RAN November/December 2022

The More Things Change..

By Mary Lau, RAN CEO

IN DOING AN IN-HOUSE REVIEW OF THE 2022 ELECTION, SEVERAL MEMBERS AS WELL as staff were lamenting how nasty politics has gotten. It’s funny and, while I can understand that perspective, from my viewpoint, it’s always been nasty. At least in my lifetime in politics.

Political advertising is fascinating – it really has truly little to do with the education of the public, which is really what the public wants. Voters would like to see compare and contrast ads that are based in fact, but most ads are designed to confuse using dirty tricks while appealing to the emotions of the voter.

A lot of that science includes music, color, scary or positive imaging. It is a science. The first thing you do is determine a story to tell that has to be good for your candidate and bad for the other candidate. You determine the theme and stick to it. Campaign advertising is so sophisticated, those of you who thought you would never use high school algebra should not enter this field. The science

Mary Lau

and interactive modeling of political advertising is based on it - both fascinating and scary.

Thinking as far back in memory as the Goldwater campaign against Lyndon B Johnson, Goldwater was accused of being extreme, dangerous, and not mentally fit to serve as the President of the United States. The famous “Daisy” ad never really mentioned Goldwater, but it did have the requisite atomic bomb being set off. LBJ, of course, won that race by a landslide.

In the “Willie Horton” ad that was used in the

campaign of Bush (HW) versus Dukakis. At that time, the Bush campaign was floundering and looking for a way to overcome Dukakis. They chose the issue of crime, soft on crime to be specific. Willie Horton was serving a life sentence in prison and failed to return following a weekend furlough in 1986. The following spring he kidnapped a young couple, raping the woman and assaulting the man, before he was

The More Things Change...

recaptured. The ad worked; however, the furlough program was supported and passed by a Republican and Ronald Reagan supported it when he was governor of California. Nonetheless, this most racist ad ever used in a political campaign was the key factor that defeated Dukakis.

Crime and racial fear mongering unfortunately works. Bush (HW) went from the “Willie Horton” ad to another Bush changing the enemy to the Muslim community because of 9/11. Bush (W), also in his race against John McCain, recognized that he was in jeopardy in the South. It is unclear to this day who started the rumors that McCain had a Black child, but the whispers that McCain had a dark-skinned adopted child was enough that John lost the election.

Bush also benefitted from a PAC who created the “Swift Boat” campaign against John Kerry. It was allegedly a group of servicemembers that had served with John Kerry. The damage was done and later it was proven false. John Kerry deserved the medals he got.

A 2012 ad by Barack Obama against Mitt Romney included the brilliant tagline, “Mitt Romney’s not the solution; he’s the problem”. It showed Mitt Romney singing the national anthem while newspaper

headlines pointed out that he was outsourcing workers, offshore money, tax havens, well you get the point. A brilliant ad.

Put that up against Harry Reid’s “Romney didn’t pay his taxes”. When confronted with the lie after the election Reid’s comment was, “Oh well, he didn’t win did he?” Romney couldn’t disprove the lie without full disclosure of taxes paid.

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not include Ronald Reagan’s famous “Morning in America” ad which was the most positive beautiful Hollywood production of an ad anybody would want, and that’s the point. Ads are designed to lead the story. You must have a story to tell. “Morning in America” was so upbeat that the public forgot about Reagan’s failures in his first four years, and he was overwhelmingly reelected again with the public doing the happy dance - again media and politics.

Computers have just made this kind of trickery faster and less expensive, but another win for the public is social media and the Internet. You don’t have to quote Rachel Maddow, Sean Hannity or Tucker Carlson. The voting public can go on the Internet and research the facts, and that is something thathas increased transparency about the truth in advertising for political

elections.

