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Published Monday, Feb. 21, 2011 | 5:25 p.m.
Updated Monday, Feb. 21, 2011 | 8:25 p.m.
Harry Reid
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid could have used this defense to rebuff Republicans who blamed him for the state's dismal economy during the campaign: The brothels are responsible for our high unemployment rate.
The brothel industry is preparing to stack the Legislature with its professional women on Tuesday, fearing Reid will call for an end to legalized prostitution in Nevada when he addresses lawmakers.
George Flint, lobbyist for the Nevada brothel industry, said he believes Reid will use his biannual address to broach the subject.
A source close to the Democrats confirmed that Reid's staff was trying to convince Reid not to talk about prostitution and point out its role as an impediment to economic development.
Reid spokesman Jon Summers would neither confirm nor deny what would be in Reid's speech.
The story was first reported by the Reno Gazette-Journal's Ray Hagar.
Bringing up brothels has been frowned upon in Nevada's Legislature.
In 2009, when the state was hurting for money, Flint said the brothel industry would be willing to pay a tax to the state. (Currently, it pays fees to the counties where brothels are based.) Flint was shot down by Democratic legislators, who regarded the issue as a distraction.
State law prohibits Clark and Washoe counties, the two most populous counties in the state, from having legalized prostitution. But just outside of Carson City, 6.3 miles away, are legal brothels.
Sun reporter Anjeanette Damon contributed to this story.
The sex industry is what made Nevada. Bad mouthing what made Nevada great is being a heretic and turncoat.
Reid should not sell out the best industry (and possibly only growth industry) left in Nevada.
I used to like Harry, but I think he's gone senile. The train to nowhere, denying we have illegal aliens doing construction work, and now this? WTF?
A year ago this month, the lobbyist for the brothel industry offered 2.5 million in taxes to Sens. Townsend, Care, and Coffin during the special session to help with the budget deficit.
Harry should bash the legislature for NOT taking that money before they started to cfonsider taking MORE wages, benefits, and retirement from working Nevada families.
The momey to solve this budget problem has been made more times over and over by foreign mining companies over these recession years, not working families who are living from paycheck to paycheck.
Nothing to worry about, they may pass a law and it will have about as much affect as not smoking in bars that serve food (another law that hurt our economy).
In the end good old Dirty Harry will be surronded by illegal Mexicans trying to get another vote.
The brothel industry is planning to stack the legislature with professional prostitutes Tuesday?
How many more prostitutes can the legislative chambers accommodate?
Comment removed by moderator. Name-calling.
Yeah, make it illegal and don't get any money from it....idiots...
Like the "no legal prostitution" works here in Clark County...ever been down on the strip on any given night??
Legalize and tax it....
Prostitution in GOD eyes is wrong. It should be outlawed everywhere. Harry do what's right in GOD eyes, we will be judged accordingly. Prostitution is a sin that will feel the wrath of GOD. Isn't it about time our state quit feeling the wrath of GOD. We rank low in every category known to man, and why is that, because of our sinful, wicked and evil way of living here in Nevada. It is wrong for our local, state and federal government to support and endorse sinful ways and activities. GOD will is, that we don't FORNICATE or commit ADULTERY.
is this guy sane?
he should be looking at ways of legalizing it in areas where it is currently illegal and collecting taxes.
if there are no brothels, some visitors will simply go to other parts of the world to gamble, drink and hook
the current law of drink and nudity is too backward
Vegas is like a religious muslim or arab town where nothing fun is legal anymore and you simply can't sin in sin city
pathetic let Vegas die
prostitutes were mentioned in the bible and no bad came from it
using religion as an excuse is not right
catholic church helps the spread of AIDS
Ireland had been in a religious fight for years
Muslims, islam, etc teach how to blow up buildings and kill
no good ever comes from religion
selling your body for sex is no different than selling your body to dig holes
or selling your brain to teach
Comment removed by moderator. Language.
We are Nevada. We sell debauchery!
The legislators and prostitutes have a lot in common.
