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Men hand out cards advertising out-call “entertainers” on the Strip on Sunday, July 24, 2011.
Thursday, March 29, 2012 | 2 a.m.
Related document
Surveillance cameras and more police could be coming to the Strip if the county adopts the proposals of casino execs and county staff looking at ways to clean up trash and cut down on the chaos along Nevada’s most valuable real estate.
Those ideas might be costly but aren’t likely to generate much controversy. Another proposal might — adopting a code establishing “time, place and manner” restrictions on First Amendment activities on Las Vegas Boulevard. Such a code would affect adult-oriented businesses that hire handbillers, a target of criticism from politicians and some tourists.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada said Wednesday that it will sue if the county attempts to adopt speech restrictions.
“That would not only be unconstitutional, it would show they are operating in really bad faith given the discussions we have had,” ACLU general counsel Allen Lichtenstein said. “Hopefully, (county officials) will talk to us first.”
County commissioners Wednesday will consider adopting the report containing the Resort Corridor Workgroup’s recommendations. The group, which met 13 times over the past six months, included Strip casino executives, Las Vegas police and the Nevada Resort Association, with assistance from Clark County staff.
Commissioner Steve Sisolak, who proposed the working group shortly after the deaths of five people on the Strip over 11 days in June and July, said the commission will act in the interest of public safety and to make the Strip more visitor-friendly.
Here are some of the group’s recommendations:
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“News” racks
Make all news racks for adult-oriented publications identical. They’re currently different colors — bright red or yellow — and sizes.
Clark County would buy the racks from private operators and force publishers to use them.
Without irony, the group recommends placing trash cans next to news racks.
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Sidewalks and trash cans
More than a year ago, county commissioners toured the Strip and remarked how trash cans overflowed with garbage and sidewalks were sticky from spilled drinks.
The working group suggests the county increase sidewalk cleaning, likely power-washing, from three to four times a week, plus after special events such as New Year’s Eve. It also recommends more frequent trash removal.
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Pedestrian bridge ordinance
Pedestrian bridges, where the homeless and panhandlers often station themselves to ask for money, would be targeted with an ordinance that would ban “stopping or standing” while clarifying that the bridges “are for the prompt and safe movement of pedestrians.” The ordinance would have to be approved by the County Commission.
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Unlicensed vendors
Another complaint about the Strip has been an increase in unlicensed vendors since the recession began. Some sell bottled water; some dress up in costumes and try to get tourists to take pictures with them for money.
The working group said the county should adopt an ordinance “that clearly states it is unlawful to engage in commercial activity in the public right-of-way.”
It also suggests using civil penalties — tickets and fines — instead of the current method of criminal prosecution for business license violations.
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Video surveillance
If funding is available, Metro Pollice should add a closed-circuit television system along the Strip and hire staff to monitor it. Sisolak said there should be funding for the cameras, which could tie into casino security systems.
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More officers
The group recommends putting more police on the Strip. During certain periods last summer, some casinos paid Metro to do just that. This might be the most important recommendation but also the costliest.
Because the Strip is a tax revenue generator for the state, not just Clark County, Sisolak said figuring out how to pay for more police should be the concern of all local governments.
“Everybody’s going to have to come up with something,” Sisolak said. “But will Las Vegas pay? Will Henderson? Will North Las Vegas? It’s going to be challenging.”
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Night court
The group recommends studying the establishment of a night court to handle offenses that frequently occur on the Strip. “The purpose of the (court) would be to expedite the adjudication of offenders in a prompt and consistent manner,” the report says.
It also suggests sending representatives of Metro and the District Attorney’s Office to Philadelphia to see how their night/nuisance court operates.
hey lichtenstein...
listen up clown...
i am absolutely certain that the first amendment was not designed to protect escort services at the expense of the greater good of the city...
get a life!!!
isn't it funny how our republican friends are always crying about excess regulations...
and yet...
we can't seem to regulate this crap...
WTF!!!
hey lichtenstein...
why don't you do something worthwhile...
like take some action against our pathetic weak cowardly district attorney steve wolfson for not bringing charges against those cops that beat the crap out of that innocent diabetic civilian...
now that i could respect!!!
