Dennis Hof, Moonlight Bunny Ranch Owner, Wants Prostitution Legalized To Help Save Us From Fiscal Cliff
"There's no business like ho business."
So said Dennis Hof, owner of Nevada's Moonlight Bunny Ranch. He told The Huffington Post that the federal government would do well to cut itself in on the "recession proof" business of prostitution by legalizing and taxing it.
"I pay about $350,000 a year in taxes," Hof said. "The government can have that money or they can spend a fortune on a vice squad. I can support my community or I can take away from the community by having an illegal sex trade."
Hof said the prospect of legalizing prostitution and marijuana should be on the table in the ongoing negotiations over the fiscal cliff, a combination of tax hikes and spending cuts that, economists said, could plunge the country back into recession.
The Christian Post reports that $30 billion a year is spent worldwide on prostitution. That's money that will be spent, whether selling sex is legal or not, Hof said.
"People are making billions on the sex trade in America and no government is making any money off of it, except in some places in Nevada," Hof said. "You can't stop it. Prohibition doesn't work and legalization can solve a lot of our problems."
Hof said he's frustrated by lawmakers' inability to compromise on a deal that would prevent the country from going over the cliff.
"The bottom line is, politicians work for us," Hof said. "It's time to tell our employees to get it together. We need to let these people know, do the right thing or you're getting fired."
If they are legalizing pot (not that I personally care for that) – why not legalize something that much more people are interested in and have been since the beginning of time.
Good point, Papi. I would have thought MJ legalization was 20 or 30 years off even just four years ago. Right now I feel legalization of prostitution is 20 to 30 years off, maybe this one will just be four years off?
What are the rules for saying when its taxable proceeds from prostitution, or a gift to a lover? Is it fair for the government to take a piece of the $20 some aging streetwalker gets for a BJ, but the Anna Nicole Smiths make tens of millions and don't pay a dime of tax?
It is called manipulation of the Tax Code. Those that can afford to buy the best manipulators, pay the least. I have no idea whether dancers accurately report income to the IRS. I doubt they buy the services of the Tax Code manipulators.
Hof's numbers intrigued me. I am assuming that Hof is talking corporate taxes when he mentions paying a tax bill of $350K. In Nevada that would suggest a profit of $1MM reported to IRS. There must obviously be great opportunity for skimming in the bordello business but, even so, this does not seem like such a sweet business profit-wise.
I can imagine grief and frustration for the operator of a bordello just to generate such a paltry profit as this.
I will happily stick to flogging hydrocarbons in Canada. Profit margins are much juicier than bordellos and corporate taxes are lower.
Art, probably his girls are independent contractors and he has only a few employees. Not much profit sharing there. He's clearing something as personal income (salary, who knows what), and $650k as business income after taxes. Are you sniffing at that? LOL!
While Federal law may trump State law, the constitution provides for States rights. IMO, regarding the legalization of pot, the Feds are violating States rights regarding their citizens.
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last commentI can imagine grief and frustration for the operator of a bordello just to generate such a paltry profit as this.
I will happily stick to flogging hydrocarbons in Canada. Profit margins are much juicier than bordellos and corporate taxes are lower.
My jaw kind of hit the floor when art told me how many oil futures contract his was into.