Don't mess with Oregon's strip clubs

They're going to have to pry nude dancers out of Oregonians' sweaty, dollar bill-clenching (or is it a five spot these days?) hands.

At least, I hope so.

I haven't been in a strip club for a long time. But it bothers me when prudes in Tualatin want to amend the Oregon constitution so local governments could regulate where the clubs are located.

We're #1 in free speech. And strip clubs. Why surrender our top positions?

Oregon's constitution and rulings by the Oregon Supreme Court have protected nude dancing, adult bookstores -- even live sex shows -- through the free-speech clause. Those protections have helped dub Portland the country's per-capita strip-club capital.

Rick Attig of the Oregonian, Portland's largest newspaper, makes some great points.

But since 1994, Oregon voters have been asked three times whether they wanted to limit free-speech protections for the sex industry, and three times they clearly have answered no.

Tualatin is now seeking a fourth statewide vote on the issue. Again, if nude dancing was anywhere near the top of the list of Oregon's problems, maybe we could see starting yet another statewide argument on the issue. But when legislators are just trying to keep schools and universities open and provide jobless benefits and basic shelter, food and health care, Oregon doesn't have the luxury to obsess over women dancing naked on a Tualatin stage.

Conservatives freak out when the "will of the people" supposedly is challenged by liberal legislators, judges, or special interest groups. Yet here they are, wanting to revisit a free speech issue that Oregonians have decided three times already.

There's a big right-wing uproar over any proposal to "chip away" at the second amendment by banning automatic assault weapons or regulating sales at gun shows.

But when it's the free speech provision of Oregon's constitution that's being watered down, no problem.

Let's keep Oregon pleasantly godforsaken. Strip clubs, yes. Moralistic judgmentalism, no.

Comments

[Lindsay]

Hmmm...in Colorado they say don't mess with water rights or railroads. Not nearly as exciting as strip club debates ;)

[Rain]

I haven't been following this story but perhaps what they don't like is the people it draws to their neighborhoods or near schools. That's the usual reason there is resistance. It's kind of amazing to me that Tualatin has strip clubs as trying to think where they would be. :) I have no problem with them existing but can see how I'd not be thrilled to have one next door.

[rachel]

I still can't believe all of the disgusting people out there. No matter what "amendment" protects strip clubs they will never be right they will never be respected. If strip clubs want to exist they should be zoned in a spot in town where the sewage is, where the garbage dump is they should be located next to places that they are similar to. They shouldn't be in towns where families are and they certainly shouldn't be within 100miles from ANY neighborhood. Strip clubs are bad for businesses because of the type of low life's they appeal to, they objectify women, they don't do anything productive for society, they lower property value, they are trashy and also play a part in crimes including drug use, rape and they don't obey the regulations they are suppose to like NOT TOUCHING THEIR CUSTOMERS. If the U.S. constitution could be rewritten I bet strip clubs would be outlawed because they do nothing good besides give a bunch of dead beat whores jobs and bring in more revenue for the government.

[Charles]

I am a stripper and have been for the last two years. I worked in texas mostly and loved it. The money is amazing and you cant beat alot of the people you meet there. To some a strip club may be a no good trashy place that does nothing for society.. but i would beg to differ. Could i agree that maybe they shouldnt be placed next to an elementry school??? sure. Strip clubs are great for business,just a few examples.... Lets take me.... A poor sap who comes in and gives me his whole tiny pay check of 600 dollars is definatly stimulating our economy. Not only am i paying for a business degree with it to earn my bach. but i also will be attending a trade school for orthodontics ...so not only has this man( as rachel would put it, "low life")help to put me threw college, but THIS "objectified" woman will be putting braces on your kids faces while you scrounge up whatever money you make at your 9-5 to pay for it. Drugs, rape, and prostitution are alwasy around no matter what. I love that some people are so nieve to think that a strip clubs make the drung industry go round. Ill tell you what, go upstairs to your 15 year old boys bed room, dig around a bit and let me know if its just pot you find... maybe a pipe?? Yes... your 15 year old suburban born son smokes pot...and guess what, he is probly passing around this Depression medicine that a prick like you would put him on.
NOW to address the " Not obeying their regulations,"its people like rachel here who make my life difficult. A complaint here and there and what do you know the law is involved in my job.SO take this for example. The law runs into my club and tells us you cant do, this this this this this this this this this this and this.. Ps. you cant shit here either. What happens is our money drops, leading to alot of us getting freaked out about not being able to pay the morgage, or buy new school close for their kids. So the only customers who are left after you long list of must haves in a business you know nothing about, just made us desprate. SO now instead of just giving a topless dance to some lonley guy, i have to put up with all the other girls who are desprate and going the "extra mile" for the CUSTOMERS we do get!!!!! So you have not only created me a problem, but now you get to deal with that prostitution thing you were ranting about earlier.Not only that, but the laws that were created like..."stay ten feet aways from all customers..." which is an actual law in some states, then gets a girl like me arrested for Prostituiton, or breaking ordinance laws. I get that bad johnny put on my record for life... talking about not being productive in society.
No matter how bad you must think a strip club is, in your perfect,little world of yours, remember.....He who has not sined should throw the first stone mylove.

[toddq138]

rachel, nearly every stripper claims they are going to be going to school to do something better with their lives. A lot of strippers I have known in person (linked up with them on facebook and myspace, etc and keep in touch with) are flaky with it comes to school. I have known one stripper for nearly 10 years and she still talks about going to nursing school but she has yet to finish more than 1 year of schooling. Also another one I know has been talking about going to medical school for the past 5 years but has yet to do it. I know there are some strippers who will follow through with their education but keep in mind that the drop out rate is very high for strippers.

Also most strippers I know struggle to make it through their math 101 community college course. She actually was willing to meet me outside the club for my free tutoring in exchange for a free lap dance. Her homework was stuff like doing calculations with positive and negative numbers. I helped her with her homework and she still ended up failing the math 101 class.

Also out of the dozen or so strippers I know, only 1 of them paid taxes and that was because she needed to have income to get a loan for her house.

Instead of stripping your way through school why not just get a federal loan from the government? Very low interest or maybe if your family income is low enough a subsidized loan so no interest while you are in school. I used loans to get through pharmacy school and paid them off within 3 years of graduation and still lived comfortably and made monthly visits to my favorite strip club during those times..