Now, here’s an issue where I dare say some of our liberal critics will agree with me (at least, I hope they will), that is, in opposing the policy one leading Democrat supports.
Instead of calling the Senate into session the week before the continuing budget resolution expires, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Mt. Crumpit Nevada) has decided to ignore his federal responsibilities to wade into state politics. He’s called for limiting the freedom of Nevadans and Americans who travel to the Silver State. And he wants to make it easier for men to exploit (and police to incarcerate) women who elect to practice the world’s oldest profession:
Sen. Harry Reid on Tuesday called for “an adult conversation” about prostitution in Nevada, saying it is an impediment to economic development because it discourages businesses from moving here.
“Nevada needs to be known as the first place for innovation and investment – not as the last place where prostitution is still legal,” he said in a speech to the Nevada Legislature.
Yup, he wants to ban prostitution. Allahpundit reminds us that
. . . local lawmakers weren’t thrilled at the sight of the U.S. Senate majority leader strolling into the chamber to lecture them on an issue that pales in significance to the state’s crushing unemployment rate (the highest in America) and massive deficit. As for his anecdote about businessmen passing on Nevada due to the brothels, the current lieutenant governor claims he’s never had someone tell him that before. And I believe him: Remember, for most of the past two decades, Nevada was the fastest-growing state in the U.S. It crashed horribly after the financial crisis, but prostitution’s been tolerated outside the cities since its earliest days. If the brothels are chasing people away, how to explain that phenomenal growth during the 1990s and most of the last decade?
His state has the highest unemployment rate in the nation and he wants to close off one opportunity for legal employment. So, if there’s a budget impasse next week and the government shuts down, we can all take comfort in the fact that Harry Reid took a little extra time to weigh in on such a pressing matter.
UPDATE: Doug Powers sides “with Seton Motley on Reid wanting to outlaw Nevada prostitution — ol’ Harry just doesn’t want the competition, even if it is merely metaphorical (politics differs greatly in that its practitioners pay for favors with somebody else’s money and full consent of all involved parties isn’t required).”
Wait, have I missed a few blog posts on here before? Do you really hate government intrusion in people’s lives that much, or is it more your distaste for Harry Reid?
I for one agree that certain “vices” should be allowed in a safely regulated fashion. I was disappointed, but not surprised, to see that Californians didn’t “formally” legalize small amounts of marijuana in the state, though I’m sure many will disagree.
I really don’t see a reason why Reid would be doing this at all. It just seems silly.
Aj, if you’re surprised to find that I, as you put it, “really hate government intrusion in people’s lives”, you haven’t been reading my posts all too closely. That aversion to government intrusion is one of my primary themes — and has been for the six years (and then some) that I’ve been blogging. (Not to mention one of the guiding principles of my political philosophy throughout my adult life.)
Just click on the category “Freedom” to read more — though not all my posts expressing an antipathy to government meddling can be found under that header.
Oh, I know that you dislike government getting involved in peoples lives. The comment was made more in jest as a reaction to your support for the prostitution industry.
I sometimes am guilty of assuming that conservatives all tend to be social conservatives as well, which is obviously not the case. Some conservatives will argue for less government in peoples lives except when it comes to promoting Judeo- Christian values (banning gay marriage, porn, etc.) My bad for being so quick with the conservative judgement trigger.
aj, thanks for the clarification. Sometimes, we miss the tone of comments in fora like these.
Please note. however, that I do not support the prostitution industry per se; I just understand the freedom I support means they the profession’s practitioners the freedom to ply their trade. Just as I support the freedom of filmmakers to cast Ben Affleck in movies despite his absence of screen presence. Or the freedom of our critics to offer their opinions, wrong-headed though they may be.
🙂
Ha, fair enough. Though I watched The Town the other day and was pleasantly surprised by it overall.
And I will say, some of your critics here have gotten kind of ridiculous lately. It surprises me how much people respond to them. It’s generally easy to tell if someone wants a real debate or wants to stir s**t up. I’ve definitely noticed the ladder a lot recently. Sad to see “fellow liberals” behaving that way.
Actually, aj, you’re not the first to say that about the Town. A number of my friends and acquaintances have said he’s really quite good in the flick. I avoid movies with Affleck because he tends to suck the air off the screen when he appears thereon.
And thanks for saying that about your fellow liberals, that is, those who have been getting, as you put it, “kind of ridiculous”. Nice to get some civility from our critics. Though I do have to say, when I’m in a snarky mood, particularly after being stuck on the 101 freeway, I do delight in taking in some of our critics, nice way to blow off steam while putting a smile on my face.
I’ll confess that I’ve always been torn on Prostitution.
Sex, to me, is something more important than ‘insert tab a into slot b. Thrust. Repeat as desired.’ At the same time, I’d hope that if prostitution was legal, it could be safely regulated, licensed, (and yes, taxed).
I once told a stripper friend of mine, “We’re in the same job, customer service. Difference being, I can hang up on my clients.”
maybe we can get together and open a brothel and biker shop across the street from Reid’s vacation home in NV….
Eric Hines
This is rich coming from a senator who regularly whores himself to public employees unions and the gambling industry.
Another distraction from reality. Maybe his message will resonate with what is left of the moral majority.
So, in other words, Harry Reid firmly believes that a woman has no right to make choices when it comes to her body.
Draybee touches on something I’ve wondered about. Why is it OK to abort a life within a woman’s body, but not rent out parts of it, or smoke a joint? At least with the latter two, there isn’t someone else’s body involved.
Harry’s just ticked because he figures screwing people is supposed to be HIS job, and the hookers are cutting in on his action! What a total douche nozzle he is! Legal prostitution provides a service and it is regularted to protect all parties involved from health risks & from sex workers being put in dangerous/coercive situations. Does he think making it illegal will stop it? Hello, I’m earth, have we met?! Make it illegal again in NV & it will just go “underground” where sex workers & consumers will be putting themselves at risk. Yeah, he’s really looking out for the people of NV.
Well said, Kristie, about the consequences of making prostitution illegal.
“At least with the latter two, there isn’t someone else’s body involved.”
Self service jokes aside, there is for the prostitution 😉
For what it’s worth, prostitution is only legal in a few counties in Nevada. It’s illegal in Clark County (Las Vegas). Good luck finding a hooker there!