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new info on L.A
Plan would bring end to lap dances in LA
Jun. 9, 2003 06:59 PM
Mariel Garza
Los Angeles Daily News
LOS ANGELES -- The lap dance could replace the Lambada as the forbidden dance under a "no-touch" proposal for adult businesses, recommended Monday by the city attorney and a City Council panel.
The ordinance, which will be considered by the full council as soon as next week, would require a six-foot "no touch" zone around entertainers at X-rated businesses in the city, and outlaw the custom of tipping dancers by slipping cash into their G-strings.
Many residents hailed the proposal, which is called unprecedented in a city as large as Los Angeles, as a way to clean up the industry. But dancers and club owners say the action would put thousands of people out of work and drive many legitimate establishments out of business.
"I don't know what I'm going to do if this goes through," dancer Marianne Summers told the council's Public Safety Committee, saying she would probably have to go on unemployment.
But residents like Cristi Walden, who lives within a mile of six adult businesses in West L.A., said the clubs have caused numerous problems in her neighborhood, including people having sex in the bushes and in cars.
"Please, please, please adopt this ordinance," Walden said.
Chanel Godinez, a manager at a North Hollywood nude club, said only legal conduct occurs at her club and most of the dancers are working their way through college.
"There's a no-tolerance policy on lewd conduct," Godinez said. "If we even suspect anything, your contract is canceled and you're given 72 hours' notice."
Currently, there are no rules regulating touching in the city's adult businesses, and many dancers survive on tips from lap dances or time with patrons in private rooms.
"We're probably the largest city to consider something as comprehensive," said Asha Greenberg, a deputy city attorney, adding that similar laws adopted by Newport Beach and Kent, Wash., have been successfully tested by the courts.
John Weston, an attorney for adult businesses in Los Angeles, indicated that they will consider suing if the city adopts the ordinance.
Roger Jon Diamond, another attorney representing adult businesses, compared the proposed ordinance to the rules of the repressive Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
"You could outlaw these activities," Diamond said, "but do we want a society where people just can't go out and enjoy themselves? I don't think so."
But members of the committee -- council members Cindy Miscikowski, Jan Perry and Dennis Zine -- supported the proposal.
"What we're doing is simply protecting the communities," said Zine, who said his west San Fernando Valley district and other areas have problems with some adult businesses. "The proliferation of these locations is destroying neighborhoods across the city of Los Angeles."
In addition to the six-foot and no tipping rule, the ordinance would require security guards at all adult businesses, and that video arcades employ janitors. The ordinance also would require that entertainers be on a stage at least 18 inches high with fixed rails at least 30 inches high.
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Re: new info on L.A
oh my god!!! sex in cars or bushes!!! dont these people realize sex is wrong! i hate americans. they're ruinging this country.
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Re: new info on L.A
Note to self: No Strip Clubbing in LA. What I don't understand is why are they blaming the Adult industry for crimes and stuff when LA is bad enough already. They are trying to do the same thing for San Diego from what I hear. Don't they realize that they help bring money to the city and bringing in travelers.
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Re: new info on L.A
You guys should check out the thread on this on the pink site. It looks like our friend Mike may be right on this one (I know, I know...) They're talking about banning lapdances in LA altogether. ??? ??? ???
This seems really bizarre to me, but it's apparently true. Never woulda thunk it. How strange that all the big bucks in the porn industry is happening down the street yet they want to shut down business for all the small timers in the adult entertainment industry. How ironic.
Well, if it really does go through, I truly feel bad for all of those girls who will lose income big time :(
However, I must admit that I'll be happy to welcome them to RI, should they decide to move!!! ;D ;D ;D
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Re: new info on L.A
I live and dance in Vegas and we went through this same crap about a year ago. Well, needless to say it didn't pass completely. And everything is still for the most part the same. Dances here and there at clubs within county boundries are a little more tame than within the city limits. They tried to do the 6 foot rule and no tips on g-strings...I wouldn't worry about it, it won't happen. If it did it would be historical. I could see it happening somewhere in Utah....LOL...but not L.A.
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Re: new info on L.A
North Hollywood, hmm. Looks like they're going after the ol' Motley Crue boys hangouts from the "Girls, Girls, Girls" song.
I hate to break it to these whiners who support this ordinance, but passing it or even shutting those clubs down entirely isn't going to keep people from having sex in their bushes.
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Re: new info on L.A
A six foot law was passed in Tampa in 99 and many many arrests have occured. The law is widely ignored but still remains and can be enforced at anytime. So unfortunatly it can and does happen.
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Re: new info on L.A
Houston passed a 3' (6'?) law about five years ago.
Go to Houston and see if it's being obeyed. [rotflmao]
It's all about enforcement. If the city backs an ordinance up with stepped up vice monitoring and raids - like in Tampa - then you'll see a big change. But if, like in Houston, it's all political window-dressing, then it's just a hindrance, not a club killer.
I think Melanie's (sp?) posts over there make some good points. Going after strip-clubs is a political no-brainer for politicians of any stripe. As a consitutional issue, it's mostly a loser. She sees clubs going in two directions: super-upscale, super-pricey, super-strict, or else divey and showing flagrant disregard for the law.
I think there are other possibilities, though. The public loses interest in these things after the city council votes, usually. Police departments have enough trouble dealing with more serious crimes, and usually don't have the manpower and budget to go after clubs in the long run. Voters won't typically tolerate police devoting too much time to vice problems if violent crimes and property crimes aren't being adequately addressed. I can guarantee you that no cop or politician wants to be caught with five officers working vice in strip clubs on a night when a bunch of people get gunned down.
Take, for example, the Canal Sreet brothel in New Orleans. The FBI had about a dozen agents conducting wire taps and surveillance of the place on Sept 11th. When this was publically revealed, there was quite a hue and cry, from right and left alike - the FBI had it's priorities all backwards. No local cop or politician wants that same label.
Meanwhile, clubs in some parts of the country have kind of migrated over county lines to where the laws are looser and residents less agitated. Witness the success of clubs in the suburbs and smaller towns surrounding Kansas City. I don't know how well that might work in California. But in areas where land is cheap, it's a possibility.
The other thing I would think would be possible would be for strip clubs to try to "mainstream" themselves in a manner similar to what the Las Vegas casino resorts have done. Obviously, you can't turn a strip club into family entertainment, but you can diversify the options available there so as to help clean up the image and bring in new customers.