Progress Ohio | Angelina Spencer's Blog: Dictating CCV's Agenda Isn't the Fix for Ohio

Dictating CCV's Agenda Isn't the Fix for Ohio

By Angelina Spencer - Oct 21st, 2007 at 12:07 pm EDT

Comments | Mail to a Friend

Categories: Action Alerts, Budget Priorities, Civil Liberties/Privacy, Consumer and Worker Protection, Corporate Accountability / Workers' Rights, Economic Fairness and Security, Civil Rights and Equality, Social Justice, Arts and Culture, Criminal Justice Reform, Faith and Religion, GLBT Issues, Women's Issues, Workers' Rights

The recent brouhaha over the "strip club law" follows closely on the heals of the smoking ban, the gambling ban and is being followed up with the ban on "skill games".

I've heard all the arguments for banning adult entertainment and forcing midnight closure and "no touch" provisions. Most notably, the contention that adult entertainment restrictions are needed to help law enforcement fight crime and to protect our families.

I must say, I doubt that the adult entertainment industry meets regularly to plot the demise of the Ohio family, or for that matter...to destroy Ohio. I also doubt that our law enforcement officers needed a ban on handshakes in clubs to help them lower crime in the streets. Where do we live? Ohioghan?

Don't get me wrong. I do not advocate what the CCV claims is "unregulated sexual activity" in adult business. That's their lie to the public. This industry welcomes fair regulation just like any other industry. What we do not support is the CCV wasting tax money and law enforcement resources to demean women and promote their "Ohioghan" agenda, which is strict conformity to their brand of morality.

I want to see Ohio become the strong state it once was in terms of job growth and economics...but is catering to the self-appointed promoters of censorship going to save us from high unemployment rates, polluted water, home mortgage foreclosures and this state's lack of growth?

Where is the CCV's next stop? This state has a lot of taverns. And unfortunately, we also have alcoholics in Ohio. Perhaps we should allow the CCV to ban alcohol in order to "save" the alcoholics...then we could ban prescription drugs in pharmacies because some people "look" like they could be prescription drug abusers. We could have the police arrest people for handshakes, prescriptions and alcohol...and ignore those nice people on the streets toting illegal handguns and terrorizing neighborhoods.

When the CCV decides to host their next agenda in our statehouse, whether it be a ban on birth control, a ban on gay adoption, a ban on Victoria's Secret or baggy pants...or a ban on any matter of personal taste you may have...we can blame oursleves for giving them the keys.

A Vote NO on Issue 1 is a VOTE to stop this madness.

Reader Comments	Comments RSS
Comments are closed for this post.

Who's demeaning women?

By OHliz Oct 21st 2007 at 7:26 pm EDT

You are out of touch and out of time.

Re: Dictating CCV's Agenda

By DJ Oct 21st 2007 at 9:58 pm EDT

You might want to update yourself on the latest news because the vote is not going to happen...there wasn't enough valid signatures to be put on the ballot. There is the court option, though, which I believe will take some time. But I do see your point on CCV...first the gay marriage thing, then the stripper thing. They think they're doing good, but they are only complicating matters and making life worse for many affected by what they have done. Maybe a counter group to CCV should be in the offing as opposed to the initiative-by-initiative thing done to oppose their efforts so far.

Hypocrites!!!

By Doug Oct 21st 2007 at 10:54 pm EDT

The conservatives say they believe in "small" government but each faction of conservatism doesn't hesitate to use the power of government to achieve their agenda.

The CCV theocons use the power of govt. to push through Taliban-type laws. And, the big business cons use the power of govt. to give the rights of personhood to corporations.

we did ourselves in

By User from Columbus, OH Oct 22nd 2007 at 4:53 am EDT

We knew that this law had passed back in June and sat on our asses waiting for BACE to tell us their master plan. At the end of July Graig Flaig from the Night Vision magazine went around to the clubs with the petitions and voter registration forms. At this time we have already wasted half the time we had to get petitions filled and voters registered. In the meantime BACE hires the Craig Group to collect signatures for the referendum at a dollar a signature.
All in all between the clubs, bookstores, and Craigs Group we believe we have enough signatures to get this on the ballot in November, but what happens one out of three signatures are thrown out because people wrote names out of phone books, had people sign who were not registered voters and so on. Next we hire a temp company at ten dollars an hour and guess what, the majority of these signatures are void,
Now everyone wants to moan and piss because the law went into effect on the seventeenth and all these people are losing their jobs. Well that part is true people are losing their jobs, a lot of people and many of them are going to be going on welfare, public aid or whatever you want to call it because lets face it what else do they know to do except dance, tend bar, or bounce.
Let us face it people, we dropped the ball, we should have been out collecting signatures and registering voters ourselves. Now we have to wait until November 16 to see how another federal judge is going to interpret the law. It's convenient that it's a week after the election but I can't blame them for waiting since it would be political suicide to be the one to support lap dances.

Re: we did ourselves in

By OHliz Oct 22nd 2007 at 9:10 am EDT

Interesting to hear your POV, Columbus. Thanks for writing.
What idiot decided to pursue this cause with conservative Ohio voters? I imagine Tony Soprano, Paulie, Phil Leotardo, Big Pussy and the rest of the gang at the Bada Bing put their heads together on this one.

Re: we did ourselves in

By User from Circleville, OH Oct 22nd 2007 at 9:48 am EDT

I would have to agree. For the past few months when I was visiting my favorite club, I would talk to the dancers about the upcoming law. It was shocking to hear that many of them had no idea what I was talking about. Even after explaining what the law meant, to the best of my ability, I don't think they really understood or got it, and now they are literally crying the blues. It seems like there was a real lack of communication and lack of getting the word out as to what this law really meant. Its interesting to hear that 'Night Vision' had the petitions out in the clubs early this summer, because on several occasions I asked about them and they weren't there, at least in the club I frequent. So I would definetly have to agree, that at least in part, "they did themselves in". Now all hope is put on a federal judge, one who has probably been appointed by our illustrious Republican president. All I can say is good luck on that one.

It's Not Over

By Daily Outrage Oct 22nd 2007 at 3:28 pm EDT

I've been reading the comments about the status of the strip club referendum. The final arbiter is NOT the federal court.

There still is a chance that Issue 1 could be on the ballot. The Vote NO side has cases pending in the state and local courts that are designed to get them on the ballot next months.

It's also too early for all of the finger-pointing. Those of us who support free expression and oppose the right wing should focus our energy on fighting our opponents.

Re: It's Not Over

By OHliz Oct 22nd 2007 at 4:24 pm EDT

Free expression? What's free about commercial lap dancing?

Re: It's Not Over

By User from Columbus, OH Nov 2nd 2007 at 9:22 am EDT

Is this really a matter of free expression? The problem is that regardless of your moral opinion of exotic dancers, it is a profession, and is being disregarded as one. A profession where women with little education can make lots of money. It is the government's duty to protect these jobs and these women. You want to make strip clubs better?? Safer? Make them better and safer for the women who work there by allowing the women to make decisions about what benefits them. This new law is blatant discrimination against a type of profession and largely against women getting paid!

The Bossman says it's 'free expression'

By OHliz Nov 2nd 2007 at 9:37 am EDT

Today The Dispatch quotes Luke Liakos, manager of a Dayton-area adult club and president of the Buckeye Association of Club Executives as saying the mission of Issue 1 "was the preservation of free expression and free enterprise."

I look forward to the day when stripper is not the best paying job a 20-something woman can get.

ProgressOhio