Retail
Association
of Nevada
Nevada News
March 2004
This Issue
Front Page
*Initiative & Referendum Petitions
Seen & Noted – 2
*TMCC Online Business Courses
*Nevada Holiday Sales
*Flu Season Over
*Business Books
Government Affairs – 3 to 5
*Interim Committees
*Pharmacy Board Meets
*New Business Fees, Washoe County
*Health Insurance, Obesity
Featured Member – 6
*Baum Healing Arts Center
Seminars – 7
Tech News – 8
*Spammers Ignore Can-Spam Act
*Cyber Sweep Catching Internet
Scammers
News Briefs – 9
*Out-of-State BAT
*Scams & Medicare Discount Cards
*Water Study Slated for Southern
Nevada
Self Insured Groups Page – 10
Larsen Column – 11
*The Fine Point of Cohesion
Washington Watch – 12
*The COOL Report
Page 1 • March 2004
Serving the Retail Community Since 1969
Nevada’s Initiative and
Referendum Petitions
Reported by Paul Enos
O
nMarch2,2004,theNevada
StateEducationAssociation
(NSEA)filedaninitiativepetition
(acopyofwhichisincludedinthis
newsletteronpage3)toraisethe
perpupilspendinginNevadafrom
$5,760tothenationalaverage,which
is$6,911.Ifpassed,thismeasure
wouldrequireapproximately$1
billionofadditionalfundstobespent
oneducation.Thesefundswouldhave
tocomefromeitherspendingcutsin
otherstatedepartmentsorincreased
taxes.
Thisinitiativeisonlyoneofa
numberofinitiativesandreferendums
beingcirculatedaroundthestate.
Theissuesthatareaddressedinthese
measureswouldhavemajorimpacts
andlong-termramificationsonthe
businessenvironmentinNevada;
therefore,itisimportantnotonlyto
understandtheissues,buttheprocess
ofhowinitiativesandreferendums
affectthelaw.
Process
Aninitiativechangesstatestatuteor
amendstheNevadaConstitution.
Foraninitiativetoqualifyforthe
2004ballot,itrequiresthat51,251
signaturesbecollectedbyJune15,
2004,in3⁄4ofNevada’s17counties.
Areferendumdiffersfroman
initiativebyaskingvotersifthey
approveordisapproveofaparticular
laworstatute.Circulatorsofa
referendumhaveuntilMay18,2004,
togather51,251signatures,which
canbegatheredanywhereinthestate.
Onceontheballot,ifthestatuteisnot
approved,thenthelawwillbevoid.If
thestatuteisapproved,theLegislature
wouldbeunabletochangeanyofthe
languageinthestatute,andthatlaw
couldonlybechangedthroughthe
referendumprocess.
TaxRepealReferendums
Therewerethreereferendums
circulatingtorepealthetaxincreases
thatwerepassedinS.B.8ofthe
20thSpecialSession.GeorgeHarris
isworkingwithagroupnamed
NevadansforSoundGovernment
thatiscirculatingareferendumthat
wouldrepealallofthetaxincreases
passedinS.B.8.DanBurdish,who
headsagroupcalledNevadansfor
TaxRestraint,wascirculatingtwo
referendums.Thefirstwouldhave
repealedthe0.7%payrolltaxon
businesses,andthesecondwould
haverepealedthe2%payrolltaxon
financialinstitutions.Burdishisno
longercirculatingthesepetitions.If
theHarrisreferendumgetstheneeded
signatures,thenthestatuteswill
appearonthe2004ballotforapproval
ordisapproval.
Nevada Petitions continued on page 3
Seen & Noted
Seen
&
Noted
Holiday Sales for Nevada Posted
Good Business Reads
N
Lookingforagoodread?Accordingto
Strategy7Business,thebestbusiness
booksof2003are:
evadaretailerspostedgoodnumbersforholidaysalesin2003.Nevada
merchantssold$3.56billioningoodsinDecember,a9.7percentincrease
overthesameholidayseasonin2002.Thirteenofthestate’s17countiesposted
gainsinDecember.Eureka,Humboldt,LanderandLyoncountieshaddeclining
salesfiguresforthesameperiod.
Areportfromthestategamingregulatorsshowedcasinoswinning$767.3
millioninDecember,a1percentdecreasefromDecember2002.Statewide,
barsandrestaurantshadan8.5percentgain;autoandfuelsaleswereup21
percent;buildingmaterialsaleswereup22.4percent;clothingstoresaleswere
up16.2percent;foodstoresaleswereup10.4percent;generalmerchandise
storesaleswereup6.2percentandwholesaletrade-durablegoodssaleswere
up15.5percent.
Flu Season Officially Over
I
fyouhaven’tyethadanattackofthisyear’svarietyof
flu,you’reprobablysafeuntilnextseason.Dr.Keiji
Fukuda,aninfluenzaexpertattheCentersforDisease
ControlandPrevention(CDC),says,”Theinfluenza
seasonhaswounddownverydramatically,decliningto
levelslowerthanweoftenexpectatthistimeofyear.”
AccordingtoCDC,thiswasamoderatetomoderately
severeseasonforflu.Inanaverageseason,about
36,000Americansdieofinfluenza.Althoughfinal
figureswon’tbeoutfortwoyears,Dr.FukudasaystheCDCcanmakean
educatedguessfromdatareceivedfromits122-citiessurveillancesystemand
determinethatthisseasonwillbeanaverageyear.
TMCC Offers Online Business Courses
T
ruckeeMeadowsCommunityCollege(TMCC)nowoffersover3000
businesscoursesonline.Thesecoursesallowmanagersandtheirstaffto
scheduletrainingrequirementssuchassupervisoryskillsovertheInternet.
Courseofferingsincludeeverythingfromworkskillssuchaslistening,
researchandteamworktoEnglishasasecondlanguageandmanagementand
leadership.
TMCCalsoofferscomputerizedtestingandassessmentprogramsinbusiness
andindustrydisciplines.
