Side Effects

I was attempting to limit my focus on San Francisco's Prop K to the influence of organized crime on a community where trafficking in prostitution is allowed to run rampant, but the endorsement of Prop K by the San Francisco Democratic Party led me to look into how side effects of trafficking (like racketeering) can corrupt more than morals. While I doubt that the SFDP will post "SF Dems Welcome Organized Crime" on the marquee at their convention, the fact that the city hosts a lot of conventions from which the party gets donations through the still strong local unions, is enough of a connection to not rule it out. Fog City may not be able to compete with Las Vegas in recruiting criminal enterprise to service tourists and conventioneers, but then, why would they want to? Unless the Democrats figure a piece of the action is worth a few thousand adolescent immigrant girls living in slavery in their city.

COYOTE

Ballot measures like Prop K are rarely what they seem. Seeing how one of the proponents is Margo St. James (COYOTE), I gotta ask, what's the real deal? Are madams and pimps behind this proposition trying to cut out payoffs to dirty cops from their take? If so, how high do the payoffs go? And why are high class hookers so willing to sell out their low life sisters?

Knife to Their Throats

The number of prostitutes who are free to join unions, or to quit the industry is miniscule. The majority are either held in slavery or under threat of extreme violence, even death.

The fact that this situation is allowed to exist in the present won't be changed by Prop K. Expecting law enforcement to become more vigorous in protecting underage immigrant girls -- now abused by pimps and traffickers -- just because a handful of upper class prostitutes ask them to, is delusional.

Rights on paper mean nothing to these children with a knife to their throats.

Poverty Pimps

Now we know who stands to benefit from Prop K: pimps (union and non-union), traffickers, and local media promoting prostitution. There are probably a few dirty cops and politicians on the take as well, but we'll stick with the focus on the organized crime aspect for now. Poverty pimping is a big industry, but selling the bodies of the most defenseless humans on earth is about as low as it gets.

Bay Guardian Revenue

I can understand misguided do-gooders and PC poseurs supporting Prop K, but why in the world the San Francisco Bay Guardian would endorse the legalization of child rape is beyond me. As a supposedly progressive newspaper, you’d think the Guardian would have more sense. Maybe they figured opposing sex slavery would negatively impact their ad revenue from pornography and brothels.

Organized Labor Supports Slavery

The defeated Prop K sponsors highlighted an endorsement by Coalition for Labor Union Women, an AFL-CIO organization with national, state and local chapters. Some might reasonably ask why such a group would support the enslavement of women and girls. I can't answer that, but maybe the San Francisco CLUW contact person, Rosa Faye Marshall-Thomas, (510) 658-4988, can.

Prop K Big Mistake

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom discusses a human rights tragedy in his city.