Delaware County special licensing for "sexually oriented businesses"

[mtnester]

Paging Mongo. What the HELL did I just see about Delaware County? Special licensing for the owners ($250.00 per) PLUS every employee of the business has to license themselves for $100.00 each, and give up their personal information to the city for their files (home addresses, phone numbers, etc.)

WTF? How can you ask EMPLOYEES to apply for a license to WORK somewhere (they are not doctors, lawyers, etc. who require specialized training and licensing procedures)

[NorCalDem]

1. Welcome to Fascism

for the 21st Century. 20th Century Jobs, 14th Century mentality :)

[htuttle]

2. So, they're treating them like taxi drivers, bartenders and beauticians?

There are a lot of jobs that require special municipal or state licenses -- not just doctors and lawyers.

:shrug:

[mtnester]

3. I getcha...but you know that is not the point on this one

the story on channel 10 was so that this could reduce prostitution, illicit drugs, etc. around the sexually oriented businesses. The City of Delaware felt that by requiring even regular Joe Shmo employees to pay for a license to run a cash register, and list off their personal information for them to keep on file, they could make sure to be able to keep tabs on their whereabouts and activities. Not my words, paraphrasing the words of City of Delaware officials in their interview.

[mongo]

5. Maybe they can get away with this in the case of strippers -

but if a business is retail only, how can it be fair and constitutional to require my employees to have a license, but not Wal-mart?

And also there are health and safety concerns with taxi drivers, bartenders and even beauticians - a public interest in licensing them.

Where is the public interest with my employees or exotic dancers?

Just another chip in the wall of separation between church and state.

[htuttle]

7. I agree -- I can see licensing strippers, but not cashiers

Strippers should have to be aware of a number of municipal ordinances regulating their trade, much as taxi drivers and bartenders. What they are allowed to do, what they are not allowed to do, "where the line is" regarding 'lewd and lacivious conduct', etc...

As far as health testing, that's a good question. Theoretically, it shouldn't be necessary at all, since they're supposed to be dancers, not prostitutes. Most cities have some sort of law prohibiting the sort of contact between dancers and customers that would pass on STDs, for example.

On the other hand, here in WI, bartenders need to get STD tests for their licenses. Once bartender I knew once wondered, "What do they think we are stirring the drinks with?" So maybe it wouldn't be so outrageous to test exotic dancers for STDs. On the other hand yet again, taxi drivers don't need any health tests, not even for TB.

However, you are definitely right about cashiers. There's no reason I can see treating the employees of an adult bookstore any differently than those of a WalMart (though one would hope they'd get paid better at the adult bookstore).

I think most of these special municipal licensing laws get their start from city officials trying to solve very specific issues during their term (like trying to shut down a particular establishment), however the laws stick around for much longer.

For example, in the case of taxi drivers, most cities didn't regulate them much at all until the 1920's and 30's when the mob started running so much of the taxi business in Chicago and New York. That's why taxi drivers usually need background checks, fingerprints and photos on file, etc... There are still weird laws on the books that stem from that period. In Chicago, for example, there was/is a law (unenforced nowdays, I'm sure) that taxicabs are required to have a see-through grill in the trunk to allow police officers following them to verify that they are not transporting a dead body....(this one is certainly due to Capone).

The often byzantine liquor licensing laws in most cities are another testament to this tendency.

[mongo]

4. First I have seen of this.

But I believe that these liscensing laws have been struck down elsewhere.

Did you see my related thread on the Ohio bill that would make this the norm? http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=172x6252

I'm suprised that they didn't also require STD testing for their employees. Thanks for the heads-up. I will be looking into this today.

[mongo]

6. I haven't found anything about this on the web.

But I can guess why this is coming:

Adult-Oriented Business Could Open Near Residential Area
Fast-Growing Suburb Unhappy With Plans

UPDATED: 10:34 am EDT April 29, 2005

LEWIS CENTER, Ohio -- Residents in Orange Township, in southern Delaware County, might soon have an unwanted new neighbor, NBC 4's David Wayne reported.

Pricilla's, an adult-oriented chain of stores, wants to open an outlet on U.S. Route 23, similar to a location located on Brice Road in Columbus.

The store would be located about ¼ mile from a new subdivision, Wayne reported.

"I guess I'm kind of against it," said nearby resident Vicki Driver. "You pay more for a nicer area and then have to deal with the riff-raff that may come and go."

http://www.nbc4i.com/news/4430334/detail.html

Riff-raff - yeah sure right. Pricilla's is about as nice of a chain as there is. More into the lingerie/shoe side than movies. More like an Ambiance (for you northern OH folks) - than a Lion's Den.

If anyone finds any of this in print, please let me know. Thanks.

[mtnester]

8. Mongo, it was a quick story on Channel 10, I was walking through

living room and it caught my ear, so I listened to the last part of it. The film footage was from a city/village, and it definitely mentioned Delaware county commissioners. I for sure heard the fees. It was one of those things that you are half listening to, but as your outrage grows, you still don't get the whole thing...maybe the local This Week paper that comes out next week (Delaware edition) will have something?