(05/23/10) "Chicken costumes banned at Nev. polling places" (by Martin Griffith, Associated Press)

[Spang]

RENO, Nev. — Voters dressed in chicken costumes won't be allowed inside Nevada polling places this year.

State election officials on Friday added chicken suits to the list of banned items after weeks of ridicule directed at Republican Senate candidate Sue Lowden.

The millionaire casino executive and former beauty queen recently suggested that people barter with doctors for medical care, like when "our grandparents would bring a chicken to the doctor."

Democrats responded by setting up a website, "Chickens for Checkups," and by sending volunteers in chicken suits to her campaign events.

Lowden is in a 12-way primary race to decide Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's Republican opponent. She had been the front-runner in the race, but was in a virtual tie for the lead in a recent poll.

Under the new rule, chicken costumes will be banned along with political buttons, shirts, hats and signs within 100 feet of polling places.

Washoe County Registrar of Voters Dan Burk said such a costume would be an "inappropriate and obvious" advocacy message against Lowden.

Lowden campaign manager Robert Uithoven hailed the decision.

"I think voters will be spared the Harry Reid carnival and that's a good thing," he told The Associated Press. "I think most voters are going to the polls thinking about far greater things than Harry Reid's chickens."

Reid spokesman Jon Summers said the Nevada Democratic Party has been sending the volunteers in chicken costumes to Lowden events and he was unaware of any plans for them to show up at the polls.

"Maintaining fair elections is an important thing and we respect the decision that has been made by election officials," he said. "I certainly can understand why that would be a sensitive issue for her since she has been called out on her concept of bartering chickens for checkups."

Early voting began Saturday in the June 8 primary.

The Source (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hZ6fvO9PAB_iHu57g1Aedto7wqrwD9FS7IKO2)

[devildog]

The millionaire casino executive and former beauty queen recently suggested that people barter with doctors for medical care, like when "our grandparents would bring a chicken to the doctor."

Does anyone see the similarity in this sentence in regards to what the media did to Sarah Palin? Why does it matter that she's a former beauty queen? This AP writer has lost all credibility with me. The woman is clearly talking about bartering, which has become quite popular.

Can't afford healthcare? Barter for it. Source: CNN (http://money.cnn.com/2009/06/19/smallbusiness/medical_barter_health_care.smb/index.htm)

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- A few entrepreneurs are exploring a novel solution to the problem of finding affordable health care for themselves and their staff: Swap for it.

Bob Viking, who owns a party supply store and event entertainment company in Portage, Wisc., hasn't had to pay cash for office computers or services like remodeling in seven years. Instead, he barters for them, using a system he's now exploring for health care as well. Viking paid for his own dental surgery with barter "cash," and he recently met with a service that barters dental, eye care and emergency health coverage to discuss building an employee benefit plan.

As the recession drags on, barter is booming. International Monetary Systems (IMS), the network Viking uses, has seen its volume of inquiries double since last year. Business owners with an eye toward cutting costs are increasingly viewing bartering as a viable option for obtaining medical services for themselves and their employees.

"The vast majority of small and medium businesses just don't have the resources today to offer those big insurance platforms with large coverage, so they're turning to alternative forms to be able to provide similar benefits at less cost," said John Strabley, CEO of IMS.

Not offering health insurance has hurt staff recruiting and retention over the years at his company, Viking said.

"I just can't afford to do it as a small business owner, even if I only paid a portion of it," he said. "The portion I'd have to pass onward would also be problematic for any employee. It really is too expensive for me to add to my bottom line."

That's a problem that plagues many entrepreneurs. President Obama has made reforming the health care system a political priority this year, a move that's in line with small business owners' needs. Entrepreneurs frequently cite the cost and restricted availability of health care as one of their top business challenges. A recent survey by the Main Street Alliance, an industry group lobbying for health-care reform, found that just 34% of the small employers it polled offer employee health coverage.

Swapping for service
On a volume basis, bartering isn't yet ready to fill the gap. IMS, which boasts 18,000 clients and handled a barter volume of $120 million last year, does only 3% to 5% percent of its trading in the medical field, Strabley estimated. That includes services from massage therapists and chiropractors, as well as more traditional medical help from dentists, doctors and optometrists.

But the handful of providers who have stepped up to swap are finding a growing demand for their services. Wall Family Dentistry in Milwaukee, Wisc., has been a member of IMS and its predecessor for sixteen years, amassing "barter bucks" that owner Tim Wall has traded for a baby grand piano and a pontoon boat. Business was traditionally slow, but lately Wall is fielding what he calls "probably as much as I can handle." He sees up to 15 patients a month who have bartered for care.

