Along with a blurb about how the Zumba gal in Maine just got a jail sentence of a few months (The reason why I can't link to same.) is a poll asking if sex-work should be decriminalized, left as is, or just prosecute johns and pimps.

To my surprise, the decrimialize option is garnering almost 50% of the vote while the other two options are splitting the remainder.  This is on a decent size sampling of over 67,000 votes.

There are over 17,000 people logged in to TER right now.

What say we tip the scales a bit?

Link please?  I looked all over it and couldn't find the poll....

I found it on main msn.com page.     Look about half-way down the page on the right inder the "What Do YouThink?" section.

uh, do we really want to legalize sex-work?   legalizing sex-work would be horrible.

In other words, have no legal status to the business, much like selling gidgets or offering wedding planning.

I agree, we do not need the government to become everyone's pimp.

Government does tax and regulate the selling of gidgets and the offering of wedding.  I suspect most who selected decriminalization really want legalization with regulations.

-- Modified on 6/2/2013 9:35:19 AM

Sex work under decriminalization would be taxed like real estate, salon work, or any other type of self employment or indy contractor work. We don't need govt regs for that.

Taxing is a government regulation.  In addition,  I suspect those who selected decriminalization really would want other forms of regulations such as minimum age requirements, licensing, zoning and so on.  A vote for decriminalization in the very progressive city of Berkeley was voted down by 64%.

In my state there is an age requirement and   licence needed to operate a salon or cut hair and it is zoned.



-- Modified on 6/2/2013 12:18:56 PM

-- Modified on 6/2/2013 12:41:20 PM

and so is income from selling drugs.. eom

in almost every state and city.

Many progressives think more sanctions against sex-work will lead to less trafficing and STDs, when in fact the opposite is true.

Unfortunately, those who champion legal and safe sex-work do not have the budgets to convince people that the oppostion has.

The stigma against sex-work leads to people not speaking out on the subject for fear of being perceived as anti-woman and/or crime oriented.

If it not acceptable in liberal Berkeley  it is unlikely to be acceptable anywhere in the US. What is or is not smart is in the mind of the beholder.  I am sure many of the 64% opposed to decriminalization thought many of the  36% who voted for proposition K as not being smart. For me, the non smart people are those who dismiss others as being non smart for not having their view.

Mr. Fisher is right- the opposition to the proposed Berkeley legislation were incredibly well-funded. The prop K people didn't stand a chance.