Apologies to the prostitutes for the comparison.
Prostitution is a legitimate business and is provides legal employment for many people. Why is that bozo Reid going after this industry? It makes no sense to me. Abolishing it just puts it into the underground economy and payroll and other taxes will not be paid on the income. Actually it should be legal in Clark County.
Any laws, Fed. /State that prohibits prostitution is unconstitutional, because those laws are based on the First Amendment. The First Amendment clearly states that Americans are free to choose their religious belief system, regardless of what God, Sun, or spirit a citizen may or may choose not to believe in.
By prohibiting prostitution in America the law forces its citizens to believe in a singularity (God' moral) without alternatives for its citizens to believe any deity which embraces free/pay love or sex.
harry is the frickin man!!!
nevada will never be taken seriously by the business community until this garbage is stamped out...
go harry go!!!
Look, this profession, which I dare say is the "oldest profession" has been in existence since the beginning of time. You CAN NOT legislate morality! You CAN legislate fair paying of taxes, which Nevada has blantantly failed to do for decades.
For too long, people living paycheck to paycheck have born the burden of taxes, with the wealthy sector getting off (oh, did I say that?) barely paying any tax. Now, we are hearing who has been the ones who have failed to bring about a fair taxation structure.
Let me also address the fact the the majority of those now in the sex trades are ILLEGAL ALIENS, who, are subjected to all manner of slavery, something that has been outlawed in this country for over 100 years, but, those with golden morals seem to turn a blind eye to. What about that? At the very least, those who have chosen legal prostitution and abide by the law have offered to pay more tax and to not only provide the outreach services to women wishing to leave the industry, but to CLEAN UP THE STREETS AND STATE of illegal sex trade and smut peddlers. What about that?
It is absolutely offensive that leaders in not only our state but country pick and choose issues to serve their perceived image. Are the people going to continue with the status quo, with the uprising of social sectors who are being unfairly treated? The time is ripe for social unrest, and the unmasking and dethroning of those who have abused the very people they serve. What about that?
birdiedreamin
so is this why Germany has the best economy in Europe and brothels are perfectly legal there?
Your logic has no foundation
business does not choose an area because of prostitutes , a business will look at taxes, infrastructure and a stable leader.
btw
Brothels in europe pay taxes, keep the girls safe and offer a lot of employment to legitimate girls who are often holders of degrees etc and found they can earn some $200,000 to $500,000 each per year, not a profession to be sniffed at especially when you consider the earnings, the fact they help reduce sex crimes and the level of taxes they pay.
hey markp...
there are tons of nude beaches in europe too...
here...
not so much...
look man...
there is no doubt in my mind this is a huge negative to the business community...
none whatsoever...
Yet again, the authors of this story get information wrong about the legality of brothels in this state. They're only illegal by state law in Clark County right now -- even though Washoe County's population right now is above 400,000 (the population threshold in the law for counties where it's illegal), the legal definition of the threshold is the population in that county at the time of the 2000 Census.
Because Washoe's population in 2000 was less than 400,000, that law (and any law applying only to a county whose population is 400,000 or more) applies ONLY to Clark County. There are no brothels in Washoe County by county ordinance, not because state law forbids it.
birdiedreamin:
The reason why other business don't relocate to Nevada, is that the intellegence level of the citizens...is non-existent. The education in the state is horrible. Nevada also rates low on cultural activities. It has nothing to do with prostitution.
With your logic, all the hi-tech businesses in California would have pulled out due to the medical mj law.
Maybe you need to "get some"....
Harry should call to make prostitution legas in all counties. It would be a boon to business in LV and Reno.
There are many other issues to focus on for the betterment of this state. With a governor empty of ideas and real leadership, it's time for someone to fill the void and start solving the real problems, like education, and economic diversification. Remember HR you won the election because you are not Sharon Angle.
Reid is a fool, in someones pocket, or both.
With governments at all levels experiencing decreased tax base, debt, and overruns, one would think he would welcome a new path to revenue.