Dipstick - what does City Hall have to do with this? The article is about the Strip - Clark County, not any city.
The freedom of speech argument is weak. Other cities seem to keep their sidewalks free of this vermin. Something else going on.
Comment removed by moderator. Name Calling
I'm glad they're getting together to find a solution to get rid of these problems. The Strip has become a circus. These people are a nuisance and should be dealt with. We need to clean it up. Another option would be to sell the public sidewalk to the casino operators so that they become private property...then they'll be cleaned up. Ever notice how nice the sidewalks are in front of The Venetian & Ceasar's Palace Forum Shops? There's a good reason for that...
I'm not sure that I agree with the 'Stopping and standing' ordinance. Tourists seem to stop and stand a lot. How will they differentiate?
No more beggars, no more card slappers, no more costumed beggars, no more water vendors, no more VIP club pass sellers, this is Nevada's most valuable real estate! Save it please!
To Mr. Allen Lichtenstein, I have a few words I would like to use for you that would involve a good use of my free speech rights! GET A JOB!
This problem has been going on for years and years. What is wrong with the City and County?? Why can't they agree on cleaning up this mess?? Our tax dollars are and have been wasted cleaning up after these vendors. Clean the strip up. Clean it up in 2012. Can-do?
For those that want to attack Mr. Lichenstein on this one need to remember something.
The same First Amendment rights he is protecting is letting you spout your view of him here.
You don't get to pick and choose who gets free speech rights in this country.
The unlicensed water sellers has been going on long before the downturn and no one did anything about it 10 years ago so now it has got way out of hand. Some of those guys are making Hundreds of dollars a day selling water on the strip.
As I see it, here is the bottom line. Oscar tried to get these handbillers off the strip for as long as he was mayor. The ACLU kept any ordinance at bay. I guess if the have the 'right' to push that crap into my face, they should be responsible for the littering that occurs. When they vacate the strip in the weeeeeee morning hours, a crew picks up all the handbills on the ground, counts them, charges the parent company responsible for them a littering fee of $100/handbill, plus the manpower time to pick up their mess from MY STREETS. 1st Amendment rights might cover their ability to invade MY PRIVACY, but it does protect them from being held accountable for the mess they make EVERY NIGHT. If they don't want to pay then they loose their business license. THAT should about take care of it.
Because of stupid american laws, there is really nothing they can do.
However, the solution would be to sell the sidewalk space up the street in front of every casino. This would make it private, and then the casinos can easily, and lawfully, ban all this rubbish.
Mr. Dunton, Your whole comment is so wrong its laughable.
I'm not fan of the handbillers (or Oscar for that matter) and the effect they have on the Strip. But, first off, Oscar had zero authority over the sidewalks on the Strip, as he was the mayor of the City of Las Vegas, whose jurisdiction ends at Sahara Avenue. This is a County issue, plain and simple. So he could talk about the Strat and thats about it.
Second, if you've paid attention to this issue over the years, the handbilling companies have stated that their employees hand out the flyers, but it is the general public who throw them everywhere. The arguement of the handbilling companies is that they do not pay their employees to drop their flyers on the ground.
There are ways to fix these issues, I'm sure, but what you are suggesting just isn't a viable solulation.
I never understood why INS or a similar agency doesn't run a sweep of the Strip weekly. That would cut down on a major source of the work force out there. But, in the end, I don't know that doing something about the handbillers will really curb the violence that seemed to have erupted in the last year, as none of those assualts and murders were committed by handbillers.
I dont have too much of a problem with most of these BUT heres an idea ... instead of getting rid of the street vendors, embrase them, then charge them $100/year for a special vendor license. Have the increased police pressence check vendor licenses and if they dont have their license, then escourt them off the strip, and issues fines starting at $2000. Use this money to pay for the increased trash pick up and power washing.
Looks like PIMPS on the strip. Follow them home or contact via the stuff they're handing out and follow through. We should be arresting and deporting these guys. And if the girls are here breaking our laws.... Take on the ACLU. We cannot just let this stuff continue. For years we called them missing and runaways--when they were kidnapped off our streets and forced into prostitution. We still mourn for our missing daughters and sisters.