Page 2 • March 2004
TheInnovator’sSolution:Creating
andSustainingSuccessfulGrowth,
byClaytonM.Christensenand
MichaelE.Raynor
OpenInnovation:TheNew
ImperativeforCreatingandProfiting
fromTechnology,
byHenryChesbrough
OneWorld:TheEthicsof
Globalization,byPeterSinger
TheSupportEconomy:Why
CorporationsareFailingIndividuals
andtheNextEpisodeofCapitalism,
byShoshanaZuboffand
JamesMaxmin
WheelsfortheWorld:HenryFord,
HisCompany,andaCenturyof
Progress,1903–2003,
byDouglasBrinkley
BeyondBudgeting:HowManagers
CanBreakFreefromtheAnnual
PerformanceTrap,
byJeremyHopeandRobinFraser
TheSmartestGuysintheRoom:The
AmazingRiseandScandalousFallof
Enron,
byBethanyMcLeanandPeterElkind
WhoSaysElephantsCan’tDance?
InsideIBM’sHistoricTurnaround,
byLouisV.Gerstner,Jr.
Moneyball:TheArtofWinningan
UnfairGame,byMichaelLewis
Source:“QuickBites,”bySamGeist.800567-1861.http://www.samgeist.com.
Government Affairs
InitiativePetition
StateofNevada
IMPROVENEVADAPUBLICSCHOOLFUNDINGTO
THENATIONALAVERAGE
Explanation:Matterinboldfaceitalicsisnewmatterbetweenbrackets
[deductedmaterial]ismaterialtobedeleted.
THEPEOPLEOFTHESTATEOFNEVADADOENACTASFOLLOWS:
SectionI.Section2ofArticle11
oftheConstitutionoftheStateof
Nevadaisherebyamendedtoread
asfollows:
[Section2]Sec.2.1.The
legislatureshallprovidefora
uniformsystemofcommon
schools,bywhichaschoolshallbe
establishedandmaintainedineach
schooldistrictatleastsixmonthsin
everyyear,andanyschooldistrict
whichshallallowinstructionofa
sectariancharacterthereinmaybe
deprivedofitsproportionofthe
interestofthepublicschoolfund
duringsuchneglectorinfraction,
andthelegislaturemaypasssuch
lawsaswillrenttosecureageneral
attendanceofthechildrenineach
schooldistrictuponsaidpublic
schools.
2.Thelegislatureshallsupport
andmaintainasystemofpublic
educationwhichhelpsensurethat
everychildbecomesaproductive
andresponsibleadult.Inperforming
thisobligation,thelegislatureshall
providesufficientlyforthefinancial
supportandmaintenanceofthe
publicelementaryandsecondary
schools.Commencingwiththe
fiscalyearbeginningonJuly1,
2012,andappropriationsmade
bythelegislatureforthispurpose,
whencombinedwiththeprojected
revenuefromallotherfederal,
stateandlocalsources,mustbe
insuchamountsasthelegislature
determinesaresufficienttoensure
ineachfiscalyearthattheannual
per-pupilexpenditureofNevada
equalsorexceedsthenational
Page 3 • March 2004
average.
3.Incomplyingwiththe
requirementsofsubsection2,
thelegislatureshall,asnearlyas
practicableinviewofavailable
informationaboutprojected
revenueandenrollment,calculate
perpupilexpenditureofNevadain
thesamemannerastheNational
CenterforEducationStatistics
calculatescurrentexpendituresper
pupilinfallenrollmentforeach
state.
4.Nothinginthissection
shallbedeemedtorequirethe
legislaturetomakeasupplemental
appropriationintheinterim
betweensessions.
5.Asusedinthissection.
(a.)“Annualper-pupil
expenditureofNevadameansfor
anyfiscalyear,currentexpenditures
perpupilinfallenrollmentfor
publicelementaryandsecondary
schoolsinNevada,calculatedinthe
mannerprovidedinsubsection3.
(b.)“Nationalaverage”
meanscurrentexpendituresper
pupilinfallenrollmentforpublic
elementaryandsecondaryschools
intheUnitedStates,asmost
recentlydeterminedbytheNational
CenterforEducationStatisticsand
adjustedforinflation,inthemanner
prescribedbythelegislature,tothe
yearoftheappropriation.
(c.)“NationalCenterfor
EducationStatistics”meansthe
NationalCenterforEducation
StatisticsoftheUnitedStates
DepartmentofEducationorits
successoragency.
Nevada Petitions
continued from page 1
EducationFirst
Asaresponsetothedecisionbythe
NevadaSupremeCourttonullify
theconstitutional2/3voteofthe
Legislaturetopassataxincrease,
CongressmanJimGibbonshasstarted
circulatinganinitiativethatwould
reaffirmthe2/3rdsruleandrequire
thattheLegislaturefundeducation
beforeanythingelse.Theinitiative
hasdrawnwidespreadsupportfrom
thebusinesscommunityandhaseven
garneredthesupportofDemocratic
U.S.SenatorHarryReid.
ThetextoftheNSEApetitionis
includedonthispage.Ifyouhaveany
question,pleasecalltheRANofficeat
775-882-1700.
LegislativeInterimCommittees
W
hiletheregularsessionsofthe
NevadaLegislatureonlyoccur
forfourmonthseverytwoyears,the
Legislatureremainsactiveduring
theinterim.Belowisalistofthe
InterimCommitteesthatRANfollows.
Meetingtimeschangefrequently,so
formoreinformationeithercallour
officeat775-882-1700orlogonto
www.leg.state.nv.us/72nd/Interim/.
• LegislativeCommitteeforLocal
GovernmentTaxesandFinance
• LegislativeCommitteeonEducation
• LegislativeCommitteeonHealth
Care
• LegislativeCommitteeonHealth
CareSubcommitteetoStudyHealth
InsuranceExpansionOptions
• LegislativeCommitteeonHealth
CareSubcommitteetoStudy MedicalandSocietalCostsand
ImpactsofObesity
• LegislativeCommitteeonTaxation,
PublicRevenueandTaxPolicy
• TaskForcefortheFundfora HealthyNevada
• InterimStudyonNevada’sIndustrial
InsuranceProgram
Government Affairs
Pharmacy Board Changes ID Regulation
Reported by Liz MacMenamin
T
heStateBoardofPharmacy
votedtosupportaregulationthat
requirespharmaciststoobtainpositive
identificationforallClassIInarcotics
prescriptions.Thedecisionwasmade
atitsProposedRegulationWorkshop
andPublicHearingheldonFeb.26,
2004.