He's noticed another new trend, as well: Customers have shifted their priorities to more vital, basic services. A year ago, network members would use barter to pay for cosmetic procedures like tooth whitening. Now, they want fillings and cleanings, he said.

Talk back: Would you barter for medical care?
Entrepreneur Shawn Christian relies on barter trade for all of his employees' health care services. Christian has a vested interest in promoting bartering: He owns the Dallas franchise of Itex, a barter network that focuses specifically on serving small businesses. But Christian also owns a maid service, and although he offers a health insurance plan, none of his staff have purchased it because the premiums are still too high, he said.

Instead, Christian barters cleaning services for credits that he then swaps for dental care and visits to emergency clinics. He estimates that he spent about $15,000 in barter money last year paying for staff health care.

Medical barter has its limits: Christian would love to barter for prescription drugs, but can't because there are no providers participating in his network.

Corwin Discount Drugs, one of the few pharmacies that have joined the barter trade, sees heavy demand for its wares. Based in Lockport, Ill., the prescription drug supplier does around $100,000 a year in barter revenue, accounting for around 8% of the store's annual sales.

Owner Walter Beich, who has been involved with the IMS network for almost 20 years, says his barter trade is up 20% from two years ago. He uses his barter credits to pay for software, vehicles and store maintenance, freeing up cash for other purposes.

That isn't to say that there's a headlong rush to start swapping oil changes for heart surgery. Though it's growing, barter itself is "still a wrinkle in the economy," Strabley acknowledges. Still, his network is soliciting for new members in the medical fields in greatest demand, such as eye doctors, dentists and chiropractors. Medical professionals currently make up less than 5% of IMS's membership, a figure Strabley would like to grow to 7%.

As with most networks, IMS' medical members are mostly sole practitioners and small operators. Red tape-heavy hospitals don't generally engage in barter.

Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., is a notable exception. The hospital's Artist Access program has since 2005 allowed more than 400 uninsured musicians, actors, dancers and visual artists to barter their talents in exchange for surgical procedures and dental care.

Artists can teach an opera class, paint murals or act out scripts to help doctors in training practice delivering bad news, earning credits to apply toward the services they need. Since the economy worsened, coordinator Amy Duquette says she's seen two or three inquiries a week, up from the previous average of one a week.

"As they're calling me, they're specifically saying, 'well, I just lost my job, so I don't have health insurance now,'" she said.

For business owners like Viking, it's bartering or bust when it comes to expanding access to medical services for himself and his staff.

"The pool of available money for health care dries up very quickly," he said.


Here's a CNN Video about it: Bartering for Healthcare (http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2009/09/29/n_bartering_health_care.cnnmoney/)

ETA: While the chicken costumes are funny as hell, that is unnecessary at polling places. It makes a mockery of the election process.

[Horizon]

Damn......

http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr254/Bitchmom67/Funnies/CHICKE1.gif

[Suzan]

OMG, I'm going to be an Election Coordinator here in CA for the June 8th primaries. Is this what I'll be dealing with? :eek:

[foxyladi]

OMG, I'm going to be an Election Coordinator here in CA for the June 8th primaries. Is this what I'll be dealing with? :eek:

here a cluck there a cluck everywhere a cluck cluck:rotfl:

[Kbentleyis]

OMG, how funny!! :laughing: Hope they don't ban Elvis Presley costumes--that would be unforgiveable!

[Amy Dugan]

refresher
YouTube- Sue Lowden's plan to pay for health care? "Bring a chicken to the doctor"

Still makes me laugh til i cry

[Amy Dugan]

refresher
YouTube- Sue Lowden's plan to pay for health care? "Bring a chicken to the doctor" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZezfjWox5s)

Still makes me laugh til i cry

bump

[cindyb]

Does anyone see the similarity in this sentence in regards to what the media did to Sarah Palin? Why does it matter that she's a former beauty queen? This AP writer has lost all credibility with me. The woman is clearly talking about bartering, which has become quite popular.

Can't afford healthcare? Barter for it. Source: CNN (http://money.cnn.com/2009/06/19/smallbusiness/medical_barter_health_care.smb/index.htm)




Here's a CNN Video about it: Bartering for Healthcare (http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2009/09/29/n_bartering_health_care.cnnmoney/)

ETA: While the chicken costumes are funny as hell, that is unnecessary at polling places. It makes a mockery of the election process.

You're right! And the other "similarity" is the OP. ;)

[foxyladi]

forget the costumes just be sure to vote**==