Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Nevada or bust
Politics never ceases to surprise, not least in America where a US Senator who wants to reverse the current Nevada state law that allows legalised brothels in counties with less than 400,000 residents has met an unenthusiastic response from lawmakers.
Senator Harry Reid believes that these legalised brothels send the wrong message to business leaders mulling over whether to invest in the state, during a period of historically high unemployment:
"Nevada needs to be known as the first place for innovation and investment, not as the last place where prostitution is still legal," he told lawmakers, arguing that many companies are reluctant to relocate to a hotbed of the world's oldest profession. "Parents don't want their children to look out of a school bus and see a brothel. Or live in a state with the wrong kind of red lights. So let's have an adult conversation about an adult subject."
Senator Reid's comments, during his biennial address to the Nevada legislature in Carson City last month, met with an unenthusiastic response from lawmakers, many of whom regard relaxed laws about smoking, gambling and other bad behaviour as part of the state's heritage. Even his Democratic colleagues refrained from applauding when he addressed the topic.
Oscar Goodman, the former Mafia lawyer and current Mayor of Las Vegas, even argues that the legalisation of prostitution should be extended to major cities such as his own. He says that it would help to undermine the illegal sex trade and could also be properly taxed.
It is an interesting debate but one starting from a completely different position than we are used to.
Senator Harry Reid believes that these legalised brothels send the wrong message to business leaders mulling over whether to invest in the state, during a period of historically high unemployment:
"Nevada needs to be known as the first place for innovation and investment, not as the last place where prostitution is still legal," he told lawmakers, arguing that many companies are reluctant to relocate to a hotbed of the world's oldest profession. "Parents don't want their children to look out of a school bus and see a brothel. Or live in a state with the wrong kind of red lights. So let's have an adult conversation about an adult subject."
Senator Reid's comments, during his biennial address to the Nevada legislature in Carson City last month, met with an unenthusiastic response from lawmakers, many of whom regard relaxed laws about smoking, gambling and other bad behaviour as part of the state's heritage. Even his Democratic colleagues refrained from applauding when he addressed the topic.
Oscar Goodman, the former Mafia lawyer and current Mayor of Las Vegas, even argues that the legalisation of prostitution should be extended to major cities such as his own. He says that it would help to undermine the illegal sex trade and could also be properly taxed.
It is an interesting debate but one starting from a completely different position than we are used to.
Comments:
<< Home
The senator should leave the present system as it is as their is a ready demand. What would many of the prostitutes do for a living otherwise?
It also saves punters spending their money on multi-national corporations instead and shares the money about down to the poorest.
It also saves punters spending their money on multi-national corporations instead and shares the money about down to the poorest.
# posted by 
: 3:27 PM
: 3:27 PM
"Parents don't want their children to look out of a school bus and see a brothel. Or live in a state with the wrong kind of red lights."
I don't support brothels or sex-shops on the high street, but I seriously doubt that in Nevada brothels can be seen from passing school buses.
Like many tourists/visitors to Nevada I have not seen a brothel - or a red light except for vehicle brake lights. Yes, no doubt there are brothels but one doesn't see them unless one looks for them and I'm sure they are behind closed doors and covered windows.
Perhaps Reid is so out of touch with democracy that he has forgotten how local democracy works. If something offends the locals, they simply get it taken care of via their local elected officials who can pass city ordinances or local laws or ask the local cops/Sherriff to raid the offending brothel. By the way, the Sheriff is usually an elected official and if local parents (i.e., voters) want a brothel to tow the line, then tow the line they will c/o the local Sherriff. ‘Democracy in Action’ so to speak.
Somewhat unlike in Cardiff where it took the Police in Cardiff a lot of time to get around to shutting down 'Twice as Nice', an 'establishment' known to the police for quite a while before they shut it down, and according to the Western Mail/Echo on 6th March, 2011 the former brothel operator/owner: "He (a certain Welsh politician) was a really nice guy who came in often".
I don't support brothels or sex-shops on the high street, but I seriously doubt that in Nevada brothels can be seen from passing school buses.
Like many tourists/visitors to Nevada I have not seen a brothel - or a red light except for vehicle brake lights. Yes, no doubt there are brothels but one doesn't see them unless one looks for them and I'm sure they are behind closed doors and covered windows.
Perhaps Reid is so out of touch with democracy that he has forgotten how local democracy works. If something offends the locals, they simply get it taken care of via their local elected officials who can pass city ordinances or local laws or ask the local cops/Sherriff to raid the offending brothel. By the way, the Sheriff is usually an elected official and if local parents (i.e., voters) want a brothel to tow the line, then tow the line they will c/o the local Sherriff. ‘Democracy in Action’ so to speak.
Somewhat unlike in Cardiff where it took the Police in Cardiff a lot of time to get around to shutting down 'Twice as Nice', an 'establishment' known to the police for quite a while before they shut it down, and according to the Western Mail/Echo on 6th March, 2011 the former brothel operator/owner: "He (a certain Welsh politician) was a really nice guy who came in often".
# posted by : 3:49 PM
: 3:49 PM
^typo...
"...the former brothel operator/owner: "He (a certain Welsh politician) was a really nice guy who came in often"."
Should have read:
"...the former brothel operator/owner said: "He (a certain Welsh politician) was a really nice guy who came in often"."
"...the former brothel operator/owner: "He (a certain Welsh politician) was a really nice guy who came in often"."
Should have read:
"...the former brothel operator/owner said: "He (a certain Welsh politician) was a really nice guy who came in often"."
# posted by : 4:07 PM
: 4:07 PM
Well, in today's Echo ('Exposed: Cardiff’s sex slavery shame', March 10, 2011):
"Amnesty International Wales estimates there are 600 trafficked and non-trafficked prostitutes in Cardiff, with about 200 working in six large brothels, a further 200 working out of flats or houses and the remainder on the streets (of Cardiff)".
Source:
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/cardiffonline/cardiff-news/2011/03/10/exposed-cardiff-s-sex-slavery-shame-91466-28309478/#ixzz1GEEf5jHT
"Amnesty International Wales estimates there are 600 trafficked and non-trafficked prostitutes in Cardiff, with about 200 working in six large brothels, a further 200 working out of flats or houses and the remainder on the streets (of Cardiff)".
Source:
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/cardiffonline/cardiff-news/2011/03/10/exposed-cardiff-s-sex-slavery-shame-91466-28309478/#ixzz1GEEf5jHT
# posted by : 8:01 PM
: 8:01 PM
Reid is a Mormon and is therefore no doubt finding all sorts of faux-outrages to justify ramming his own beliefs down everyone else's throats.
Post a Comment
# posted by : 1:17 AM
: 1:17 AM<< Home