RepresentativesoftheRetail
AssociationofNevada(RAN)and
threePharmacyBoardmembers
spokeagainsttheregulation,saying
theindustrywouldpreferthatsuch
adecisionbelefttotheprofessional
judgmentofthepharmacist.The
Boardlistenedtoourconcerns,
buttheregulationpassedafterthe
presidentvotedinitsfavortobreaka
tievote.
PleaseNote:Thereisan“or”inthe
regulationthatallowsthepharmacist
somelatitude.Apharmacistmay
choosetoeithermakeanoteofthe
typeofidentificationanditsnumber
inthefileandinitialthat,ortakea
copyoftheIDandplacethecopyin
thepatient’sfile.
Theboardalsodiscussedregulating
consumeraccesstodrive-through
windows.Afteralengthydiscussion,
theydecidedthatKeithMacDonald,
executivesecretaryofthePharmacy
Board,shouldlookatthelanguage
thatisbeingproposed.It’smy
understandingthathewouldtake
intoconsiderationsomeoftheboard
members’proposalsonthelanguage.
Theboarddidagreetograndfather
inallexistinglocationswiththe
regulationimpactingonlyfuture
buildingplans.Therearemembersof
theboardwhoreallywanttoseethe
patientface-to-faceandnotrelyon
audiovisualequipment.Ihopethatthe
boardwilltakeintoconsiderationany
futuretechnology.
KeithMacdonaldexpressed
Page 4 • March 2004
greatinterestinworkingwiththe
industryontheControlledSubstance
MonitoringRule.Therearesome
concernsregardingthefieldsthat
theboardmayputintothereporting
language.Theboardwasnotaware
thatNevadawouldbetheonlystate
demandingthesefields.
Thenextboardmeetingwillbeheld
onApril14–15,2004,inLasVegas.
Ifyouneedcopiesoftheproposed
regulations,pleasecallRAN,775882-1700,andwewillfaxyouacopy.
NevadaPharmacyand
TherapeuticsCommittee
TheNevadaPharmacyand
TherapeuticsCommittee(NPTC)held
itsfirstmeetingonFeb.26,2004.
Thishearingwasbeneficialinsetting
thetoneforfuturehearings.Frommy
perspective,thiscommitteeappears
toreallyunderstandtheimportance
ofkeepingitsfocusonaclinicallevel
Pharmacy Board continued on page 5
New Washoe County Business
Licensee Fees
By Paul Enos
I
nNovemberof2003,theWashoe
CountyCommissionhearda
proposaltoadoptbusinesslicense
feesthatwouldhaveincreased
feesfrom27%to600%acrossthe
varioustiers.TheRetailAssociation
ofNevada(RAN)testifiedagainst
thatproposalandexpresseda
willingnesstoworkwithWashoe
Countytoimplementareasonable
feeschedule.
RANworkedwithrepresentatives
fromtheReno-SparksChamber
ofCommerce,thePetroleum
MarketersAssociation,AGC
NevadaChapterandtheNevada
TaxpayersAssociation,andstafffrom
theWashoeCountyCommunity
DevelopmentDepartment,and
endorsedthefeeschedulebelow,
adoptedonFeb.24,2004.
WashoeCountyalsoadopted
aresolutiontograntaperiodof
amnesty,waivinginterestand
penaltiesforthosebusinesses
operatinginunincorporatedWashoe
Countythatdonothaveabusiness
license.
TheamnestyperiodwillendonMay
31,2004.
FeeCategory
BusinessLicenseFee
PercentIncrease
$25,000orless
$50.00to$55.00
10.0%($5increase)
$25,001to$50,000
$60.00to$65.00
8.3%($5increase)
$50,001to$100,000
$105.00to$115.00
9.5%($10increase)
$100,001to$300,000
$130.00to$140.00
7.7%($10increase)
$300,001to$500,000
$215.00to$235.00
9.3%($20increase)
$500,001to$1,000,000
$315.00to$345.00
9.5%($30increase)
$1,000,001to$2,500,000
$550.00to$600.00
9.1%($50increase)
$2,500,001to$5,000,000
$575.00to$630.00
9.6%($55increase)
$5,000,001ormore
$600.00to$655.00
9.2%($55increase)
Government Affairs
Pharmacy Board
continued from page 4
asopposedtomakingitamarketing
meeting.
TheNPTCapprovedandaccepted
itsbylawswithnodiscussion.Ina
discussionaboutfuturemeetings,
amemberfromsouthernNevada
suggestedthatthemeetinglocations
alternatebetweenthesouthandthe
north;however,thegroupdecided
toteleconferencewiththenorthern
membersassemblinginCarsonCity
andthesouthernmembersassembling
attheGrantSawyerBuildinginLas
Vegas.
JeffMonaghan,clinicalmanager
ofFirstHealthServicesCorporation,
presentedanoverviewofthe
operationofthecommittee.He
answeredcommitteemembers’
questionsregardingtheprocess,and
amongthemanypointsheclarified
wasthatthiscommitteewouldnot
getintothecostofdrugs.TheDrug
UtilizationReview(DUR)Boardwill
handlethis.
TheNPTCdiscusseddrugclass
reviewsofACEI’sandcombinations,
ARB’sandcombinations,PPI’sand
H2RAs.Theyalsodiscusseddiabetic
therapyprotocolanddeterminedthat
aslongasthepatientisdoingwell,
theprotocolwillstaythesame.Itwas
determinedthattheseclassesofdrugs
areinterchangeable.
Thecommitteewasalsoaskedto
carveoutchildrenfromtheARB’s,
butitwasdeterminedthatthis
wouldnotbenecessary.Therewas
alsodiscussiononBisphosphonates
withthesamedetermination,with
theexceptionoftheexclusionof
cimetidine.
Page 5 • March 2004
Legislative Committee Focuses on Health
Insurance and Obesity
Reported by Liz MacMenamin
LegislativeCommitteeon
HealthCare
T
hisLegislativeCommitteeonHealthCareismeetingduringtheinterimto
ascertainwaysthestatecanprovidehealthinsurancefortheuninsuredof
Nevada.