Continued from page 1

If you’re a member of RAN, or other groups, you have the advantage of experienced people who work in the field to give you information and a direction to go. Nobody should ever tell you how to vote, but they should tell you the facts. I’ve had many friends say, “I don’t know what to do, and I don’t have time to research”. Well, yes you do. You cannot afford to go into a voting booth uninformed, believing politics as fact.

The best ads out there are compared contrast ads. That’s where a candidate will tell you I support this and my opponent supports that. Those ads are easier to fact check (if there is a voting history) and can be helpful.

The purpose of the above examples is not to sway the opinion of our members that voting doesn’t count. Voting is vital and many consider it a public duty. I share these memories because so many people think that nasty politics is something new, but, unfortunately, that’s not accurate. The fact is politics have never been pretty. The voting public is not dumb, but they have been misdirected. Looking back over the election cycles from history, it’s easy to understand why the message doesn’t change. Stick to the storyline long enough, and you’ll overhear it in a Starbucks

conversation between people you’ve never met. This election is set.

This time, as a member of the governed, don’t forget the promises, don’t forget the campaigns. Pay attention to the truth, be informed and be persistent.

RAN always publishes an end-of-session report with a matrix of votes. That is a history of the past legislative session and how businesses were supported or harmed. Thomas Jefferson said, “The government you elect is the government you deserve”, and the citizens of Nevada deserve a strong government that works for them. An election is not the end of public involvement. Pay attention to what goes on during a legislative session, with the governing of the state, and the interim activities leading up to the next election.

You do have time to study and learn what the people are doing with the trust you gave them. RAN will continue to monitor and share our facts with you, and with the advent of technology, you can be informed make your own judgment and even contact your legislator expressing your support or concern for the direction that they are going in. That is why our constitution says that government of the people and by the people. ■

What Impact Does a Regulation Have on Patients Needing Medication?

By Liz MacMenamin

DURING THE PANDEMIC PATIENTS

IN NEVADA

came to rely more than ever on their community pharmacist to provide them with continuity of care by remaining open and available. Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians were the community heroes that helped deliver medications, testing and administer vaccines with dignity and honor. They were there to see their patients’ needs were met working on the frontline of the pandemic.

The pharmacy was allowed a “reprieve” through emergency orders and waivers

from certain regulatory restraints to allow them to provide the patient services that the pharmacist can provide Pharmacists’ education in patient care is quite extensive and they are not always allowed to practice to the degree that they have been educated and trained for due to legislative or regulatory barriers. The last two years have been proof to the public that their pharmacists are a vital part of the healthcare system and needed to ensure access to care for all patients, especially those in underserved areas.

Once the Governor rescinded his emergency declarations the “old”

Liz MacMenamin

additional flexibilities that been afforded to expand access to care. In fact, when asked, Dave Wuest, Executive Secretary of the State Board of Pharmacy, stated that “there have been no complaints from the public.”

regulations or roadblocks to pharmacy were once again the law/rule. The Board of Pharmacy has not felt compelled to allow your pharmacist to continue to provide the healthcare services they have had for the last two years. There has been no compromise to patient safety, despite the

“Pharmacists’ education in patient care is quite extensive and they are not always allowed to practice to the degree that they have been educated and trained for due to legislative or regulatory barriers.”

Why would an educated health care provider be restrained in such a way? The lack of effort and thoughtful consideration regarding these flexibilities by the Board of Pharmacy is leaving Nevada ill prepared for the future. Nationwide there is a shortage of health care workers and Nevada is no different than other states. We are seeing persistent shortages of healthcare providers. Wouldn’t regulatory bodies, such as the Board of Pharmacy, want to assist the pharmacist in being able to provide increased access to care for patients?

The next time you are in your pharmacy be sure to thank your pharmacist. Your health is their biggest concern and priority.

■

The Man Behind the Tiger

By Mary Lau, RAN CEO

MANY YEARS

AGO, BEFORE there was a tiger, RAN was called the Nevada Retail Association. We were growing but our initials, NRA, were confusing, so we brainstormed a new name and wanted a new logo to capture our passion, mission, and spirit.

