Sure, it was fun when I dressed up like Alf when I was a kid (no, I didn’t demand anyone’s cat when trick or treating), but the best part of Halloween night was sorting out the loot.

Lollipop … ehhh. Bubble gum … trash. Chocolate … score!

My sweet tooth always has had a bias toward the creamy, smooth delicacy that is chocolate. While I won’t be knocking on neighbors’ doors this year in search of my true vice, I will indulge in some of Indiana’s finest treats for Halloween. Here are a couple Chamber members who put all of those fun-sized candy bars to shame:

South Bend Chocolate Company offers pumpkin fudge and caramel corn drizzled in chocolate and pumpkin flavor for the fall. You can find me at the downtown Indianapolis location at least once a month indulging in my personal favorite treat – South Bend’s milk chocolate double dipped peanuts. Read more about this maker of all things sweet in a recent BizVoice story.

DeBrand Fine Chocolates, based in Fort Wayne, makes chocolate that’s as beautiful as it tastes. I’m pining for one of its giant chocolate covered caramel apples.

What’s even better about these fall chocolate treats is I can fully justify indulging for Thanksgiving celebrations too. Score!

Pack your bags, we’re going to Vegas! Or maybe a Caribbean cruise is more your style.

Those are the top domestic and international destinations Hoosier travelers are booking for the rest of 2009, according to a Travel Leaders survey. The travel agency network surveyed some of its agents and owners throughout the state.

Other notable findings in the 2009 fall travel trends survey:

• 65.6% of Indiana travelers are making U.S. travel reservations four weeks or less from the planned departure date
• 93.7% of respondents said clients are cutting back on some aspect of travel (such as shortening length of trip)
• Other top destinations domestically are: Orlando (ranked No. 2), Tampa/St. Petersburg (3) and Chicago and Dallas (tied at No. 4)
• Hoosiers traveling internationally are heading to: Cancun, Mexico (No. 2); Mediterranean cruises (3); Montego Bay, Jamaica (4); and Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Riviera Maya, Mexico; and Shanghai, China (all tied for No. 5)
• Still, 90.6% of Indiana Travel Leader respondents say overall travel bookings are lower than at this time in 2008 

Compare these findings to the national travel trends.

Malpractice changes have been ignored, for the most part, in the health care reform discussion – now there are numbers to back why this needs to be a part of the solution.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently released data estimating government spending on programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program would decrease by $41 billion over a 10-year period with proper reforms. The reason:  Physicians would no longer overuse tests as a way to protect themselves from lawsuits.

Changes in the malpractice system would also cut national health care spending by 0.5% a year ($11 billion in 2009). No, that doesn’t solve all the problems, but trying to fix the lawsuit-happy world we are living in is a step in the right direction.

CongressDaily reports the CBO’s analysis is based on a few reform factors such as capping noneconomic damages at $250,000 and punitive damages at $500,000. It also calculated the numbers based on a one-year statute of limitation for adults and three years for children from the time the injury is discovered.

A few senators rightly shared their support for reform (and dismay for dawdling Democrats), CongressDaily shares:

"This is an important step in the right direction, and these numbers show that this problem deserves more than lip service from policymakers," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. "Unfortunately, up to now, that has been all the president and his Democratic allies in Congress have been willing to provide on these issues." Hatch had requested the updated analysis from CBO.

Senate Finance ranking member Charles Grassley and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn of Texas also expressed disappointment that Democrats have not cracked down on medical liability issues. Cornyn urged senators to "take account of the CBO’s objective numbers and the experience of Texas and other states where healthcare access and affordability have been improved by setting reasonable limits on lawsuits against doctors."

Democrats are reluctant to cap payouts from medical liability lawsuits. But President Obama recently directed HHS Secretary Sebelius to look at ways to make changes to the system that will bring down spending.

CBO’s analysis makes a clear argument that malpractice reform should be part of health care reform discussions. Still, supporters have their work cut out for them based on this outlandish comment:

The findings "reiterate what we’ve always known: that medical malpractice claims have almost no effect on overall healthcare spending," said American Association of Justice President Anthony Tarricone. "The vast majority of empirical evidence suggests that there are only minuscule savings to be found in reforming our nation’s civil justice system."