It’snotbeendecidedhowtoobtainthisinsurance.Thecommitteewillbe
determininghowtoprovidethiscoverageforeachemployee.
TheRetailAssociationofNevadawillbecloselymonitoringthiscommittee’s
findings.
ObesityWorkgroup
O
nMarch1,2004,theNevadaAllianceforChronicDiseasePrevention’s
ObesityWorkgroupheldaconferencecalltodiscusswaystheAlliance
couldworkwithotherstocombatobesityinNevada.Representativesfromthe
NevadaStateHealthDivision,ClarkCountyHealthDistrict,WashoeCounty
DistrictHealthDepartmentandorganizationssuchastheDiabetesFoundation
participatedinthecall.
AmemberofthegroupstatedthattheObesityWorkgroupwasnecessary
becauseofthegrowingconcernswithoverweightNevadans.Accordingto
aparticipantofthegroup,obesityisthetopconcernoftheAlliance.The
committeewillmakerecommendationsatitsfinalmeetingonMarch22,2004.
TheAllianceplanstotaketheObesityWorkgroup’srecommendationsand
possiblyusethemtomoveforwardwithanobesityplanforthe2005legislative
session.
ThisAllianceisalsofollowingmeetingsoftheothersubcommitteesthatare
concernedwithhealthstaffingandtheuninsured.TheAlliancewasencouraged
tolookatcommunityactionplansfordiabetesandobesityasopposedtotaking
thistotheregulatoryprocess.
TheAlliancewillbesendingoutasurveyonideasfortheirnextmeeting
date.ThatwillbesometimeafterthefinalmeetingoftheSubcommitteeto
StudyMedicalandSocietalCostsandImpactsofObesity.Thatfinalmeetingis
scheduledforMarch22,2004.
Ifyouhaveanyquestionsaboutthisinformation,pleasecallmeattheRAN
office,775-882-1700.
U.S. Government Agencies Launch War on Fat
T
heU.S.DepartmentofHealth
andHumanServicesistakingaim
atobesitywithapubliceducation
campaign.
TheHealthyLifestylesandDisease
PreventionCampaign,aimedat
overweightandobeseAmericans,
promotesphysicalactivityand
healthiereating.
TheFoodandDrugAdministration
isalsotacklingoverweightAmericans
withitsObesityWorkingGroup.The
workinggroupmustdevelopnewand
innovativewaystohelpconsumers
leadhealthierlivesthroughbetter
nutrition,anditsfirstreportisonthe
fasttrack,tobereleasedwithinafew
months.
Featured Member
Teaching Massage Therapy –
Baum Healing Arts Center
I
t’stheendofahardday,week
ormonthatworkandyoucan’t
seemtoseparateyourearsfromyour
shoulders.Maybethetimehascome
foryoutovisitamassagetherapist,
someonewhocanloosenyour
musclesandputthoseshouldersback
inplace.
F.DouglasKoenig,ACMT,DHYP,
alicensedmassagetherapistand
instructorattheBaumHealingArts
Center,saysthatmoreandmore
peoplearediscoveringthehealth
benefitsofmassagetherapyfor
everythingfromrelievingtension
bygettingtheirtwistedmuscles
torelaxtohelpingridthepainof
osteoarthritis.TheBaumCenter,with
schoolsinCarsonCityandReno,is
dedicatedtoturningoutprofessional
massagetherapistswhoaretrained
andreadytotakelicensingtests.
Koenigsaysthatlicensingand
regulationhelpassurethepublic
thatthepersonwhoisworkingon
themnotonlyhastrainedincorrect
methodsofworkingthebody,butalso
inbodysciencessotheyknowwhat
todoandwhatnottodo.Infact,if
you’relookingforamassagetherapist,
Koenigsuggestsyoustartbyaskingif
thepersonislicensed.(Reno,Sparks,
CarsonCity,andDouglasandWashoe
Countiesallrequireamassage
therapisttobelicensed).
Koenigalsosuggeststhataclient
askifthemassagetherapistisinsured.
Hesaysalthoughtheydon’tneedto
beinsured,thereiscertaincriteria
necessarytogetinsurance.Finally,
hesaysthatyoushouldalsofind
someoneyou’recomfortablewith
becausethereisacertainamountof
personalintimacyinvolved.“It’sabig
trustindustry,”hesays.
AllstudentsoftheBaumCenter
Page 6 • March 2004
musttakethebasiccourse,which
includesanatomyandphysiology,
kinesiology,lawandethics,business
practices,hygiene,firstaidandCPR.
Inotherwords,studentshaveto
knowmorethanthe“thighbone’s
connectedtothekneebone.”Rest
assuredthatafter150hoursof
classroomanatomyandphysiology
and210hoursoflearningtechnique—
demonstrationandhands-on—along
withthetestingandevaluation,the
Baumstudentisreadytoperformwell
onyouronlyrealasset,yourbody.
Thebasiccoursepreparesstudents
totakethelocallicensingtestsand
totaketheNationalCertification
BoardTest(NCBT).TheNCBTtestisa
nationallyaccreditedtestformassage Koenig says a good school and licensing
therapists.
ensures that students knows how the body
works. (Photo taken in classroom at Reno campus.)
Thebasiccoursealsorequires
studentstochoosefromanumber
ofelectivecoursesincluding
tissue,hotrock,acupressure,sports
acupressure,sportsmassage,oriental
massageandTuiNa(Chinesemeridian
therapy,reflexology,andalternative
massage).Koenigsaysthestudents
healingtechniquesandfromavariety
whoworkonthepublicareatleasta
oftherapeuticmassageclassessuch
thirdofthewaythroughtheprogram
asdeeptissuetechniques,strain
andsomeareneargraduation,soyou
counterstrainandsofttissuerelease.
getalegitimatemassage.Besidesthe
Theschoolalsooffersanadvanced lowcost,clientsareaskedtoevaluate
curriculumforlicensedmassage
thepractitioner.
therapists.Hereiswheretheycan
Ifyouparticipateinanynumberof
gainadditionalexpertiseandtraining
eventsinthearea,youmayhavemet
inareassuchasmedicalmassage,
astudentoftheBaumCenter.Students
painmanagement,sportsmassageand andinstructorsarethereattheDeath
more.