Looking for the right person for the job, I contacted Sam Shad, owner and host of Nevada Newsmakers, and he recommended Bill Miller, someone he’d worked with for years. Bill had recently left the Peppermill, where he had built and directed their in-house advertising department— producing all their print ads, billboards, event invitations, collateral materials and radio spots—for several recordprofit-setting years, to pursue other interests. Fortunately, Bill was willing to take us on.

Instead of just tossing off a couple of design ideas, Bill first called a meeting with all our staff that turned out to be an amazing, in-depth focus group about our culture, purpose, and mission,

that he ended by polling each member on their vision of our future growth and impact.

After a few days, Bill returned with our nononsense but protective tiger and slogan, “looking out for business,” and the whole team was blown away. He had really heard us and translated our intentions, hopes and concerns into a symbol that captured who we were then and who we would become.

Soon afterwards, with the holidays approaching, I asked Bill if he’d be willing to design our Christmas card, somehow featuring our brand-new tiger image. He did, in his own unique way, only this time as a complete surprise to us—which has become a tradition for nearly twenty years. We never know what Bill will create, and yet it’s always a fresh and funny take on our theme—so much so it has become a collector’s item that many eagerly await. This year will be no

different, so don’t call and ask what our card will be; we don’t know either. Although now semiretired, Bill still does occasional advertising and design jobs “for the right clients.” He is a one-man creative department, with a copywriter, art director, graphic designer, cartoonist, photographer, Photoshop wiz and audio engineer all contained in one head. Besides RAN, he created the logos for KOH Radio, Virginia City, Street Vibrations and Road Shows Entertainment; TV spots

for RAN, D&D Roofing, Tolles Development Company and the Carson City Greenhouse Project; and the ongoing weekly ad campaign for Nevada Newsmakers in the Las Vegas Review Journal.

If you’d like top-agency creative talent (at a more affordable rate) to help reflect your values and grow your business, give him a call to see if he can fit you in. (509) 8502550 or BillMiller1221@ gmail.com ■

Examples of some of Bill’s RAN Tiger holiday cards are on back page.

Bill Miller

Nevada Voters Choose Democracy

By Bryan Wachter

THIS ELECTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN A LANDSLIDE for Republican candidates, but widespread election denial, the events of January 6, 2021, and Donald Trump’s dominance over the Republican Party handed Democrats exactly what they needed to hold all of Nevada’s federal seats and make huge gains in the Nevada Legislature. Just weeks before the 2022 election, President Biden made a major address about the fact that election denying Republicans were an existential threat to

democracy. Most political professionals scoffed at the effort, insisting that the conventional wisdom where voters decide based on the economy would win out, but it turned out to be the stroke of political brilliance that didn’t just win federal races but also gave Democrats in Nevada some of the largest majorities in state history.

RAN exit polled more than 300 people who voted in the 2022 election in Nevada. When asked what issues were driving their voting decisions, we saw voters break into two groups: people concerned about the economy

Bryan Wachter

and inflation who were voting for Republicans; and people concerned about democracy and abortion who were voting for Democrats. The data is clear; more people showed up to vote who

heard President Biden and were concerned about democracy than were concerned about the economy. Our exit polls showed that down-ballot Republican candidates for state legislative races were not able to win over voters against the systemic drag caused by election denying candidates like Jim Marchant who ran for Nevada Secretary of State.

This drag, however, was not universal; candidates who kept President Trump’s election denial at arm’s length outperformed those who embraced it with open arms. In Nevada we can see this clearly in the fact Adam Laxalt, who was involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election, lost and Joe Lombardo, who was not involved, won.

