The Pub Discussion Board

Um... Luna....

If you legalize it, then taxation is a given.  Why?  It's a thing called "sales tax".  Will there be an additional tax?  Yes.  Why?  Because the ONLY WAY this can be made legal is if the "intimate services provider" is certified to be a safe provider of services.  This is a matter of public safety, and when you start talking about legal issues, public safety will be one of the single biggest hurdles to be overcome.

I personally agree with your viewpoint that, "If you want to do this, and understand the risk you're taking, go for it, and the government should keep its nose out of it."  On the other hand, doing what Jefferson suggests protects the women, who right now are in danger from pimps and also from clients who get violent.  Legalizing prostitution in brothel form only gives a level of protection to the service provider.

You call it pseudo-socialist for us to suggest licensing and taxation, but in fact, this concept is at the very heart of capitalist society:  Find a service that is desired, make sure that those performing the service can do it safely, and give Caesar his cut.  We're not suggesting she has to be licensed as "qualified to have sex".  We're talking about licensing as contagion-free.  The brothel would also need to be licensed as a place where sexual activity is a safe practice.  These licenses would be given out by the health department.  You claim that no good would ever come from licensing prostitutes... but it could literally save lives.  Is that not a positive result, in your opinion?

Net Wolf

Luna wrote:

...but I'd fight to the point of incarceration for the right of anyone to do what they want, so long as it doesn't infringe on the rights of others.  If I want to have sex for money, they why should I not be able to, or have to pay taxes on my own body, or be heavily regulated?  People that pay for sex know the risks, or at least SHOULD know the risks.

1. Street prostitution does infringe on the rights of others.  It makes the streets unsafe because of the pimps and drug runners who get involved in street prostitution.  Infringing on others' right to safe passage is a serious issue, and is the thing we're trying to get rid of.

2. The woman is not taxed, unless you consider the cost of her license a "tax".  The tax would be paid by the customer, as all service / sales taxes are.  A brothel is a business, and it is subject to all the rules and taxes that any business would be.  Whether or not they imposed an excise tax on sex-for-hire would probably be an issue for the Various States.

3. I know the risks inherent in flying in an aircraft, too... that doesn't mean I don't want the airlines and the pilot to be checked out before I get onboard to have the best chance possible of surviving the trip.  The point is to remove as many of the objectionable aspects of prostitution, so that it can become an honored profession, rather than something that is looked down upon.  What we're talking about is basically making prostitutes professionals rather than criminals.  Not in the way that they would be schooled in the ways of sex (although that's an interesting idea for a story.... ), but in that they are licensed, and the brothel would probably need to be bonded and insured.  They are trade professionals, and should be treated as such.

4. I agree with Jefferson that street prostitution needs to remain illegal.  It endangers the public, and is a traffic issue, as well.  The problem with prostitution, in my opinion, is not the sex, but the violence and drugs that accompany it currently.  A brothel system would eliminate that element, while allowing those women who wish to sell access to themselves (They are not selling their bodies.  When you sell something, you no longer have rights to it or possession of it.  They are actually renting access to services, just like if you went to a physical therapist or a masseuse...) to make a living in a safe environment.

Sorry for the double posts.  I would have made these points earlier, but I had to go run errands.

Net Wolf

Greetings

Cigarettes are legal, even though "They" know its bad for us. 

Booze is legal, even though "They" know its bad for us. 

Gambling is legal in 47 of 50 states, even though etc etc.

The thread that binds these disparate state sanctiond "sins" is the tax monies generated and how completely painless it is for "They" politicians of any party or stripe to impose and raise those sin taxes at will!

I'm guessing with history a guide, drugs of various umm hardness and prostitution will be legalized, even though etc etc because "They" see a stream of money that is currently untaxed.

I would predict, legalized long in the future, but then I'm amazed at the swift growth of gambling , especially casino gambling. 

I can play blackjack...

But that's another thread

Enjoy the journey

WarLord

Storymaster69 wrote:

... Of course there is still the issue of where they would be allowed to operate.  Would they be forced to operate in the seedier part of down like the peep shows are right now or would they have to set up completely outside of and main community centres.  It would be good if they could run  just like a typical hotel/motel or perhaps in addition to but it is doubtful this would be allowed.

