"This is a slavery brothel."

I applaud Mayor Newsom for being willing to call a spade a spade. Nowhere where they have decriminalized prostitution has it been shown to do any of the "positive" things proponents say it would. Instead countries in Europe that decriminalized the prostition of women are now trying to reverse those laws having seen what that decision really meant. Rhode Island says that prostitution is legal as long as it occurs between two consenting adults. But RI has become a haven for pimps wanting to force women into prostitution. (Bet the Proposition in SF doesn't tell voters that.)

Last week the FBI did a massive raid on brothels in the U.S. All the women under 17 were considered victims (which they are) because they law says they are (anyone under 18 being prostituted is considered trafficked). Those who were 18 and above were treated as criminals, thrown into jail, charaged with a crime. So once you turn 18 suddenly you want this lifestyle? Does that make sense to you?

I hope this Propostion does not pass. Logically it should not. But as the Mayor said, "We're worried it's going to pass."

The whole thing makes me sick, and to be honest, terribly sad.

From PoltickerCA

San Francisco's prostitution decriminalization measure begins to draw national attention

By JEFF MITCHELL, PolitickerCA.com Editor

SAN FRANCISCO - Proposition K, the municipal measure that proposes to decriminalize prostitution in San Francisco, has begun to draw the attention of national news outlets and that in turn is turning out local politicians in increasing numbers.

The measure, which has been discussed on the national cable news channels this week, saw

Mayor Gavin Newsom hold a press conference Wednesday outside of an infamous Tenderloin message parlor.

Newsom said that he was present during a 2005 police raid of the parlor when he saw the rape of an underage girl in process.

"What I saw was a rape," because the girl wasn't old enough to consent, Newsom said during a press conference later reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. "Behind me, what you see is a slavery camp. This is a slavery brothel."

Although it would not impact existing state anti-prostitution laws, Newsom and District Attorney Kamala Harris have both urged voters to defeat the measure in the name of slowing sex trafficking and public safety.

If approved, the measure, which has received the official endorsement of the local Democratic Party Central Committee, would require San Francisco authorities to stop spending resources on arresting prostitutes and their clients within city limits.

Proponents of the measure say it could save the city as much as $11 million a year.

During Wednesday's press conference and other similar recent meetings Harris said Prop. K would embolden pimps and thwart the ability of authorities to investigate human trafficking. Proponents have characterized Harris' comments as "scare tactics."

Newsom said that he is concerned that given the city's classic left-of-liberal electorate, the measure could possibly pass.

"The reason we're doing this, candidly, is we're worried it's going to pass," Newsom said in the Chronicle report of the press conference. "I didn't believe it could possibly pass a few months ago, and now there's real concern that it might. And we will regret the day that we made that decision."

JEFF MITCHELL is a PolitickerCA.com Editor and can be reached via email at jeff.mitchell@politickerca.com .