cragg is the insurance guy for the insurance job.
And Mouse, so can I assume you would want the fireman to perform your heart surgery?
And now to the latest incarnation, Red Arrow. So beyond your insults of me, why are you voting for Navarro?
Well, I figured it was in vogue. Kind of like the right wing conservatives rejecting scientists experts for talk radio entertainers
Not what I had in mind when I suggested someone for insurance commissioner in the mold of Simple. I meant:
1] Someone who all factions of the Republican Party can rally around and who will appeal to independents (not a reference to IPoD) and Dems.
2] Someone with demonstrated expertise.
3] Someone who has not run for statewide office and lost big league–or bigly or whatever Trump is attempting to say.
Simple meets all three criteria.
While I do not support the statements of Red Arrow (I have no personal issues with Mr Cragg), I do dispute the premise that the Insurance Commissioner has to have experience in that field. That means that in order to be qualified, one must have worked in the industry or as an insurance regulator. Gene Reed (who ran in the 2008 D primary) and I (who ran in the 2012 D primary) would be the only “qualified” candidates other than industry insiders. We have seen what happens when the IC has too close ties to the industry.
Comparing the IC job to a non-professional performing heart surgery is cute, but not on point. The IC is a REGULATOR. The job of Insurance Commissioner does not demand an industry insider any more than the CEO of GM has to know how to make a car-that person just has to know how to run a car company The job requires someone who understands the need to assure the people the insurance companies have the reserves needed to pay claims AND put the consumer first in assuring that claims are paid. The person should also understand how a government agency works and how to work with other branches of government and private interests in the insurance and consumer fields, in order advance the needs of the consumer, recruit new insurers into the market place and scrutinize rate increase requests.
Arguably the best Insurance Commissioner in the last few decades was Matt Denn. He kept rate increases to a minimum (he did not have the authority to approve/disapprove health insurance rate increases-that authority was legislated in 2009). Matt’s qualification was that he was an attorney who had advanced the cause of children while working for then-governor Ruth Ann Minner. He has stated often that he knew little about insurance law when he was elected. When he took office, he brought in with him the best and the brightest who between them knew every aspect of insurance law and how to run a government agency. That is the type of person we need now.
Trinidad Navarro has successfully run a government agency- the New Castle County Sheriff’s office. He understands how a regulatory agency works. He surrounded himself with the best people he could find, people who knew the job that needed to be done and how to do it- and who shared Trini’s vision of how the department should work.
As the 2012 endorsed Democratic Party candidate for Insurance Commissioner (who lost that primary by 1100 votes) and as the former Department of Insurance Regulatory Specialist and Director of Consumer Services, I have every confident Trinidad Navarro is qualified for the job and will do the job that is needed to to be done. If i didn’t feel that strongly, I surely would have run again myself.
Mitch, please go back and read what I wrote, “This is not to minimize Mr. Navarro’s service as a police officer, or the office of Sheriff, but he is clearly not the most qualified person in this race. That would be Jeff Cragg, without question.”
You see, I am talking about who is the most qualified between the choices we have, not overall.
And we will have to disagree about if having e xstensive knowledge of the insurance industry is more of a qualification, then having been a life long government employee.
As I stated, if the voters want just another beuracrat then Navarro is their guy. If they want someone with practical experience and expertise in the field, then Cragg is the clear choice.
I’m sorry Mitch , it just dawned on me, are you saying Jeff Cragg is “TOO” qualified as compared to Navarro?😂
Frank, I am saying that having knowledge of the industry as a former insurance executive is A qualification, but that is not the ONLY experience that would make someone qualified. I am not saying Jeff Cragg is not qualified, just that I believe Trinidad Navarro better fits my definition of what makes one more qualified than the other.
On that we disagree, and that is ok. I will defend to my death your right to be wrong. 😉
We don’t need another crony of the insurance monopoly mafia
It’s okay Mitch, I have known many people who never realize they are wrong, but at some point you may come to your senses. 😉
It’s good to see you admit that Cragg is qualified, ” I am not saying Jeff Cragg is not qualified”.
But it is troubling you still feel that nearly thirty years of taking a public pay check somehow makes a person more qualified.
Or am I to assume when you say, “Trinidad Navarro better fits my definition of what makes one more qualified than the other.”, you mean only that he is a Democrat?
We could also point to the County Executive position. Mark Blake is much more qualified than Matt Meyer. Mark has worked on numerous issues on land development and has been a focal point. But, unfortunately, it’s a very blue state.
So, Mitch Crane ran for Delaware Insurance Commissioner? What were his qualifications? Did his knowledge of Insurance matters make him LESS qualified than Karen Weldin Stewart? Is that why he lost?
I’m confused, is there a flow chart of all this?
Jeff Cragg is one of three Republicans running who I know has disavowed Trump. He is not voting for him; he will not vote for him; and he does not support Trump’s vision of America. This sets him apart from the rest of the party in regards to insight, trustworthiness, and moral compass. It also shows bravery for it takes great courage to stand up to ones enemies. It takes even greater courage to stand up to one’s friends.
However until now, I did not know that Jeff Cragg was originally in the insurance business. I always knew him as running a little Mailbox Etc. in the Fairfax strip mall on Concord Pike. It appears its been 16 years since he was in insurance.. A lot can change in 16 years so I would have to say that would probably amount to a wash when one considers the experience level between the two candidates.
Going back to Frank’s original analogy, I wouldn’t want a surgeon who last was in an operating room 16 years ago, working on my aorta…
“Hey, nurse… what’s this thingamajiggy?”
You know what is scary?
It’s people like Frank in the Republican Party who want to set a bar on who is the qualified person to run office. What a flipping joke.
Hell they can’t even win a statewide election unless they are deceiving, conniving and lying to get the moderates and conservatives on the same page to vote for Mike Castle’s blessed boyfriend. Sher Venezuela saw through that farse.
Kavips, apparently you don’t do research very well. This is from LinkedIn: Mr. Cragg’s bio.
Managing Partner
Elliott Ventures, LLC
September 2007 – Present (9 years 3 months)
Real Estate re-development company specializing in distressed urban residential properties.
President
Cragg Enterprises of Delaware
March 2001 – Present (15 years 9 months)
Owner/Operator, privately held firm providing consulting services to business, including affliated companies. Expertise in Insurance, Business management and operations.
Owner/Operator
My Mailbox Store
June 2000 – Present (16 years 6 months)
So now your a little better informed. And, he is still in the insurance business. I’m sure he’ll retire from the insurance business, when he wins…….oh that’s right, DE is a blue state and the Dems don’t vote based on experiance, but along party lines. Kind of like lemmings!
Anon,
Thanks for bringing up his file for all to see. I really don’t see any insurance experience except for the tag on his consulting? Like what does he know about marine insurance? What does he know about construction insurance? What does he know about farm insurance? What does he know about auto insurance? What does he know about health insurance? What does he know about life insurance…
Please fill in the details of these questions so all will be wiser and make better decisions next Tuesday.. Sincerely.
Thank you.
Everyone who buys insurance has experience with insurance.
Kavips…….And back at you, please include the answers for the Democratic nominee for Insurance Commissioner.
Stepped into that one.
Kavips, A little too much info/background to post here, Go ahead and take a look, you are severely underestimating my education and experience. http://www.craggfordelaware.com/background/ .
What does he know about cozy relationships with insurance companies trying to hose consumers?