Was listening to some radio chatter about the Spitzer thing and the host made an interesting comment.

He claimed that if hobbying was legalized that rates would go down?? Not sure if I agree with that but he claimed that the fact that it is not legal that people are willing to pay more than there would if it was.

He also had some comments on how legalizing it could then make it possible for providers to get licenses, and through doing this get tested for STD's etc, and make things safer.

Again not sure if I would agree.

Why should two people need a license to have sex?

Why not license owning a lawn mower?  They cause more injuries than the hobby.

How about we legalize freedom.  There's a novel idea.

I totally agree with that.

With the economy in a downturn, who knows they might consider it as a way to make money though, through the licenses.

I would hope and I really doubt that legalizing it is anything that is on the horizon.

Just something I heard on the radio today.

Tall, having never experienced any of the Nevada "legal" locations personally, all I can do is go by what I see on that HBO special they show from the Bunny Ranch I think it is called.

Looking at all the ladies on that show and comparing them to some of the top Florida ladies, there is only one of the ladies there who would compare with some of Florida's most highly rated (Sindie, Susie Solaris, Erotic Eve, Shelby, etc.).  It appears the costs they quote on the show at the "legal" places are two to three times what one can pay for one of the top providers here.

I have always felt that when the government gets involved, the old rules of supply and demand seem to get lost in the shuffle.

Perhaps that is why there seems to be such a vibrant indie / agency presence in places like Vegas.

-- Modified on 3/11/2008 6:27:39 PM

I've been to a couple of the Nevada brothels and I was not impressed.  The girls charge high prices.  They can do this because only a limited number of licenses are issued for brothels.  The girls negotiate their fee, but half of what they get from the client goes to the brothel.  Also they have to pay for room and board.  
It is legal, but I don't think its the best deal for either the client or the working girl.  
But I do support making private sex for pay transactions between consenting adults legal.  I don't know if prices would go down or not.  Supply and demand and the local economy would determine prices in each market.

Naturally I assumed that she would be infavor of legalizing it, however she said no. She thought that if it were legalized the government would find a way to tax the hell out of it, regulate it to death and essentially ruin it. She was also of the opinion that it would drive down rates. More people getting into it with no fear of legal repercussions would lead to increased supply and drove down prices. She also thought that the big agencies would be able to cut prices and drive independant ladies out of business. (sort of like the Walmart of hobbying.) I don't know. Legalizing it may also cause higher demand, as more guys who would be scared away by fear of arrest might give it a try.

Nice post darling -

maybe that provider is/was resistant to change in general though.

xo Lisa

What do you mean "might consider it a way to make money" ...your damn tootin' they will.  They will tax, license, regulate and pretty well screw it up (no pun intended).  Prices will go up and service will go down (again, no pun intended).

in the rest of the world. About the only places where the hobby is illegal is the US and the Muslim countries.

I think using the example of the highly regulated brothels in Nevada is not a fair comparison to what goes on in the rest of the world.

I think that even if it were legalized, there would still be indies who don't want the stigma of prostitute listed on their record as the girls who work from the Bunny Ranch and such have branded on them... I wouldn't personally want any records to link me to this life.

As far as driving down rates, no way... it would make rates go up for sure due to taxes, regulations, tests, etc... and the industry would most likely be dominated by pimp or madame types facilitating this...

Katie

a better fit than policies of inclusion in Europe and Asia.

Katie

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Prostitution_by_country

on all our personal livlihoods and getting to be more of one every day!

That would be enough. Make it so it's not on your record.

Really, for licensing it, think of the implications of it: that people need licenses to have sex. It's bad enough that there are marriage licenses.

Unfortunately we have a whole bunch of prigs in government who will be working like hell to harass "legalized" prostitution into the ground. I mean, what about a simple thing like zoning? If you look at what strip clubs go through with all the bullshit ordinances and state laws harassing them every single year.

My basic understanding is that no matter what the legal situation, the number of men who have visited a prostitute of some sort is consistently about 70%, and the number of women who do/have worked as providers is about 3-4%.  I can't provide a citation of that, but that is my recollection.  Given this, the biggest things I can see happening with legalization is that women wouldn't have to be afraid of the cops anymore.  As it is, all to often providers get ripped off, raped, or assaulted, and they don't go to the cops because they are (usually legitimately) afraid THEY will end up in jail, even though they are the victims.  It would also make it easier for women to get away from pimps (make prostitution legal, but not pimping - ladies, just turn the ass wipe in).  

I would have no problem with regular testing and licensing, either.  I know most providers don't like it, but it would help keep providers healthy too.  Back in the Civil war, prostitutes came from far and wide to service the Union Solders in Nashville (at least, I think it was Nashville) because the army there did regular testing of the woman for syphilis, and would give them treatment if they caught it (not that civil war era treatment for syphilis was particularly effective, and of course it could be most accurately described as torture, but still...)  There would be cost concerns involved with it, but then you wouldn't have to keep moving your incall to a new hotel all the time either, so your costs would go down in someways, and up in others.  

As a market, my guess is it would stay pretty similar to what it is right now.  Taxes raise the prices a bit, but right now you have all price brackets served from the $20 streetwalker BJs to the $3,000 an hour High Dollar Hotties, and everything in between.  I don't imagine that would change much, particularly in the high end, as the guys who frequent the HDH's are more concerned about spending the money to show that they actually have it than anything else.


Light

Canada, Mexico,all of Central and South America, there are plenty of places available for comparison. The hobby can be legalized with minimal regulation, whether it can ever be that simple here is another question.

I would love to blame it on religion, but even in the very religious, Catholic Church controlled countries of Central and South America the hobby is legal, moderately regulated and affordably priced. I have hobbied in over a dozen countries in our hemisphere alone, legalized prostitution works.

Why should prostitution be any different. A landscaper might ask the same question. "Why do I need a license to mow some one's lawn?"

You don't need a license to have sex and you don't need a license to own a lawn mower. You do need a license to do business however.

It seems like many providers want to have their cake and eat it too. Why should providers be exempt from taxation? I would love to be exempt from paying taxes too, wouldn't we all?

In N Zeland it is legal. You do need to be licensed but along with paying taxes, which I already do at this point, I could claim all my expenses, which I can not claim. Clothes, manicures, hotels, testing, advertising,condoms all would be part of my trade and therefor also a diduction as well.
I think it would go up in some ways as well, but not as much as you would think.

-- Modified on 3/12/2008 2:20:27 PM

Here in Ontario, it is legal at least to some extent as there are assorted laws that at a minimum confound the issue. Doing incalls violates the bawdy house laws, street walking is a violation of soliciting in public or something like that, having an agency is pimping, so independent outcalls seems to the legal result. However, incalls are rarely touched unless a neighbor complains.  That all said, the rates up here seem to be a tad lower than cities of about the same size.  But it seems to be the result of competition and a large visible minority population in the industry here and more recently a sharp increase from Eastern Europe and Russia who seem to be undercutting the prevailing rates and pressuring the the average rate.  Awhile ago, ads seemed to drop off and for a short period advertised prices increased and then the ads picked up and prices dropped again so I think availability and market does more to pricing than anything else.