Get rid of the beggars on the pedestrian bridges. These are right of way walking paths, not a place to plunk down on a blanket with your dog, a sign and a bucket. It's a weak, weak argument to compare these guys to tourists stopping on the bridge to take a few pictures, etc.
There should be no garbage cans overflowing. This is not difficult or costly to solve. Just a few more pick ups.
The card slappers are not a big nuisance, maybe just regulate that 5 of them can't congregate on a corner and plaster the tourists. Las Vegas is an adult town. People bringing infants, toddlers and underage kids need to go to Disney
Everyone knows that porn slappers are soliciting for sex trade. How can that be protected speech? Why does ACLU support the exploitation of women? Where are the feminists?
Sell the Strip to a consortium of casino companies and privatize the whole thing
I've been in no other city in the U.S. that would allow such a Circus on the Sidewalks. Times Square in NY, The Mall in D.C, Pike Place Market in Seattle, surely they have an ACLU, yet No Card Slappers or Unlicensed Vendors.
The Strip should have a Per lineal foot assessment for improvements in Safety, Clean-up, Pedestrian Bridges, etc.. The Local Taxpayers should not be asked to fund Extra Services on the Strip. Many Localities have "Information Hosts" that also serve as additional Eyes and Ears to the Police Department. Too many Uniformed Officers and a place looks dangerous.
There should also be major Pedestrian Improvements on Flamingo from the Palms Casino on the West to Terribles on the East, with Pedestrian Lighting and Protected Sidewalks to possibly even a Trolley Bus/Track system.
Card-slappers, street performers & unliscenced vendors should be restricted to certain areas to avoid impeding pedestrian traffic & creating a safety hazard, but that's it. They may be a nuisance, but they're hardly a threat to the community.
As far as picking up the trash more often, I know there's a large number of people told to perform community service by local courts -- they'd be perfect for it. The occasional power wash would be nice, however, foot traffic would probably restrict it to the wee hours of the morning. Might be smarter to simply clear off the litter and let the sun dry out the goo during the day, with maybe a weekly wash.
Perhaps the companies who hire these card slappers should be required to pick up their own litter. It's amazing how quickly it goes from being fresh card stock to trash, sometimes within seconds. Maybe these "promoters" should be required to pick up after themselves before they leave at the end of their shift. Put a few trash bags in their hands, and they can very quickly turn to street cleaners. Just like out in Red Rock or any natural area in the desert, the motto could and should be "Pack it in, pack it out"!
If the issue with the handbillers' protected 'free speech' is that the sidewalks are public property, why not turn over the sidewalks to the casinos and other businesses that line the strip and let them determine what is permissible on their private property?
Simple solution.
Legalize prostitution and deport the illegal's is god starting point. We'd have an instant win / win for all, less advertising trash on the streets, tourists able to experience the real life of SIN CITY and clean up the wasted taxpayer dollars illegal's suck from us and gives Americans newly created open job positions. Even the building trades would benefit, they'd either be renting vacant buildings or building new brothels for the oldest profession in the world, Adult Entertainment. Liberals would happy as well, more taxes paid into the system for their mindless trolls.
Simple, sell the casino fronts / sidewalks to the casino properties with maintenance requirements / stipulations etc just like any homeowner is required to maintain their property. Sell it to them for $1 if necessary, give the a tax break for repairs and approved improvements, That makes it private property and kick them off. aCLU be damned, I don't know of any other city where pan handling or selling / advertising sex is considered a free speech right. Get Guliani in here, NYC was much worse in the 70's and 80's!
Another option, make them get permits, insurance etc to make there be a cost of business. For crying out loud in every city a hot dog cart needs these things or they are chased off!
The biggest problem here is our generally dumb and in effective government officials, then again that's our fault because we keep electing them!
It wouldn't take much for Las Vegas to become another Atlantic City. If you haven't been there it's a pretty bleak place just off the boardwalk. I agree totally with the other commentor that suggested littering fines. Either they clean up their act or pay to clean up the streets....
<<The same First Amendment rights he is protecting is letting you spout your view of him here>>
BIg difference in "spouting views" here on a private newspaper website then standing on the Strip and harrassing visitors and locals alike about what is being said here.
You have no argument.
