sort of legalized prostitution
I was not aware, until tonight, that San Francisco has a proposition that would require that cops not arrest prostitutes. Prostitution would still be illegal, but the cops would not be enforcing the law. According to an article about this:
"Proponents of Proposition K say it would free up $11 million that the city’s authorities spend each year arresting prostitutes."
For the record, I'm all for legalized prostitution but only if it regulates the sex workers. Legalized prostitution should mean required testing ever 3 months and a license to prove you have had all your regular tests. I think every girl on the street without a license should still be arrested. I think it should also divert the $11 million previously spent on arresting prostitutes to subsidized rehab programs for addicted prostitutes. Because I think the only people who should be selling sex are those that have a choice, not those that have to because it's the only way possible to pay for their drug addiction. Maybe I'm idealistic, but I'd like to think there are some clean and sober prostitutes out there who are putting their earnings into a mortgage, their 401k or their kid's college fund.
"Proponents of Proposition K say it would free up $11 million that the city’s authorities spend each year arresting prostitutes."
For the record, I'm all for legalized prostitution but only if it regulates the sex workers. Legalized prostitution should mean required testing ever 3 months and a license to prove you have had all your regular tests. I think every girl on the street without a license should still be arrested. I think it should also divert the $11 million previously spent on arresting prostitutes to subsidized rehab programs for addicted prostitutes. Because I think the only people who should be selling sex are those that have a choice, not those that have to because it's the only way possible to pay for their drug addiction. Maybe I'm idealistic, but I'd like to think there are some clean and sober prostitutes out there who are putting their earnings into a mortgage, their 401k or their kid's college fund.
I think it's for those women that this proposition is meant - where the prostitute is a victim of circumstance and the johns/pimps are opportunists.
I otherwie agree that people should have a choice - I just wanted to make the point that drug addiction isn't the only reason people are out there untested.
BUT, that said, as I understand it, the law would give no regulations at all regarding prostitution. No required testing, no licensing, nothing like that. So I probably will not vote for it simply because it is a poorly written piece of legislation. Which is a shame, because I think prostitution should be legalized...with the regulations you have pointed out perfectly in your post.
I think it's telling when actual prostitutes don't think a law protecting them is worth voting for. Something needs to be re-written there.