RideandthemarathonatBowers
Wouldyouliketotakepartin
Mansioneveryyear.You’llseethem
helpingastudentgaincertification?
givingchairmassagesatanumberof
ThentheBaumschoolwouldlike
specialeventsintheareaandthey’ve
totalktoyou.Becausestudentsare
justsignedupwiththeCarsonTahoe
requiredtogetreal-lifeexperience,
Hospitaltodoalltheirhealthfairs.If
theCenterofferslow-costmassage.
yourgrouphasafundraisingevent,
Justasinanymassagetherapy
youmaywanttogivethemacall.
establishment,privateroomsanda
Businessesoftencallonthemtobe
numberoftechniquesareoffered,
includingSwedishmassage,deep
Baum Center continued on page 7
Seminars
Baum Center
• Seminars •
continued from page 6
atawardbanquetsanddifferentholidayevents.TheCenterrecentlyhosteda
businessAfterHoursfortheCarsonCityAreaChamberofCommerce.
Koenigsaysthecenterisproactiveinseeingthattheirstudentsareout
meetingthepublic,learninghowtodealwithpeopleintherealworld,and
gettingpracticalexperienceinmassage.Studentshavetheopportunitytomeet
withanumberofdifferentpeopletolearnhowtoevaluatetheneedsofeach
individual.
OwnerVinnieBaum,ICBT,openedtheBaumHealingArtsCenterinCarson
Cityin1997,andtheRenocampusin2001.Baumisalicensedtherapistwith
aprivatepracticeinmassageinCarsonCity,hasbeenaninstructoratthe
RalstonSchoolofMassageatWashoeMedicalCenterandhasaMaster’sdegree
inSportPhysiology.BaumCenterislicensedbytheNevadaCommissionon
PostsecondaryEducation.
AllBaumCenterinstructorsareeithermassagetherapistsand/orchiropractors
andhaveprivatepracticesintheReno/SparksandCarsonCityareas.Contact
theRenocampusat775-329-1535andtheCarsonCitycampusat775-8841145.
FMI Launches Exciting New Format at the
2004 FMI Show in Chicago
T
heFoodMarketingInstitute
(FMI)isgoingtogiveyouthe
“SolutionsforGrowthwithAllthe
RightIngredients”atits2004FMI
Show,May2-4,inChicagoatthe
McCormickPlace.
Thisisanindustryevent,according
toFMI,andtheymayjustberight.
Newtothisyear’sshowisthe
inclusionoffourotherfoodindustry
events.TheOrganicTradeShow’sAll
ThingsOrganicConferenceandShow
comestoMcCormickPlacealong
withTheFancyFoodShow,U.S.Food
ExportShowcaseandTheUnited
ProduceExpoandConference.
Thisisaone-stopchancetosee
thelatestproductsandtrendsinthe
foodindustrythroughmanydifferent
venues.Onebadgegivesattendees
entrancetotheentireshow.Seewhat’s
happeningandnewwithorganics,
specialtystoresandgrocery.There
willbemoreproducts,peopleand
informationthaneverbefore.
Page 7 • March 2004
Newfeaturesatthisyear’sshow
includetheHealthyLivingPavilion,
focusingonnutritionandobesity
andhowitaffectsthefoodindustry;
abiggerandbetternewproduct
showcasewithmoreproduct
categories;educationwithafocuson
solutionsforgrowthandhowyour
companycanstaycompetitiveand
relativetotomorrow’sconsumer;
andtheEPCShowcasewith
demonstrationsandeducationtoget
yourcompanyEPCready.
TheFMIShowhasspecialmeeting
roomsforgroupsof30ormore.Meet
therewiththeexpertsofyourchoice.
Learninglabsandclose-upswill
improveyourcompany’ssuccess
throughfocusedinteractive,strategybasededucationsessionsdesignedto
servespecialistswithinyourcompany.
ContacttheFoodMarketing
Institutenow.Reachthemat202220-0907orfindinformationat
www.fmi.org.
April – 2004
IMRA Loss Prevention, Auditing &
Safety Conference
April 13 - 16, 2004
Dallas, TX
Contact: rasher@imra.org
NACS Category Management
April 28 - 29, 2004
Chicago, IL
Contact: 703-684-3600
May – 2004
NRF CRMretail: Customer Relationship Management Conference
May 11 - 12, 2004
Orlando, FL
Contact: 800-MRF-HOW2
FMI Financial Executive
Conference
May 23 - 26, 2004
Orlando, FL
Contact: pshinko@fmi.org or call
202-220-0705
NRF Washington Leadership
Conference
May 26 - 27, 2004
Washington, DC
Contact: 800-NRF-HOW2
June – 2004
NACDS Marketplace Conference
June 4 - 7, 2004
New Orleans, LA
Contact: 703-549-3001 or
www.nacds.org
August – 2004
NACS Leadership Executive
Program
August 8 - 12, 2004
Ithaca, NY
Contact: 703-684-3600
Abbreviations
FMI • Food Marketing Institute
IMRA • International Mass Retail Assn.
NACDS • Nat’l Assn. of Chain Drug Stores
NACS • Nat’l Assn. of Convenience Stores
NRF • National Retail Federation
Tech News
Spammers Aren’t
Canning Spam
Operation Cyber Sweep Nabs
Internet Scammers
S
W
incetheCan-SpamActwent
intoeffectonJanuary1,there’s
beenlittlerelief.Emailrecipients
arestilltrashingatleasthalfoftheir
inboxbecauseit’sspam.Anti-spam
softwaremakerBrightmailsaysit
hasn’tseenachange,andatleast
60percentofallemailisspam.
Thenewanti-spamlawmakes
itillegaltodisguisetheoriginating
Internetaddressofspam,touse
misleadingsubjectlinesandto
electronicallycopyemailaddresses
fromotherwebsites.Italsorequires
thatemailmarketersprovidea
legitimatewayforconsumers
torequesttogetoffanemail
list.Spam-fightersandInternet
providerssaythatsofar,though,
spammersaren’tcomplyingwith
anypartofthelaw.Andspammers
seemtobeuppingtheanteby
creatingevenmoreconfusing
subjectlines,garblingcharactersto
trytoevadespamfilters.