1)I would like to see the card slappers, exotic pet handlers, costumed freaks, & buskers needing a license per each person you place on the street. Must be presented to Metro Officer if asked. It will make sure there is a background check against Child Molesters, so they aren't in those smelly costume that look like Hello Kitty.
2)Place a stamp tax on each material you want to give out on the Strip (5cent per pamphlet,card, or magazine).
3)Have the Casino or Mini Malls clean the garbage cans outside their property. I see the employees of the Paris & Treasure Island pick up the trash. It would also save money for trash pick up on the Strip so they can place more Police up and down the Strip.
There is a very simple solution to this problem which is soliciting.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that if you don't want to be solicited, write an ordinance to stop it.
Now see how simple that was, boys and girls.
Best idea many have said: Let the casinos control what goes on in front of their properties by whatever way is possible. Renting the sidewalk, buying it - whatever. This way it is "private property" and no soliciting can be done.
But we know that's not going to happen. I'm sure no one complains to the casinos about those card slappers and miscellaneous characters and freaks because they don't prohibit anyone from entering a casino and the freaks and porn people don't harm the casinos' bottom lines.
Here's an idea:
The owners of property on the strip set up a consortium. Then the county sells the consortium the strip roadway for reasonable compensation, and take it private, enforce their own rules and provide their own maintenance, like a mall.
The casinos have been trying for so long to get rid of the problem. The ACLU has been a big part of why they can't get it done.
The casinos aren't just trying to rid this problem for their own sake but they get constant complaints from guests about it.
I also wonder why they can't get the bill handlers for littering.
Also re: the water sellers. Getting rid of them would be good because they have caught water sellers who have just refilled used bottles before.
To me there is nothing too onerous about these reccomendations. A proviso they would have to allow would be legitimate protests. That's not a big deal. Of course the ACLU will fight tooth and nail over this stuff because it suits their agenda even though it would benefit the community.
@vegaslee The days of a principled ACLU are long gone. It's all liberal agenda driven anymore.
Looks like the county commissioner want to start giving money away. After holding secret meetings where unelected casino execs create legislation that limits free speech when the US Constitution states so clearly a third grader could understand that the government "shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech... or the right of the people peaceably to assemble," that's what's going to happen. I guess they've had so much fun handing out checks to cover Metro's nonsense they want to keep on going. If they go through with this, it will be like the Oprah show down there.
He Gets a Check!!!! She Gets a Check!!!! You Get a Check!!!! They Get a Check!!! EEEEVVVVVRYYYYYBOOOOOODDDY GETS a Check!!!!!!!!
Det__Munch,
When you can show me in the First Amendment where it says you don't have the same right to spout your nonsense on the Strip as you do here in these forums I will buy you dinner at the place of your choice in Las Vegas.
Yes, I do have an argument. Free speech is not limited to certain places.
Selling "things" unlicensed is not covered by the First Amendment. Making money is not covered but the rest has been proven it is many times in many courts.
people---they can't get the handbillers for littering because the handbillers aren't the ones littering.
its the people who they hand the bills to who drop them on the ground.
the handbilling companies use that argument all the time when this point is raised. the handbilling companies don't want those cards laying on the ground anymore than you or i. they want the lonely guys from nebraska to bring the handbill back to their room and call the number on them!
if you stand out there and watch for a few mintues, you can see it happening. a guy takes the handbill, looks at it for a second and tosses it onto the ground like the other thousand people before him.
i'm no fan of the handbillers or their employees, but you can't pin the littering problem on them, legally. blame it on the tourist who drops the handbill when they realize it doesn't have actual nudity on it....
Remove all handbillers, build homeless shelters and remove all beggars, but require them to take a drug/alcohol test prior to being allowed to stay at the shelter. Bottled water can be easily obtained if you sit at a machine inside the casino for $1 so no reason to have it being sold outside. On a grander scale, Las Vegas should narrow Las Vegas Boulevard on The Strip and only allow buses/taxis/emergency vehicles to travel on it. Perhaps have a free tram in the middle from one end to the other so visitors can travel up and down the strip to take pictures, etc. All other traffic should pass behind The Strip casinos. Use the space allocated from the narrowing of the road to expand the sidewalks on both sides to allow for an easier foot traffic flow. Remove all bridges, an annoyance and unnecessary if there were a proper sidewalk.
