All it does is cost legitimate businesses an extra expense they may not be able to afford...for example; a friend of mine was forced to close up & move his location because he couldn't afford the annual fees on top of the other expenses legitimate massage therapists pay for like insurance & such .

Of course it won't affect anything...the ones that LE wants to stop are to busy FUCKING and SUCKING to worry about reading such trivial things like new laws being put in place.  After all, when I hear a politician speaking all I ever hear is BLAH BLAH BLAH, no truth ever is spoken in such circles!

-- Modified on 3/1/2015 6:41:37 PM

...inappropriate fondling? And, is self fondling allowed under this ordinance?  

First of all, any providers that are trying to run operations within the guidelines follow all the rules to get the license and then get denied, and the city can abuse their power.  This does nothing to stop trafficking.  It just makes it inconvenient for the bad guys by them having to relocate and confiscate more trafficked personnel.  

Yep! Pisses me off too!  
When we try asking any of them where they came up with those numbers of people they've allegedly "helped" all we get is runaround answers or crickets.  
The first time they brought this up about 25 years ago, the same thing was said about how having a license didn't prevent prostitution so it was tabled as it should of been.
City officials don't actually help anyone but themselves to our wallets and fwiw,
I can almost guarantee theres less than 2% FOB and/or trafficked workers in any massage parlor around this state lol most are american born Hmong women ( which includes southeast  Asian like Thai Viet and so on. )  
Eastern European is even less of a percentage here.  
Don't even get me started the lack of funding for the sexworker advocacy programs...
I mean, originally the police agencies wrote the city ordinances and categorized massage as a sexually oriented service, the least the city could do now is ensure that these licensing fees go towards advocacy and transitional housing programs as well as be prepared to prove it when asked. All the more reason to be 100% against this licensing.  
Furthermore, Trafficking is not mutually exclusive to sex work.  
-V

My guess is most of them are forced to work in sweatshops and other places where they can be kept out of public view easily.

So maybe I'm just reading too many advocacy sites like red umbrella SWOP & other sex workers advocacy groups....
But really, do we all really believe that there is this much trafficking going on?

My thoughts on your thoughts

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE what you said here: "I just hope that the ones taking advantage of their power & status in this world realize ~while today they may trample our rights ~tomorrow someone bigger will trample theirs!"  

Everything this ! Truth be told,
When I asked an advocacy group flat out for information on the methods used for their statistical data because the numbers didn't add up right, not only did I get blocked from commenting further they refused to answer my legitimate question.
Not sure if anyone follows the local advocacy groups in this state but they recently lost funding for a transitional housing facility so to me it seems donations and fundraising efforts are all for naught. A good reason it's illegal is because it financially empowers women.  

In general, many people (imo) are more aware of and against trafficking when it's either sex workers or children or both. I have no clue about official numbers but I'd bet there are far more of the "trafficked" in restaurants and sweat shops than being forced to sell their bodies.  

Posted By: Mindyzurgirl

So maybe I'm just reading too many advocacy sites like red umbrella SWOP & other sex workers advocacy groups....  
 But really, do we all really believe that there is this much trafficking going on?  
   
  People get trafficked for many other things beyond just sex work yet we really hear nothing about that, also good luck trying to get numbers -studies have shown that time and again the police have lied & media has ran with these exaggerated numbers of sex traffickers.  
           I'll say what many may not realize there are for sure LE on this site but the secret fact is -what do these good peace offers do with this knowledge once they partake in any kind of bust?  
   
 Are we all to believe there are none that play actively in this hobby? I know what I believe & it's something to consider, I just hope that the good 'ol boys who get all cozy & cute with their favorites care enogh to let their humanity shine thru & treat the insider knowledge with care and just stick to the low hanging fruit,  
   
 or better yet I hope they get a little better informed & work to change these antiquated laws, I mean really it's 2015 it's time for the sexism that goes hand in hand within the peace officers mentality......... well it's time for some evolving!  
   
 Actually I use the term peace officer as a throwback to what was supposed to be the case- so far this year  there have been close to 200 deaths by officer & it's only  
 March!!  
 I guess I just get upset with the hype umbrella term "human trafficking"  
 I don't think we realize the amount of money that gets thrown at this cause, to preform stings & busts & god knows where all that money goes  
 as Vi says certainly not toward the reform or other help for "victims"  
   
  I hope that if these hidden officers are partaking in hobby land on their own time, it's not something that can be extended to "work related research" who knows maybe they can write it off..lol  
   
 I guess I'm getting carried away standing on more than one soap box here, I've read the board on & off today & am commenting on more than just one topic here...  
   
 one last thought, shout out to the brave for calling out the fake reviews & the St.Cloud sting! This forum is supposed to be informative to help us all stay safer,  
 I just hope that the ones taking advantage of their power & status in this world realize ~while today they may trample our rights ~tomorrow someone bigger will trample theirs!  
 Everyone on this site should have a good lawyer on retainer.  
 Be happy -but stay safe life is short.