I imagine where brothels would be allowed to operate would be a decision of the states or the community where the brothel would operate. In some of the more conservative communities, the brothel might be forced outside the city limits or possibly not even be allowed in some cities/counties. Others would allow them no problem, possibly letting them go so far as to operate just outside or even inside a housing subdivision (most likely this woud be a small one person operation since you wouldn't want the traffic problems caused by a larger operation.)

The location where the brothel is located would also be a financial decision for the owner/operator just like any other business. They'd want to set up in as nice an area as possible without breaking laws or creating so much overhead that they lose money on the operation. I can't see them being allowed to operate in shopping malls but I could see them buying an small, old hotel or motel and using that quite successfully.

One more question for the peanut gallery:

If prostitution is legalized, at least in brothels, what about "Call girls?" This being the girls who come to the customer, make house calls so to speak. Would this be made legal also or would it remain illegal?

There are good and bad here. The girl could be certified as safe, maybe even work in a brothel most of the time and does this as a second job for only those willing and able to pay. Maybe a regular customer. So disease wouldn't be a problem but then you get into safety issues for the girl. She would not have the security that comes with the brothel but would have more security than prostitutes do now as someone, a dispatcher, a boss, etc, would know the name of the customer and the address where the girl was supposed to meet the customer. So if something did happen, the police would have a place to start.

Thoughts? ideas?

Just out of curiosity all the talk has been about the working girls what about working guys?

Do you think our culture's homophobia would come into play saying, sure women could work but men?  Oh noes!  That will promote homosexuality!  I know there would still be a certain amount of heterosexual women who would likely take advantage but my personal suspicion would be the majority of clients would be male the same as the women prostitutes.

Storymaster69 wrote:

Just out of curiosity all the talk has been about the working girls what about working guys?

Do you think our culture's homophobia would come into play saying, sure women could work but men?  Oh noes!  That will promote homosexuality!

Personally, I don't think we could legalize prostitution but ONLY for women. During most of the discussion, we have talked as if prostitutes were women, I do it because that's generally what I think of but the rules would have to change for everyone, not just women or not just men.

As for resistance, I think if we somehow managed to overcome those that say that prostitution is wrong and immoral, I don't think overcoming those who say Male prostitution will promote homosexuality will be a real biggie. Get through the first and the second doesn't look nearly as tough.

Just to throw my 2 cents in

I agree with the brothel idea...but instead of making all street walking illegal you could have it allowed in certain areas with permits...maybe attached to a certain brothel

no pimps because the government will be the pimp...

The call girl idea could be provided for clients only after they had passed a special screening like they do for gun permits

As far as He-Ho's are concerned.... go for it they need to get their Man-ginas out there and make some money too, treat some She-john ( or He-john depending) nice and they'll TIP BIG   

As far as Socialistic tendencies...HELL why not!  IF you did you could make the prostitues government owned and operated, permitted, taxed, inspected, tested, and provide the prostitutes with the same government health insurance that postal workers and secret agents have.  Just a thought

Just another thought on the call girl/guy thing.  What about the people visiting from out of town and want some all night companionship?  Perhaps if the brothel itself does not offer over night services in other words a place to sleep as well as sex there could be some sort of agreement with the local hospitality industry.

My thought here is a hotel for a cut would agree to provide security.  So that the customer can have privacy, there would be no in room security of course, but the worker would have a wireless wrist band with a panic button if things start to go wrong with the date.

I would say that "overnight service" would be the purview of the kind of brothel willing to support it.  It would be a horrendously expensive thing to do, but I agree that there would be hotels that would do it.  It would open up a lot of other services, too.  For instance, if you didn't really want to go all the way and have sex with the woman, but you just didn't want to sleep alone that night (hey, some guys are insecure).  Or you could hold a large party in a suite, with a few girls for several friends or business clients, whatever.

I don't think, however, that having call girls go to regular hotels would work out, for the same reason that it's dangerous for them to go to a home, only more so, because people in hotels are by definition transients, and finding them after they commit a crime is more difficult.

Net Wolf

this is an amusing line of talk and all good points. also consider mistresses there not realy illegal now but would the govt. try to put any legislation on that . and one other thing is in some states it is actualy illegal to sleep with a mairied man or woman (homewreacker laws) so how would that be controlled?