Strippers, club owners disagree over licensing

Judy Odierna

Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2002 | 9:22 a.m.

Strippers and the owners of clubs in which they work are so far apart on proposed licensing requirements that city officials want more time to work on the plan.

The new rules would make strippers independent contractors who must obtain a business license rather than a work card. The ordinance would make dancers pay $150 annually for a license and an additional one-time fee of $50 to $75 for a background check by Metro Police.

The city's Recommending Committee heard arguments from both sides at a hearing Monday before opting to delay action on the matter until Jan. 6.

"We want to hear more from the industry before sending this to council," said Councilman Lawrence Weekly, who is on the committee. "Maybe there is some language that a dancer might say is detrimental to the profession."

"This is a work tax," said Andrea Hackett, president of the Las Vegas Dancers Alliance, which represents more than 900 dancers in Clark County and Las Vegas.

"The dancers are furious," Hackett said. "Out-of-state dancers say they won't work in Vegas anymore."

Some of the owners of the four nude and five topless clubs within the Las Vegas city limits say they like the proposal because it will help regulate the business and eliminate "problem dancers" from their clubs.

"The club spends a significant amount of money, time and effort to police itself," said Pete Christiansen, attorney for Cheetahs topless club. "(The license) adds a security or safety measure to keep the owner running a lawfully licensed business."

Hackett said the increased fee is too much money for many of the girls. She said it's a misconception that dancers take home hundreds or thousands of dollars nightly. She said only about 4 to 5 percent make that kind of money.

"Many are struggling at sub-par wages," she said. "I know it sounds ridiculous but I have seen it. The overwhelming majority of women who dance at clubs have a staggering base fee. They have to pay the bouncers and the floor workers. Many clubs take 50 percent of what they get from a dance."

But Jim Difiore, manager of the Finance and Business Services Department, said dancers would be getting a break at $150. Other professional licenses start at $200 annually.

"You can have an attorney making $400,000 a year and then there's the marriage and family counselor who makes $40,000 a year. They still pay the same $200," Difiore said.

If the business license was approved by the City Council at the proposed rate it could generate an additional $150,000 to $750,000 for the city.

The money would be used to offset the cost of an inspection officer who would make sure dancers follow city codes limiting sexually oriented touching between dancers and patrons.

If a dancer were to be caught violating the laws, the dancer would have to appear before the City Council or in a courtroom and her license would be revoked. The dancer would have to wait a year before applying again.

"If I fire a girl for lewd behavior under the work card she can just go work at another club," said Rick Rizzolo, owner of Crazy Horse Too.