Winter is finally over. The grass is growing, birds are chirping and some city councillors are getting silly again. Will there ever be a spring when at least one councillor does not get on the bandwagon about legalizing prostitution? There is the idea that if prostitution is legalized, all hookers (sorry, that should read sex trade workers) will leave the streets and work from designated buildings. These councillors think that 19- year-old crack addicts will go into an apartment and run a business out of it. Of course, these are the same councillors who think that they can run a city while spending most of the time debating their expense accounts.
There is absolutely no logic to this proposal even though it sounds good, especially to people who live in areas where street prostitution is rampant. Okay, the City will buy a building for anywhere between 200 and 500% of what it's worth. Then they’ll give it a name (e.g.. The Gerald Hannon Memorial Centre) and spend $75,000 on an official opening. The next day, all the street prostitutes will move in and never will anyone ever see another hooker walking the fine streets of the "best city in the world to live in".
Of course they all will get off the streets. Just because street prostitutes commit offences against the Canadian Criminal Code several times each night they work, doesn't mean that they won't comply with a city bylaw. The women on the streets who are adept at trying to avoid the police will be shaking in their thigh high boots at the sight of a City of Toronto Bylaw Enforcement Officer. Then there are the pimps. They will go quietly away, knowing that their stables will be looked after by a committee of Toronto City Council.
Prostitutes commit one of the most degrading and disgusting acts in contemporary society--they charge user fees. Since prostitution will be legal now, not only will they charge fees but they will have to pay income tax. On top of that they will have to remit GST, entertainment tax, and a new prostitution tax. Prices will go up and it will get so that the only people who can afford the services of prostitutes are Mike Harris' rich friends; you know, the ones that are getting all of them tax breaks. How long will it take before some left leaning councillor points out that the poor have a right to patronize hookers too? Part of the Hannon Centre will be devoted to the servicing of economically disadvantaged johns; sort of a subsidized adult day-care centre. Let’s see Mel hold the line on property taxes now.
Having accomplished all this, council then can move on to its next project. Someone has already suggested that there should be safe houses where crack addicts can smoke (crack--definitely not cigarettes) without being hassled by the police.
Coming soon from a councillor near you.
Winter is finally over. The grass is growing, birds are chirping and some city councillors are getting silly again. Will there ever be a spring when at least one councillor does not get on the bandwagon about legalizing prostitution? There is the idea that if prostitution is legalized, all hookers (sorry, that should read sex trade workers) will leave the streets and work from designated buildings. These councillors think that 19- year-old crack addicts will go into an apartment and run a business out of it. Of course, these are the same councillors who think that they can run a city while spending most of the time debating their expense accounts.
There is absolutely no logic to this proposal even though it sounds good, especially to people who live in areas where street prostitution is rampant. Okay, the City will buy a building for anywhere between 200 and 500% of what it's worth. Then they’ll give it a name (e.g.. The Gerald Hannon Memorial Centre) and spend $75,000 on an official opening. The next day, all the street prostitutes will move in and never will anyone ever see another hooker walking the fine streets of the "best city in the world to live in".
Of course they all will get off the streets. Just because street prostitutes commit offences against the Canadian Criminal Code several times each night they work, doesn't mean that they won't comply with a city bylaw. The women on the streets who are adept at trying to avoid the police will be shaking in their thigh high boots at the sight of a City of Toronto Bylaw Enforcement Officer. Then there are the pimps. They will go quietly away, knowing that their stables will be looked after by a committee of Toronto City Council.
Prostitutes commit one of the most degrading and disgusting acts in contemporary society--they charge user fees. Since prostitution will be legal now, not only will they charge fees but they will have to pay income tax. On top of that they will have to remit GST, entertainment tax, and a new prostitution tax. Prices will go up and it will get so that the only people who can afford the services of prostitutes are Mike Harris' rich friends; you know, the ones that are getting all of them tax breaks. How long will it take before some left leaning councillor points out that the poor have a right to patronize hookers too? Part of the Hannon Centre will be devoted to the servicing of economically disadvantaged johns; sort of a subsidized adult day-care centre. Let’s see Mel hold the line on property taxes now.
Having accomplished all this, council then can move on to its next project. Someone has already suggested that there should be safe houses where crack addicts can smoke (crack--definitely not cigarettes) without being hassled by the police.
Coming soon from a councillor near you.