Push to legalize brothels in Phoenix area for Super Bowl (2014, tax)

[Valley Native]

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/26...for-super-bowl

I found this rather humorous, and interesting. Dennis Hof, who owns several successful legal brothels in Nevada, is pushing to legalize the business in AZ on a temporary basis and open up brothels in the Phoenix area for the upcoming Super Bowl.

My guess is that it will never get off the ground here. First of all, just because brothels are legal in Nevada doesn't mean they are allowed all over that state. They are mostly confined to Nevada's rural areas. The Las Vegas area (Clark County) does not have any legal brothels due to a statute in their law which mandates they must operate in areas under a certain population. Therefore, that alone would exclude pretty much all of metro Phoenix from having something like this. In addition, I can't see Tom Horne or Bill Montgomery approving this, even temporarily.

On the other hand, Hof is certainly correct: the illegality of it causes it to exist anyway on the internet and in the black market. Legalizing it the way Nevada has would actually cut down on the problems with back alley prostitutes, STDs, and trafficking. Nevada is the only state by far that allows prostitution, and it's regulated to the point where it is actually a very safe & profitable business. I can't see it happening in Arizona, but I would personally have no problem with it if it were to become legal here. Wouldn't affect my life (or most anybody else's) one way or the other.

[DetroitN8V]

It seems that by legalizing it, AZ would finally show it's Libertarian colors that everyone is always touting. I hope it goes through.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

It seems that by legalizing it, AZ would finally show it's Libertarian colors that everyone is always touting. I hope it goes through.

The Libertarian colors are out in the population but not in the legislature, which is what matters in this situation. I don't see this happening, "regulation" or not.

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by observer53

The Libertarian colors are out in the population but not in the legislature, which is what matters in this situation. I don't see this happening, "regulation" or not.

My point exactly.

[West Phx Native]

Will never happen, the Govt hates competition,

[Bondurant]

It's not going to happen. Especially here where there is so much money tied into the prison industrial complex. The legislators will never pass laws that will put less people behind bars. That said, I think it should be legal.

If you're interested in the topic I would highly recommend the book Legalizing Prostitution: From Illicit Vice to Lawful Business by Ronald Weitzer. Very good read and examination of the legal models around the world and the benefits over legalization over prohibition.

[sandy6879]

I also agree it should be legal but I highly doubt it will ever pass. For the same reasons mentioned above. If anyone was going to do it though, Hof should be the obvious choice to spearhead it. Like him or not, he's got a successful business model already set up and has for a number of years.

[azriverfan.]

This is too progressive and intelligent for our legislature.

Prostitution occurs everyday. If it's legalized and regulated, it will protect and save lives (both the prostitutes and their customers) and clean up the industry. So many women are battered and abused. It's very sad. People are cruel and believe because someone is a prostitute, she is less of a person and is allowed to be abused. I've seen a lot of them wind up in the emergency department.

[jimj]

Stranger things have happened. Who would've thought there'd be legal pot here in AZ? The world's changing, big bucks to be made off the backs of others (pun intended) so it wouldn't shock me if it actually comes to pass.
To use an old argument, "well, it's going to happen anyway so we might as well regulate and tax it".
Sound familiar?

[Bondurant]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

This is too progressive and intelligent for our legislature.

Prostitution occurs everyday. If it's legalized and regulated, it will protect and save lives (both the prostitutes and their customers) and clean up the industry. So many women are battered and abused. It's very sad. People are cruel and believe because someone is a prostitute, she is less of a person and is allowed to be abused. I've seen a lot of them wind up in the emergency department.

Again, this is not exclusive to Phoenix or Arizona or conservative politics. Hard progressives are some of the staunchest anti-porn/anti-prostitution crusaders you could hope to find. Prostitution isn't legal anywhere in these United States of America outside of Nevada.