So, the ACLU will sue "...if the county attempts to adopt speech restrictions." I see many legal impediments to proving that restricting the manner of this alleged "free speech" would be unconstitutional.
First, I have heard legal opinions that certain forms of "speech" are "NOT ACTIONABLE." Which also means that, as such, it is not legal either. The 9th Court of Appeals has ruled (2011) that certain forms of "free speech" can be prohibited when it infringes on the rights of other people in public areas - whether they can evade such speech, or not.
The right to "freedom of speech" is not absolute in any country; this includes, and is shown in, the writings regarding "Human Rights" as stated by the United Nations.
Further, the right to freedom of speech is typically subject to limitations, such as with libel, slander, obscenity, indecency, incitement to commit a crime, causing or potential harm to others, et al.
Thus, passing out "these pamphlets" on the streets of Las Vegas appears to involve violation of several laws that that are already on the books.
Some of the actions that I suggest violate a such laws - and therefore suggest that this form of "speech" is illegal - include: impeding pedestrian movement, intimidation of pedestrians, unreasonably aggressive actions, loitering, behaving in numbers and manner as to create a public nuisance, contributing to rampant littering, performing (perceptibly) threatening actions and movements against pedestrians (i.e., slapping pamphlets and extending hands), et al.
The presence of these "street vendors" - who are soliciting customers for sexual purposes - also cause people to bypass the stores in front of which the vendors ply their trade. Thus, there is a negative financial impact on business owners, due to the loss of customers - who are distracted, or rush on past a store.
Free speech has been disallowed in a number of cases over the years where it intrudes on the RIGHTS of OTHER CITIZENS. To the extent of legal precedents that exist, which invoke limitations on some actions and some forms of speech, I believe the actions of these "pamphlet vendors" - cannot be considered as free speech, and is indeed, illegal; and they should be barred from such activity (if not taken to court for violation of statues and laws).
Further, this activity of the street vendors, is not in the public interest, is unsafe to pedestrians (I have seen them move into the street to avoid these "street vendors"), and promotes what millions of people would consider to be pornographic-oriented material. (Yes, this is "Sin City" and you get what you pay for - or allow.)
As has been stated by several writers herein, this activity is a blight on The Strip. It is also smacks of undesirable commercialism, and presents an (illegal) impediment to promoting a thriving economic climate - that will benefit visitors, and Maricopa County, as a whole.
i had a policeman tell me that 90% of the people selling bottle water actually are just filling old/used bottles of water with tap/hose water and selling those for a $1. thats why they unscrew the top off before handing it to people and act like they are doing them a service by opening it--when in reality they are just trying to trick people into thinking they are buying unsealed bottles of water.
If the city and county would enforce existing law and ordinances the strip would not have many of the problems it has today. I pretty sure that many people who are selling water and asking visitors for money do not have a business license that is required, I sure there must be some kind a loitering law that does not allow people to camp out on strip overpasses, I sure homeless cannot confront or beg along the strip, and there must be some ordinances against impeding the sidewalks. The strip is looking like many of the tourist areas of San Francisco, which is not pretty and is annoying. ACLU, when people are just interfering, loitering and bothering people its has nothing to do with free speech or the first amendment.
Long overdue. Would it be that hard to tell casinos to be responsible for security in front of their casinos, or on the walkways? It wouldn't kill them to monitor them. That would create jobs and save the city some money.
Re: my post at 12:55 p.m. My reference to the County should have shown: "Clark" County.
I do not understand what grounds ACLU has to stand on, the hand bill passers are advertising and promoting commerce, both of which are regulated via ordinances and law. Passing out handbills for girls is not freedom of speech, it is advertising and advertising is regulated by law, where, type of signage, etc.. If they were passing out some type of informative opinion they had themselves that is freedom of speech. Currently it is engaging in promotion of business and I bet the get paid for standing there or some type of compensation for there actions. I don't think the girls come to "model" for free either...ACLU should be ashamed of it's support of this.
I took some visiting family to the Bellagio Tuesday night, there are "vendors" selling beer our of their backpacks on the Bellagio sidewalk. Mind you, this is the sidewalk that's on their property by the entrance and driveway, not out front. Cold beer, 2 for $5. Pretty good deal, but I doubt that's legal...
