Advocates for a federal catastrophe fund on launched a directmail campaign today calling on voters to demand answers fromcandidates as to where they stand on the issue of such aprogram.

“Voters in states prone to massive hurricanes or majorearthquakes deserve to know where the candidates stand oncatastrophe protection before they cast their votes,” said PeteMcDonough, the national director of ProtectingAmerica.org.

ProtectingAmerica.org said it will send out a mailing of 150,000pieces to likely primary election voters in the key states of SouthCarolina, 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 inproperty insurance premiums have been among the most important toFlorida voters in the past few years, the state was penalized byboth parties for moving its primary ahead of the Feb. 5 votes.

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

One Republican presidential candidate, former New York Citymayor Rudy Giuliani, has included a call for a national catastrophefund in his Florida campaign advertising.

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

“ProtectingAmerica.org is not endorsing or supporting any of thecandidates in either party, only seeking to provide importantinformation to voters in the presidential election cycle,” headded.

Mr. Mcdonough spoke at a press conference in Tallahassee, wherehe 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 helpthem rebuild, repair and recover when the unthinkable happens,” Mr.McCollum said.

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

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

The back of the 8 1/2 ” x 11″ mailing includes pictures of homesdestroyed by hurricanes and earthquakes, and directs recipients toWeb sites that will allow them to automatically send letters toeach of the presidential candidates asking for their position oncatastrophe protection and the creation of a national catastrophefund.

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

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