Nevada politicians should take away from this election that the people believe in our democracy (or republic if you want to get technical), and if you try to overturn a free and fair election in Nevada, or ally yourself with those trying to do so, a majority of Nevada voters will ignore the rest of the issues and vote to keep you out of office. ■

NEVADA DEMOCRATS FALL SHORT OF VETO CONTROL

The final count after the November 8th election puts Nevada democrats one seat short of a super majority in the State Senate. Democrats were successful in securing a super majority in the State Assembly. A super majority in both houses would have allowed for a near-guaranteed override of any vetos by the governor.

Nevada Current

NEVADA EXPECTS TO HIRE 7,000 WORKERS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

The Retail Association of Nevada (RAN) projects merchants in the Silver State will add 7,000 seasonal jobs, including in-store personnel and logistics and warehousing employees. This year’s holiday hiring surge coincides with rising inflation and a tight labor market, making it more difficult for companies to find and retain personnel. “Retailers are carefully balancing fluctuating consumer spending and a tight labor market to ensure they have enough staff to support early sales, Black Friday, and shopping through to Christmas,” said Bryan Wachter, Senior Vice President of RAN. 2 News Reno

Nevada News

GOODWILL SOUTHERN NEVADA, RETAILERS START HOLIDAY HIRING SPREE

Organizations such as Goodwill of Southern Nevada are hiring more cashiers for their clearance centers as well as warehouse and logistics personnel. Bryan Stewart, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Goodwill of Southern Nevada, described Goodwill’s hiring efforts as a “continuous struggle” due to a large number of job postings, saying that they “probably have five manager positions open at any given time.” Meanwhile, large retailers like Target and Walmart are also boosting their hiring efforts in preparation for Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping seasons. LV Review-Journal

at $10 per acre under the revised guidelines, a fivefold increase from the existing minimum of $2 per acre. The sales will also include revised royalty rates for oil and gas leasing, with the minimum rate rising from 12.5% to 16.7%. The Hill

NDOC ANNOUNCES CLOSURE OF WARM SPRINGS

CORRECTIONAL CENTER

litigation; practices trademark law, divorce law, appellate law, and collections; and serves pro bono clients via the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada. Lee is the first African-American woman and first Asian-American to serve on the State’s highest court.

KOLO TV Reno

THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR REVEALS NEW PROPOSED OIL AND GAS LEASE SALES IN NEVADA, UTAH

The Bureau of Land Management has announced two proposed oil and gas lease sales for 63,603.89 acres on 35 lots in Nevada and 31,808 acres on 18 lots in Utah. The site would be leased under updated sections of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which took effect earlier this year. Minimum bids would be set

The Nevada Department of Corrections announced that the Warm Springs Correctional Center in Carson City will be closed to “increase safety and security” and reduce officer overtime. Almost all inmates housed at the correctional center will be transferred to the nearby Northern Nevada Correctional Center. None of their privileges or programming will be revoked. No staff will be dismissed or transferred unless they volunteer.

8 News Now

SISOLAK APPOINTS PATRICIA LEE TO NEVADA SUPREME COURT

Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak appointed Patricia Lee, Esq. to the vacant Nevada Supreme Court, Seat F. Lee has been with the law firm Hutchison and Steffen since 2002 and became a partner in 2009. She specializes in complex commercial

NEVADA ECONOMISTS PREDICT FAVORABLE ECONOMIC OUTLOOK DESPITE NATIONAL RECESSION FEARS

Emily Mandel, an economist at Moody’s Analytics, predicted that the U.S. would likely experience a recession “around the middle to the second half of” 2023. She also stated that inflation could fall to 4% by next year and 2% by 2024. “We’re not predicting a recession,” said Stephen Miller, research director at UNLV’s Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER). “That doesn’t mean there’s not a recession risk.” However, even if the country’s economy doesn’t enter a recession in the coming years, Miller reported that the housing market is already in a recession. Andrew Woods, the director of CBER, said the housing market may experience a slump due to the quick rise in home prices after the brief pandemic recession.