NowtheFederalTrade
Commission(FTC)ishardatwork
tofulfilloneoftheordersofCanSpam—tocreateauniversally
recognizable“mark”thatwillnotify
consumersthattheirinboxcontains
apornographicemail.Takenote,if
yoursubjectlinesaysSEXUALLYEXPLICIT-CONTENT,thatmeans
theemailispornography.
Willasubjectlinewarning
doanygood?Sofar,Brightmail,
AOL,Postini,Inc.andotherspamfighterssaythatspammersarejust
gettingmoreclever.
TheFTC’sporn-proposalstillhas
hoopstojump.Whenthisproposal
isapproved,though,theFTC
canmoveontooneoftheother
sevenrulesthattheCan-SpamAct
requires.Thehardworkwillstart
whentheFTCtackleshowtocreate
ado-not-spamplanfortheInternet.
Page 8 • March 2004
hatdotheUnitedStates,
Ghana,NigeriaandRomania
haveincommon?They’vecome
togethertofightcrimescommitted
overtheInternet.
LastOctober,theDepartmentof
Justice(DOJ)launchedOperation
CyberSweeptotrytostemthe
onslaughtofeconomiccrimes
conductedovertheInternet.Amonth
later,theDepartmentannounced
ithadarrestsorconvictionsof
morethan125individualsinthe
coordinatednationwidecrime
crackdown.
OperationCyberSweepisa
coordinatedeffortoftheDOJ,34
U.S.Attorneys’officesnationwide,
theFBI,thePostalInspectionService,
theFederalTradeCommission,
theU.S.SecretServiceandthe
BureauofImmigrationandCustoms
enforcement,togetherwithavariety
ofstate,localandforeignlaw
enforcementagencies.
Thecyber-crimefightersare
respondingtosignificantincreases
inonlinefraudandthefraudsters’
perceptionthattheyareuntouchable.
Onehundredinvestigationsresultedin
over70indictments,whichuncovered
125,000victimswhohadlostmore
than$100,000.Criminalswere
nabbedacrosstheU.S.,inGhana,
NigeriaandRomania.
Someoftheindictmentsthatare
beingpursuedinclude:
InvestmentCrime
A21-year-old,K.C.Smith,
pleadedguiltytotwofelonycharges
ofsecuritiesfraud.Smithused
theInternetin2002topromotea
fraudulentschemethatpromised
investorshighreturnsontheir
“internationaltax-free”investments
inthe“MarylandInvestmentClub,”
afictitiousenterprise.InTennessee,
Smithluredthegullibleandgreedy
throughspamming.
Phishing
HelenCarr,intheEasternDistrictof
Virginia,pleadguiltytoconspiracyto
possessunauthorizedaccessdevices.
Sheengagedin“phishing”bysending
fakeemailmessagestoAmerica
Onlinecustomers,advisingthemthat
theymustupdatetheircreditcard/
personalinformationonfilewithAOL
tomaintaintheiraccounts.
(Phishing,alsocalledspoofing,
iswhenapersonpretendstobe
someoneelse’semailorwebsite.They
directemailrecipientstologontoa
fakewebsitethatcloselyresembles
theonebeingscammedinboth
appearanceandcontent.)
Hacking
AllanE.Carlsonwasindictedon
chargesofhackingintocomputers
acrossthecountrytolaunch
spamemailattackscriticizingthe
PhiladelphiaPhilliesbaseballteam.
Carson,adisgruntledPhilliesfan,was
alsochargedwithidentitytheftfor
illegallyusingtheemailaddressof
reportersatPhiladelphianewspapers.
“Bycoordinatingourlaw
enforcementeffortswithotherfederal,
stateandlocallawenforcers,we
leverageoureffortsandmaximize
ourimpact,”saysTimothyJ.Muris,
chairmanoftheFTC.“Weintendto
sendastrongmessagetothosewho
usetheInternettobreakthelaw.”
Victimsofonlinecrimeshouldfile
acomplaintonlinewiththeInternet
FraudComplaintCenter,whichis
ajointventureoftheFBIandthe
NationalWhiteCollarCrimeCenter.
Gotowww.ifccfbi.govorhttp:
//www.ftc.govtofindfraudcomplaint
forms.
News Briefs
BAT Tax for Out-ofState Companies
Medicare Discount Cards
Prompt Scams
T
D
heNationalRetailFederation
(NRF)isseekinga“brightline”
testforwhetherastatecanimpose
businessactivitytaxes(BAT)onout-ofstatecompanies.
Followingextensiveconsultation
withmembercompanies,NRFthis
monthadoptedapolicystatement
sayingthatCongressshouldprovide
astandardthatisfairtoboth
governmentandbusinessesandalso
clearandsimpleforgovernmentto
administerandbusinessestocomply.
Thestatementsaysthatthestandard
forwhetheracompanymeetsthe
brightlinetestiswhetherithasa
“greaterthandeminimus”physical
presenceinagivenstate.TheBAT
positiondoesnotchangeNRF’s
supportforcollectionofsalestaxby
remotesellers.
Withagrowingnumberofstates
seekingwaystosolverevenue
shortages,manyarelookingat
establishingBATtaxesorexpanding
existingBATtaxes.Congressis
expectedtoaddresstheissue
sometimethisyear.
BATtaxesincludeawiderange
ofleviesimposedonbusinesses,
includingcorporateincometaxes,
franchisetaxes,grossreceiptstaxes,
capitalstocktaxes,networthtaxes,
singlebusinesstaxesandbusinessand
occupationtaxes.Stateshavetriedto
imposeoneormoreofthetaxeson
companiesthatdon’thaveanofficeor
storeintheirstatebutshipproducts
intoastate,solicitordersorotherwise
haveabusinessactivity.
A1959federallawprohibits
statesfromplacinganincometaxon
out-of-statebusinesses,butdoesn’t
addressothertaxesandappliesonly
tocompaniessellingtangiblegoods,
notservices.
