Leave strip clubs alone, Detroit City Council told

[ccharles000]

http://www.freep.com/article/20090923/NEWS01/909230303/1320/Leave-strip-clubs-alone--City-Council-told

DJs, dancers and strip club owners went before the Detroit City Council on Tuesday, asking that the city allow them to continue in the adult entertainment business without additional government oversight.

Many said they are putting themselves through school. Others said they are the only providers for their families. Most said they have no choice but to dance.

"All of us are young. There's nothing else out there. There's no jobs," said Valentina Anderson, who said she is a single parent.

For years the council and city officials have clashed over how to craft ordinances to regulate Detroit's 33 strip clubs.

At issue is an amendment to an ordinance that regulates adult cabarets and the licensing and regulation of sexually oriented businesses. But past attempts to make the changes landed the city in court, the target of lawsuits based on constitutional challenges.

The council hired Tennessee attorney Scott Bergthold, an expert in shutting down strip clubs, as a consultant, for $75,000.

Some provisions of the draft ordinance:

• Requiring dancers to stay at least 6 feet away from patrons on a stage at least 18 inches from the floor in a room that measures at least 600 square feet.

• Prohibiting intentional physical contact between semi-nude employees and patrons, such as lap dances.

• And, requiring employees at sexually oriented business to be licensed, including bartenders and janitors.

[WCGreen]

1. The way I look at it, if men can use their physical assets to play

professional sports, why can't strippers?

[juno jones]

10. Good analogy.

:thumbsup:

[noiretextatique]

15. typically strippers don't make as much football players

so it's really not a very good analogy...at all.

[noiretextatique]

14. yep because strippers make millions of dollars too

:eyes:

[Barack_America]

2. Used to be that the strip clubs were the only money coming into Detroit from the 'burbs. nt

[MidwestRick]

3. The end of lap dances?

BLASPHEMY!!!

[SidDithers]

4. Don't Detroiters just go to Windsor for their strip club fix?...

From what I understand, the rules are much less, ummm, restrictive in Ontario.

Sid

[aikoaiko]

5. yeah, thats the problem with Detroit -- too many strip clubs.

:sarcasm:

[Whisp]

6. I'm not sure...

on the one hand if the strippers make fairly good money at this when there isn't anything else available, or for whatever reason really, then why not. One of the crappiest jobs in the world imho but....

but on the other hand, those skeevy jerks with the hard ons - where do they go and who do they go after to complete their needs? hopefully to the bathroom with The Hand, but....

[Freddie Stubbs]

7. I guess that Detroit has too many sucessful businesses

They have such a surplus that they can feel free to drive a few a dozen.

[sharp_stick]

8. Everybody in Michigan knows that

if you want to go to a strip club you have to cross over to Windsor for the "real" deal

[JVS]

9. What makes Windsor better?

[juno jones]

11. You can actually have a beer while women disrobe.

I confess, I do not know if that's operative in Detroit, but in Sac, CA, the totally nude clubs were alcohol free.

[Festivito]

12. Total nudity. Legal to pay for sex, provided no negotiation in public.

Invite to a room, then ask is the way it's supposedly done.

[juno jones]

13. Interesting.

Thanks, see ya learn somethin' everyday here...