Comments on: The IRS versus Pimps

By: michael

michael — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 16:29:14 +0000

In most public oriented businesses it is the 'talent' that makes the money. I understand the pimps make the biggest share here. Is that like traditional?

By: Mac

Mac — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 13:28:12 +0000

If governments actually cared about the victims of sex trafficking, the logical thing to do would be to legalize and regulate prostitution.

ROTFLMAO...

Nobody ever needs to wonder why libertarians just simply CANNOT be taken seriously. Really.

All together now : FREE MARKET EXTREMISTS

Socialist Utopians indeed.

By: Joe Kristan

Joe Kristan — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 04:26:53 +0000

The IRS already has all of the legal tools it needs to go after tax-evading pimps. This just makes pimp tax evasion some sort of super-tax-crime. Al Capone went away without his own special tax statute.

If this gets enacted, we'll see whatever crime is currently featured on Oprah get its own special tax penalty. And the crimes will continue, and the politicians will go on to other things.

By: Kip Watson

Kip Watson — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 03:41:33 +0000

A disastrous idea.

We have legalised prostitution here in Australia, and believe me it has *not* reduced the level or severity of this insidious problem. All it has has done is made the organised crime element that runs all these operations more entrenched and given them a cover behind which to hide, and through which to launder the profits, of their other criminal activities.

"Why does reality so stubbornly refuse to conform to my beautiful theories" the libertarian laments (echoing the socialist utopian of a previous generation).

By: Iowa Voice

Iowa Voice — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 01:15:15 +0000

Grassley Wants IRS To Go After Pimps...

I must say, this is the most bizarre thing I've ever seen out of an Iowa politician...and that's saying a lot:

Pimps and sex traffickers could soon find themselves being chased by tax collectors, not just the vice squad.

Sen. Charles Grassley, ...

By: yetanotherjohn

yetanotherjohn — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 21:48:10 +0000

Perhaps you should link to the Brazilian hooker article in gone Hollywood.

Of course the use of the IRS to delve into people's bedroom habits would be stopped by eliminating the income tax.

By: Michael Demmons

Michael Demmons — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 20:30:55 +0000

Enact the FairTax - problem goes away.

By: Bithead

Bithead — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 14:53:13 +0000

I will quietly remind the room of the mechenism used to pull down Al Capone:

Tax evasion.

By: Alex Knapp

Alex Knapp — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 13:18:07 +0000

Hey, a two-tiered system is still better than the one tier system we have now. Legalization won't make everything perfect, but it will make it better.

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 12:27:47 +0000

A goup of us who pretty much cover the political spectrum from left to right were discussing this at dinner last night. While everyone agreed this particular effort was little more than grandstanding, there certainly is precedent for going after unreported income (prohibition, war on drugs, etc.)

I'm not convinced, though, that legalization and regulation is the panacea that some seem to think. Making prostitution a legal enterprise is not going to ensure that all prostitutes are of legal age and/or healthy. It would simply ensure that there would be a two-tiered system. As a friend who travels to Amsterdam rather often noted, you can spend the money in the legitimate red-light district or, if one is low on cash, there are always free-lancers in the train station that are much cheaper.

By: Matt's Musings on Politics and Policy

Matt's Musings on Politics and Policy — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

It's pure politicking: Apparently, Senator Grassley thinks that the IRS can and should effectively crack down on prostitution. I completely agree with this:

By: Video Feeds | NashvillesNews

Video Feeds | NashvillesNews — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY looks at Congress's effort to tax pimps: "Wouldnt that money be better spent on law enforcement agencies that actually have a prayer of shutting them down? This is pandering at its finesta pretty bandage that does zero to solve the underlying problem."