Eric Dinallo has raised 1.75 million dollars for his run for Attorney General of New York. In a past column, we have wished the candidate well in particular in light of his work in the New York State Insurance Department. This may send a signal to other present and former department officials who are contemplating runs i.e. that the insurance industry offers a great base to start from in “following the fortunes”…We salute the New York Insurance Association for filing suit to save insurers the assessment monies that had been incorrectly appropriated. (The article appears in this issue)…Thanks for the many e-mails about our article on Betty Heiman, we agree she is quite a woman and has an extraordinary story to tell…Skeptics Abound. “Been there, done that.” “Seen that, know that”. “Can’t work, won’t work.” Yet, despite some of the negative voices, there are many individuals who see, in the New York Insurance Exchange, a grid that could ride out market waves and actually create a sense of excitement about the business in New York. That may sound crazy optimistic, but the truth is it is quite feasible and has the blessing of at least the current governor and the insurance department, a sign that it will be pursued actively this year. We think it’s a good idea. New York has failed to capitalize upon its position these many years as an insurance center; there has been an ambiguity about it, in fact, the branding effort that the industry itself might do well to have undertaken, has never materialized. New York is not recognized as the insurance capital of America. The brand faltered recently as technology has enabled the movement of offices and parts of institutions all over the country. Yet, there is a potential here in lower Manhattan for a viable enterprise to compete with others like it and to attract capital. Now there’s a magical word. A few weeks back on our cover, we featured a searching article by Howard Mills about capital, i.e. its “dearth.” We think the New York Insurance Exchange is a good idea at the right time and praise Superintendent Wrynn and the Governor for its advancement.