Nevada Independent

National News

U.S. ECONOMY GROWS 2.6% IN Q3

The U.S. economy recovered at a 2.6% annual rate from July to September, ending two quarters of decline and overcoming rising inflation and interest rates just before midterm elections begin, with the economy’s health emerging as a key topic. The Commerce Department reported that the country’s GDP—the broadest measure of economic output— increased in the third quarter after declining in the first half of 2022. This was supported by the surge in exports, which rose at a 14.4% annual pace. An increase in consumer and government spending, as we as a solid labor market, also greatly helped the U.S. economy recover at a time when fears of a recession are growing.

Las Vegas Review-Journal

WALGREENS, VILLAGEMD OPEN IN LAS VEGAS

Walgreens and VillageMD announced the opening of Las Vegas’ first Village Medical, a primary care practice located alongside a Walgreens pharmacy store. “VillageMD and Walgreens are working together to provide coordinated primary care and pharmacy services that we know patients want and deserve for themselves and their family members,” said David Hatfield, president of Village Medical. This expansion into the Las

Vegas market will create over 45 full-time jobs and directly hire an additional 40 STEM professionals, including physicians, nurse practitioners, and medical assistants. Physicians and pharmacists are backed with high-tech tools, optimized electronic medical records, and decreased administrative tasks, allowing them to focus on providing better patient care. Drug Store News

AMAZON PARTNERS WITH PARAFIN TO LAUNCH CASH ADVANCE PROGRAM FOR MERCHANTS

Amazon has collaborated with U.S.-based financial service company Parafin to provide merchants with cash advances. Merchants can borrow between $500 and $10 million to expand their businesses without having to worry about fixed periods, credit checks, late penalties, or excessive paperwork. The e-commerce giant will provide cash loans to these sellers on a customizable payment schedule based on a fixed percentage of gross merchandise sales until the loan has been repaid. Retailers will not be required to make minimum payments, pay interest, or put up collateral for the loan, however, they will be required to pay a fixed capital fee. Amazon will pilot the financial service to select American businesses this month, and the service will

be available to “hundreds of thousands of sellers by early 2023.” Retail Dive

WALMART, POPABLE PROVIDE SHORT-TERM RENTALS TO SMALL BUSINESSES

As retailers struggle with rent due to soaring inflation rates, Walmart has partnered with Popable, an online popup shop marketplace, to lease space inside its retail stores to smaller businesses on shortterm contracts. According to a news release from the retail giant, brands looking to rent space at Walmart sites can communicate with them via Popable’s website and sign a temporary lease. Small business owners can sign up for rentals ranging from one month to a year, as well as enter into a longerterm commitment. Leasees can also directly bargain the conditions of the contract with the landlords.

Retail Dive

AMAZON WARNS THAT PROFITS COULD DISAPPEAR IN Q4

E-commerce giant Amazon warned that sales growth has slowed as the third quarter progressed and that profits could disappear in the fourth quarter, projecting an operating income of between $0 and $4 billion. Amazon reported that their Q3 retail e-commerce sales increased 7% year on year to $53.5 billion, while physical

store sales increased 10% to $4.7 billion. Earnings from services increased even more, with marketplace seller services increasing 18% to $28.7 billion, advertising increasing 25% to $9.5 billion, and subscriptions increasing 9% to $8.9 billion. Total profits were strained in the quarter, as operating income fell 48% to $2.5 billion and net income fell 9% to $2.9 billion, with the North American business losing $412 million compared to $880 million last year.

Retail Dive

WALMART IS SPREADING HOLIDAY CHEER THROUGH SPARK GOOD INITIATIVE

Retail giant Walmart makes giving more worthwhile through its recently launched Spark Good program, which promises to donate up to $5 million to local nonprofit organizations across the country. Customers can donate to their chosen foundation by rounding up their purchases on Walmart. com or the Walmart app. Walmart will then match shopper contributions up to $1 million. Furthermore, the retailer will provide $1,000 grants to 3,000 organizations that receive 20 or more Spark Good Round Up gifts. Customers who can’t find a cause or foundation they prefer may send a referral link directly to the nonprofit of their choice.