That's about as far as we venture these days, too many weirdos out and about and I'm getting old and cranky.
Why aren't they just doing to easiest solution to all the problems on the strip? Sell all the sidewalks and walkways to the Hotels and than you can kick out whoever you don't want walking on them. Seems pretty damn simple to me.
@Judy: The reason Dipstick says city hall is because he's not from these parts. He's just another out of towner who thinks he understands the Las Vegas landscape. He'd rather be in Florida or so he says.
If they handed out cards that tell you to call a number to buy meth that is delivered to your door, would that be protected free speech?
Uh NO!
I find it hard to believe that free speech is protected when it is SELLING something that is ILLEGAL!
It's kind of funny but, by themselves, I don't mind any of the acts that people want to stop. However, I don't want it on the sidewalks. Period. Somebody mentioned the recent violence. I've seen a lot of anger. Thousands of people trying to move along narrow sidewalks with card slappers, bridge beggars, costume clowns, icechests, and you name it making people step into the streets, bump into each other, trip over each other. It's a safety issue. Pass an ordinance that simply states that public sidewalks can not be used as commercial space. We don't let people do these things on the streets so why do we think they should be able to block our public access for commercial or personal gain. The ordinance could simply read: Public sidewalks may not be used for commericial or personal financial gain for any party whether on the sidewalk or not. It's a safety issue. Sidewalks were put in place to facilitate the movement of foot traffic. They were not created to be outdoor malls or a public circus.
i agree with peter--handing out smut ads is not a free speech issue, it is clearly and advertisement for "adult" entertainment---porn advertising is the #1 problem on the strip--make all "advertisers" get a gaming card and pass a background check--that will stop all that crap---and ID the guys passing out all this crap---they are probably mostly illegals. As for the "newspaper" racks---clearly these racks were intended for newspapers---they were hijacked by the porn guys and now only used to sell sex services---enforce the original intention of the racks or loose the license. Why are these vehicles allowed to drive up and down the strip advertising sex----the traffic is bad enough and again--this is advertising not free speech. the idea to sell the sidewalks just shifts the problem from the county to the casinos---lets start arresting these unlicensed bums--again--if u want to be a "street performer" make them get licensed to do so and pay some fee, or lets id these people and see how many are paying taxes on these tips they are getting. something must be done--it is already out of control and customers tell me they don't want to walk down the street.
To all those who think the sidewalks should be sold to the Hotels and Casinos Why? just to them how about selling it to me I would buy From Tropicana to Sahara both sides it then could be private.
Then I could lease it to the same people that have caused the problem and make my millions and when the government tried to stop me I would accuse them of government over reach, or I could charge tourist the privilege of taking pictures or maybe a toll.
Just because you sell it doesn't mean the owners will have to do as you say once it becomes theirs.
If the property would be sold it should be sold at public auction to the highest bidder.
PLEASE keeep this CAT from our strip!
http://www.lvrj.com/news/breaking_news/3...
The strip has turned into a cesspool. Congrats Las Vegas!
A few people in CIS or INS AGENT shirts or jackets should clear the area for a couple hours. Maybe casinos could buy a few "Deportation Agent" shirts and sell them real cheap.
@Xtlman..."As I see it, here is the bottom line. Oscar tried to get these handbillers off the strip for as long as he was mayor. The ACLU kept any ordinance at bay."
Well one thing's for sure, being completely ignorant about a topic doesn't stop some people from deciding they alone have the solution.
I would love to here Xtlman summarize all the hard work Oscar did to get hand billers off The Strip. Seeing as Oscar only had the portion of LVBLVD NORTH of Sahara was under his authority.
It would be nice if those who try to explain how limiting free speech rights isn't in violation of the 1st Amendment would take the time to learn the basic tenents of their local government,before loftier topics.If you don't understand why the words OSCAR, MAYOR and CITY have no place in this discussion, you clearly can't understand things like the 14th Amendment. So you have two choices. Keep quiet and let us wonder if your an idiot, or open your mouth and remove all doubt.
Why is it they can arrest the prostitutes walking on the sidewalks out front of the casinos but they can't arrest the guys handing out the flyers to bring them there?