Safety – it’s a part of everyday life. There are those common sense words from parents like putting on your seatbelt or looking both ways before crossing the street.

It seems providing a safe workplace for employees would fall in the same category. Ah, if only it were as simple as mom yelling from the front seat, “Are you buckled in yet?”

First, consider the increased complexity of workplace safety (you know … protecting workers who operate machinery that costs more than a house, addressing ergonomic issues and a host of other considerations). Add in that pesky economic downturn we experienced and things get a little more complicated on the workplace safety front.

Read in the September/October BizVoice what some Indiana safety experts say about how the economy impacted their field and what companies should be doing in tough times (hint: it’s not cutting corners).

Also, read about some Indiana companies that understand the value of safety in all economic situations. A 2009 Governor’s Workplace Safety Award winner offered this:

Like many companies, Frankfort-based DSM NeoResins+ is looking at ways to reduce costs. But those cuts will not interfere with the company’s No. 1 priority, notes Kevin Goodnight, the U.S. safety, health and environmental manager.

“Our approach is safety is always the first priority,” he asserts. “So whenever we talk about any sort of savings or programs we have in place for getting through the harsh economic times, we always talk about safety first. We will not skimp on safety.”

We want to know your thoughts. How have you adapted, if at all, your safety practices and priorities?

Also, BizVoice magazine editor Tom Schuman recently sat down with Safety Resources President Robert Baldwin via Inside INdiana Business. The message is a key one to consider for many Indiana businesses who might be considering cutting safety training. See the video below.

Note: Those interested in this issue might also find our Safety & Health Guide for Indiana Business to be a useful tool.

Indianapolis-based Perpetual Technologies, Inc. (PTI) takes the “Support Our Troops” credo seriously. 

The information technology company will be honored next month by the Department of Defense with the 2009 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award – the highest recognition given by the U.S. government to employers for outstanding support of their employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve.

Few companies receive this honor – PTI is one of 15 businesses chosen from more than 3,200 nominations. The company was nominated by an employee.

One-tenth of Perpetual Technologies’ workforce consists of Guard and Reserve members or former members. Among benefits offered to employees: differential pay between military pay and PTI salary during deployments; care packages sent to employees deployed overseas; incorporation of families of deployed service members in all company functions; and recognition of military service through public events and displays at company facilities.

The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) established the Freedom Award in 1996.  Read more about ESGR and its Indiana services in a 2007 BizVoice® column.

Perpetual Technologies will be presented the award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on September 17.

Recycling, gardening, composting … all fairly standard for the environmentally conscious Hoosier. But raising chickens in your backyard?

That’s one I never considered. When Tony Nicholas told me a few months ago that was his family’s latest venture toward sustainability, I knew I had to learn more.

After spending an afternoon with the Nicholas clan, the chicken thing started to make sense. Tony’s family rarely needs to buy eggs, and they say the taste is incredible. Taking care of chickens is fairly easy when you only need a few. Read more about how the Nicholas family is living the green life in the July-August issue of BizVoice magazine.

It seems the backyard coop is becoming increasingly popular. The New York Times recently featured a story about the growing number of families raising chickens to increase self-sufficiency.

Now, where can I find some chicken wire?

There’s no doubt – green has moved into the mainstream. No longer for just the Birkenstock-wearing, peace-sign-yielding, organic-eating population (not that there is anything wrong with that). Just check out the number of people who have rejected plastic bags on your next trip to the grocery store. Case in point, Whole Foods announced in April it has seen use of reusable bags triple in the last year.

And this is just the beginning.

While green is here to stay, how does Indiana fare in its efforts? Four panelists with varying backgrounds weigh in on how the Hoosier state is doing and what the business community needs to know going forward. Read the entire article here.

Also, our BizVoice video segment features David Steele of The Steele Group discussing the developments and challenges in Indiana’s greening process: