This statistic floored me... just in and around the city of Austell, GA, roughly 2,000 homes that are located in designated flood plains were damaged by last week's floodwaters. And guess how many of those homes had flood insurance? Only 60 houses... that's only 3% of the 2,000 homes flooded... and as I said they were all located in flood plains, so experiencing a flood should not have been a surprise.

It never ceases to amaze me how many people refuse to take responsibility for their lives. From flood insurance, to health insurance, to regular health checkups, to routine maintenance on their homes and cars... far too many people refuse to be held accountable for their actions and instead want their neighbors or the government to bail them out.

Talk to some of the insurance agents you know and they'll tell you they occasionally get a phone call from someone looking for dental insurance because their teeth have gone bad and they need dental work. That's like having a car wreck and then buying automobile insurance the next day expecting the insurance company to shell out the bucks to fix your car.

I've already seen news clips where some of those who lost everything to the flood were using the tired old excuse that they couldn't afford flood insurance. I bet most of those same people have cable or satellite television, cell phones, Internet service, video games, and a host of other things that should rank lower in importance.

Individual liberty... the freedom we all hold dear comes with a condition... personal responsibility. The danger we now face as a nation is that a large number, possibly even a majority of our citizenry... are looking to the government to take care of their every need, and that means your tax dollars. And every dollar the government takes from you represents that portion of your life that you swapped to earn that dollar.

When you factor in local, state, and federal income taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, and business taxes that are hidden in the cost of everything you buy, the government is taking several years of your life... and many times transferring your dollars and the time they represent, to someone else who didn't take personal responsibility for their own actions.

Now here's one for you... while only 3% of the folks I mentioned had flood insurance,
less than 1% of Georgian's have earthquake insurance. It's not covered under your homeowners policy unless you purchase a separate rider.

Think they'll never be an earthquake strong enough to cause damage to your home or business? Maybe you're right... but then again, most of those harmed by last week's flooding probably felt the same way. You may or may not need earthquake covereage, but perhaps it's a good time for all of us to reexamine our lives and see where we're dropping the ball on personal responsibility.

That's my opinion, we welcome yours. Thanks for listening and I'll see you next Monday. For a complete transcript of this morning's comments or to replay the audio, go to NewsTalk1270.com (End of complete transcript of commentary that aired on NewsTalk AM 1270 - WYXC at 7:35 AM Monday, September 28, 2009)