He does the opposite. Supports the Train to Nowhere, and wants to get rid of an industry that can provide tax income.
The brothel ladies have more integrity than Harry Reid.
hey native...
i agree education is a problem...
no question...
but vegas is tainted by prostitution too...
most people think it is legal here...
and if you don't think a ceo's wife or two hasn't killed her husband's plans for expanding in vegas...
you are naive...
look...
what the hell do we get from prostitution...
NOTHING....
absolutely nothing...
except a bad reputation in the business community...
time for this crap to get flushed down the toilet...
no CEOs wife would stop a company expanding LOL best laugh I have had this year
please state where you are getting your facts and figures.
You would get taxes from prostitution if it was legal, via license fees, business taxes, employment and increased employment in medical centers, increased tourism most of whom will spend money in the area thus increasing the supply of money, the girls in turn will spend money increasing employment
Right. Businesses don't move here because there are a few whorehouses. Sure.
It's certainly not because of the bottom-ranked school system, the water quality, the high crime rates, the lack of an educated work force, the limited recreational options, the crooked politicians, the (pick a worst-of list we haven't been on in 2010). It's because you can, in certain counties, safely and discretely pay for legal sex.
Yeah. That's it. Not placating the LDS church at all. Nope.
hey jeremy...
we have lots of problems to be sure...
i rail about education on these boards every frickin day...
but what shocks me the most is the complete and total lack of a sense of community here...
now many frauds will say it is a libertarian tilt...
frauds like mining...
frauds like gaming...
to them it is just a damn money grab...
period...
end of story...
we have got to start making decisions based on what is best for the community...
and brothels add NOTHING...
absolutely NOTHING...
i am sure those girls work hard and are nice and all...
but the community will survive just fine without them...
just fine indeed...
and...
more people will not not move here because they think prostitution is legal in clark county...
and businesses will move here because that one (of many to be sure) stigma no longer exists...
we have got to start fighting this crap...
one by one...
day by day...
and eventually we will all be proud to live here...
and call this place a COMMUNITY!!!
What jeremydbrooks said, amen.
Make it illegal in DC first, good for the goose etc.
and if you don't think a ceo's wife or two hasn't killed her husband's plans for expanding in vegas...
****
LOLOLOLOL
If that CEO or anyone else in the company is going to hire a prostitute, they certainly don't have to be in Vegas to do it!!!
I find this whole thing confusing: with all that is going on in this Country and the State of Nevada (and just about every other State), Reid wants to step up to the plate and end legal prostitution in NV!!! Sheesh!! Guess he doesn't frequent any of the resort pools in Vegas, or any of the clubs. It's STILL is gonna be happening - legal or otherwise.
This certainly is a "WTF!!" moment.
Priorities, man, priorities!!!
I'm not a big fan of brothels, but "The brothels are responsible for our high unemployment rate." How does that figure. To bad the republicans couldn't have come up with someone more solid than Sharon Angle in the last election. We could have been rid of Harry Reid.
God Bless the ladies of the evening... few if any are on the welfare rolls and they are marketing a service that many are giving away... gotta admire their chutzpah.
Ole Harry looks like a pimp daddy in the pic.
How about that!!!!! This coming from one of the biggest prostitutes in Congress. Will he also ban himself???????
So brothels are resonsible for high unemployment? Incredible conclusion. It is so out of wack I would think Reid was a Republican. I would only suggest Mr. Reid start by closing down the country's largest brothel, Congress.
But if Prostitution is outlawed what will Harry do for a job?
I can understand moral and health concerns, but this thrust from a professional politician is hypocrisy, on its back.
Leave it alone Harry. Brothels have nothing to do with businesses locating in Nevada however it does contribute to the tourist revenue. There are many pressing matters to deal with and LEGAL prostitution isn't one of them. Stop being selective about the issues you want to poke around with and deal with those that need attention. If its not broken don't try fixing it. Professional hooking isn't broken Harry.
I am laughing at all of the above comments because they all have truth in them. Bravi!