Source:NationalRetailFederation,
February27,2004
Page 9 • March 2004
oor-to-door
salesmen
areprettymuch
athingofthe
past,soifyou
getaknockon
yourdoorand
thepersonstandingontheporch
triestotellyouheorsheisgathering
informationfortheMedicareapproveddiscountcard,shutthe
doorandlockit.TheMedicaredrug
discountcardwon’tevenbetaking
signupsuntilMay2004.Thefraudsters
havegottenthejumponthisone.
Aspokespersonfromthe
federalCentersforMedicareand
MedicaidServicessays,“Someone
isfraudulentlyimpersonating
ormisrepresentingMedicareby
telephoneandbydoor-to-doorvisits
tobeneficiaries’homestodiscussthe
Medicarediscountdrugprogram
andtoobtainpersonalidentifying
informationfrombeneficiaries.”
Medicarerepresentativesare
notgoingdoor-to-door,norare
theycallinganyoneregardingthe
discountdrugcard.TheCenteris
warningpeoplenottogiveoutany
informationtoanyoneproclaiming
torepresentthecard.Themarketing
fortheprogramhasn’tevenbegun,
letalonetheformalsignupperiod.
Thediscountcardisatemporary
reliefprogramthatmayhelp
saveseniors10to25percentoff
theretailpriceofsomeoftheir
medicines.Low-incomeelderlywill
beeligiblefora$600creditontheir
cards.TheprogramstartsinJuneof
thisyear,afterthesignupperiodin
May.
Water Study for Southern Nevada
Agrowthtaskforceisbeingformedtostudygrowthandwater
issuesinsouthernNevada.Recommendationsformembersare:
Citizens/GeneralPublic
SueAllen,SouthwestAreaNetwork;
GabrielLither,SummerlinResidents
forResponsibleGrowth;AnnZorn,
Retired,Paradisearea.
Environmental
JaneFeldman,SierraClub;Alan
O’Neill,OutsideLVFoundation
DeveloperCommunity
JayBingham,JulietDevelopment;
JohnKilduff,AmericanNevada
Corp.;DanielVanEpp,Howard
Hughes/TheRouseCo.
Business/Gaming
BillBible,NevadaResort
Association;SteveHill,SilverState
Materials/LVChamberofCommerce
Health/SocialServices
MerlindaGallegos,ChungTingTang
Foundation;FrankRicho,Catholic
Charities
Labor
DannyThompson,AFL/CIO
Analysis/Academic
GuyHobbs,Hobbs,Ong&
Associates,Inc.;NgaiPindell,Law
Professor,UNLVLawSchool;Hal
Rothman,UNLVHistoryProfessor
andDepartmentChair
Chair
LeonardE.(Pat)Goodall,Retired
UNLVPresident
Self Insured Groups
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 Greater management control
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Important information for SIG members
The NRS governing self insured groups requires notifying members of all new members to the
Group. New members for NRNSIG, from February 1 to March 15, 2004, are listed below. For
a complete member list, please call RAN at 775-882-1700. Please Note: Due to the many new
members added each month to NRNSIG, we are unable to list all members on this page.
NRNSIG
AffordableTradeshowService,Inc.
AlamoMedicalClinic
AlpenGlow
AMTISunbeltLLP
AreaWest
BigOTires28852
BigOTiresCentennial28856
CardiovascularSurgeryofSouthernNevada
CassidyClassicCleaning
ComfortKeepers
CrescentDevelopmentCompany
CrescentManagementServices,Inc.
GobinderS.Chopra,MD,Chtd
Goodi’sFreshSqueezedLemonade
members greater incentive
to control losses
Find out more about RAN’s self insured group.
Call Willie Kerschner, 775-720-8125 or the RAN office at 775-882-1700
(Toll-free in Nevada – 800-690-5959).
Don’t forget to check out our website, www.RANNV.org.
BePartof…
Certificate #5004
TakeControlToday…
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Sponsoredby
The Retail Association
of
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1007 N. Nevada Street
Carson City, NV 89703-3937
• Membership in RAN Required •
Page 10 • March 2004
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NRNSIG members who
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member, please write
NRNSIG at 810 E. Fifth
Street, Suite A, Carson
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the reason(s) for the
negative vote.
Membership Information
The Nevada Retail Network
•SelfInsuredGroup•
GreenValleyPonds,Inc.
HotBodiesSpa
LaFermeLLC
LittlePeoplePortraits
MackDesignGroupCorp.
Matties
Ming’sRestaurant,Inc.
MountainViewHomes
PineLodgeLLC
PrismCPR
ServiceMaster1stResponse
SierraNevadaEyeCenterLtd.
Spinetti’s
TechnowledgeNetworks,Inc.
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R–A–N
Larsen Column
The Fine Point of Cohesion
Researcher Explores the Link Between Close-Knit Work Groups and Performance
By James Larsen, PhD
Researchersstudyingtheperformance
ofworkgroupshaveexamined
numerousqualitiesofgroupcom-
positionandfunctioningoverthe
years.They’vebeenlookingforfactors
thatwillexplainwhysomegroupsare
veryproductive,whileothersarenot.
Onepopulartargetfortheirstudyhas
beengroupcohesion.
Groupcohesionisaterm
researchersinventedtodescribe
aconditionofworkgroupsthat
helpsmembersfeelclosetoeach
other.Ithasthreecomponents:1)
interpersonalattraction(peopleina
groupfeelingattractedtoeachother
forfriendship),2)grouppride,and3)
sharedcommitmenttotheworkofthe
group.Commonsensesuggeststhat
groupsthatpossessthesequalitieswill
workwelltogetherandachievemore
thangroupsthatdonot.However,
researchersarecautiousabout
commonsense.Theyliketotestitif
theycan,butcohesionhasprovento
beaslipperysubjecttostudy.
DanielBeal,fromPurdue
University,isinterestedinthe
performanceofworkgroups,and
hewassurprisedrecentlywhenhe
readtheconclusionsofareview
articlepreparedbyacolleague.The
colleaguehadreviewedstudiesthat
exploredtheconnectionbetween
groupcohesionandperformance
andhadconcludedthatgroup
cohesiondidnotaffectperformance.