Progressive Grocer

Important Information for SIG Members

NRS requires all existing members of a self-insured group to be notified of all new members. NRNSIG new members are listed below.

NRNSIG members who wish to register a negative vote on a new group member, please write NRNSIG at 575 S. Saliman Road, Carson City, NV 89701, indicating which member and the reason(s) for the negative

Membership Information: Find out more about RAN’s self insured group. Call Pro Group, 800-859-3177, 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.

Nevada Consumers to Spend $6.5 Billion this Holiday Season

RAN Press Release

THE RETAIL ASSOCIATION OF NEVADA FORECASTS

consumer retail sales in Nevada to grow by 8 percent during the holiday shopping season this year to reach a record $6.5 billion. The traditional holiday shopping season spans November and December, and consumer spending figures exclude auto sales, restaurants and gasoline. On the national level, holiday consumer spending is projected to increase between 6 percent and 8 percent, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF).

“Even more than in the past, consumers are starting their holiday shopping and deal hunting early this year,” said Bryan Wachter, Senior Vice President of RAN. “Consumers continue to feel that gift giving is an important part of the holiday season, and the pressure of inflation and rising interest rates are driving them to look longer and harder for deals and discounts.”

The holiday shopping timeline has lengthened over the past few years as

retailers begin their deals and promotions earlier in the fall to meet growing consumer preference to spread out their budgets and shop longer for the best deals. According to a survey conducted by NRF, approximately 44.0 percent of this year’s holiday shoppers indicated that it was better to purchase gifts and other seasonal items as early as September because they believe inflation will continue to impact prices as we approach the giftgiving season. While inflationary pressures are being felt, consumers are still spending and are expected to shop for holiday gifts this year. According to NRF, 62.0

percent of holiday shoppers agree that it is important to spend on holiday gifts and celebrations, even if that means cutting back spending in other areas. Further, 43.0 percent of consumers indicated that they do not earn enough to cover the costs of gifts and other holiday

the same destinations this year, with some notable shifts. Online continues to be the most popular shopping destination with 56.0 percent of consumers indicating that would be their preference for this year, down slightly from last year’s 57.0 percent, according to NRF. The pandemic drew many consumers to nonstore retail, including online shopping, a trend that has continued even after social distancing measures were dropped. RAN estimates that total nonstore retail sales, including online shopping, this holiday season could exceed $1.2 billion, eclipsing last year’s recordsetting $1.1 billion.

related goods this year. As a result, shoppers are looking for other ways to supplement their income, whether it be by dipping into their savings (40.0 percent of consumers), taking on credit card debt (32.0 percent), using services like buy now, pay later (25.0 percent) and selling assets (22.0 percent).

In general, consumers are holiday shopping at

Other popular shopping destinations include discount stores (44.0 percent), department stores (47.0 percent), grocery stores (45.0 percent) and clothing stores (31.0 percent). It is worth noting that the biggest shift in shopping destinations this year was sourced to discount stores, which grew by 4.0 percentage points from last year. This is likely reflective of consumers trying to get the best bang for their buck amid rising prices. ■

Retail Association of Nevada

410 South Minnesota Street Carson City, Nevada 89703-4272

Nevada News

Mary F. Lau President/CEO

Elizabeth MacMenamin Vice President of Government Affairs

Previous RAN Holiday Cards Created by Bill Miller

Nevada News is published by the Retail Association of Nevada, a nonpartisan, nonprofit corporation founded in 1969 representing the Retail Community, the Chain Drug Council and the Grocery Industry Council.

Bryan Wachter Senior Vice President

Piper Brown Vice President, Finance and Administration

Megan Bedera Editor

Sue Arzillo, Alphabet Soup Inc. Newsletter Design & Layout

Retail Association of Nevada