Thisconclusionseemedimpossible
toBeal,soheconductedacareful
reviewhimself.Hecorrectedmistakes
hefelthiscolleaguehadmade,and
heincludedseveral,morerecent
studiesinhisanalysis.
Bealdidobtainfindingsthat
contradictedtheearlierreview.His
findingssupportthevalueofcohesion,
Page 11 • March 2004
buthealsolearnedfinedistinctions
aboutcohesionthatmanagersand
supervisorscanuseinmanagingtheir
workgroups,andhere’sthebestofit.
Bealfoundthatgroupcohesion
mattersmostwhenefficiencyis
important.Memberscommunicate
clearly,quickly,andtheycoordinate
theiractionswithaneaseand
elegancethatresemblesballroom
dancing.Whensuchgroupefficiency
occursinanenvironmentthatrewards
it,groupspossessingtheelements
ofcohesiongainacompetitive
advantage.
Forexample,inaretailsetting,
efficientrestockingmayormaynot
beimportantdependinguponthe
volumeofmerchandisethatneeds
tobesetout,thenumberofpeople
availabletodothework,andthetime
theyhavetoaccomplishit.Storeswith
cohesiverestockingcrews,limited
timeandpeople,andlargevolumesof
merchandisewillmakemoremoney
thansimilarstoreswhoserestocking
crewslackcohesion.Therewillbe
moremerchandiseontheshelves
availableforcustomerstobuy.
Groupcohesionalsomatterswhen
theflowofworkinagrouprequires
jointactionstocompleteit.For
example,pianomoverscan’twork
alone.Theymustworktogetherto
moveapiano.
Groupcohesionalsomatterswhen
theworkflowrequiresmanyhandoffs
orexchanges.Theseoccurwhena
workinprogressispassedbetween
groupmembersandeachcompletes
anoperationandthenpassesthework
ontoanotherperson.Themorethese
exchangesoccur,themoreimportant
groupcohesionbecomesinproviding
groupswithacompetitiveadvantage.
Ofthethreecomponentsof
groupcohesion,Bealfoundthatthe
mostimportantwascommitment
totheworkofthegroup.Nextin
importancewasgrouppride,and
thencameinterpersonalattraction.
Thisisareverseorderofwhatone
wouldexpectbasedonthedefinition
ofgroupcohesionasafeelingof
closenesswithone’sco-workers
resultinginimprovedfunctioningas
agroup,andthisisgoodnewsfor
managersandsupervisors.
Thebestwaytoinfluencean
employee’scommitmenttothework
ofthegroupisforthesupervisorto
careabouttheworkhim/herself,
andtomakethesefeelingsclearto
employees.Thisleadershipcreates
asharedmotivationamonggroup
memberstodowellonatask.It’salso
easytodo.
Thebestwaytoinfluencegroup
prideistoemphasizethedifficulty
ofbecomingamemberofthegroup
andtospeakofthedistinctionthat
followsforindividualswhoare
selected.Addinganotherinterviewto
theselectionprocessaccomplishes
thisgoal.Suchactionsandcomments
enhancethestatusthatcomeswith
groupmembership.
Finally,Bealrecommendsdirecting
performancefeedbacktotheentire
groupandmatchingincentivestothe
measurementofthisperformance.He
furtherrecommendsconcentrating
thisfeedbackonexchangesofwork
betweengroupmemberswithagoal
ofcreatingasmootherworkflow.
Reference:Beal,Daniel,RobinCohen,
MichaelBurke,andChristyMcLendon
(2003)“CohesionandPerformancein
Groups:AMeta-AnalyticClarificationof
ConstructRelations.”JournalofApplied
Psychology,88(6),989-1004.
C2004ManagementResources
n
o
t
g
n
i
h
s
Wa Wa t c h
DoWeNeedCool?—Anewreport
bytheU.S.DepartmentofAgriculture
(USDA)questionswhetherthere
isanyseriousconsumerdemand
formandatorycountryoforigin
labeling.AreportbyUSDA’s
EconomicResearchServiceargues
thatifdemandforCOOLexisted,
supermarketswouldalreadyprovide
theinformationinordertoremain
competitive.
Theabsenceoftheselabelsin
thehighlycompetitiveretailmarket
suggeststhatdemandissimplynot
greatenoughtocovertheadditional
coststhatwouldresultfromlabeling,
saysareportfromtheFoodMarketing
Institute(FMI).Thereportalsoargues
thatmandatingCOOLinlightofthis
absenceactuallyharmscommodities
coveredbythelaw.
Theoriginaldeadlinefor
mandatoryCOOLlabelingfor
meat,produceandpeanuts(butnot
seafood)isSeptember30,2004,
butthereisabillthathasplaceda
two-yeardelayonthemandatory
labeling.U.S.farmersandranchers
favorthecountryoforiginlabeling.
TheappearanceofMadCowdisease
intheU.S.hasmadetheissuemore
visibletothegeneralpublic.Many
feelthatsuchlabelingcreatesmore
trustinfoodthatismarketedinthe
U.S.TheFoodMarketingInstitute
hasaskedtheagencytofinishthe
process.Iftherearetobemandatory
regulations,retailersneedtohavethe
timetocomplywiththelaw,which
stillhasoutstandingandunclear
issuesattachedtoit.ToreadFMI’s
comments,gotowww.fmi.org/gr/
comments/index.cfm.
Source:FMI,March2,2004
Retail Association of Nevada
Nevada News is an official publication of the Retail Association of Nevada.
Mary F. Lau, Executive Director
Elizabeth MacMenamin, Director of Government Affairs
Paul Enos, Manager of Government Affairs
Willeta Kerschner, Account Executive/Workers’ Comp
Joan Morrow, Editor
Retail Association of Nevada is a nonpartisan, nonprofit corporation
Retail
Association
of Nevada
Retail Association of Nevada
1007 N. Nevada Street
Carson City, NV 89703-3937
775-882-1700
Website: www.RANNV.org
founded in 1969 representing the Retail Community, the Chain Drug Council
and the Grocery Industry Council.
Nevada News