New Law Could Force Detroit Clubs to Shut Down (or something like that)

38 comments

• Papi_Chulo

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  8 years ago

  If this is the case then it's obvious they wanna kill off the strip-clubs in Detorit
• gawker

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  8 years ago

  One wonders what motivates politicians to take such a stance. I suppose it's the old theory that crime follows where strip clubs are located. I think it's also big fish in a small pool being hypocrites
• ReiDetroit

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  8 years ago

  Each cabaret card costs about $175/year. That is so much money the city could lose. There are a lot of crime ridden clubs though. Erotic City was shut down in Feb. or March due to, basically, drugs and crime going in and out of that place. I heard "the feds" were involved in one of the "inspections" last month. Nobody would tell me which "feds" or why though, so I assumed it was a rumor and nothing more.
• Hugh_G_Rection

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  8 years ago

  So far I think we are just talking about the city (for now). All of what REI just said- they get a fair amount of revenue on the license fees, I imagine that if the Feds were involved it would either be about drugs or human trafficking/underage girls. I'm hoping that the city, being greedy for fines and fees, will back down somewhat AFTER the elections and this is mostly the general dog and pony show.
• vincemichaels

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  8 years ago

  The asshole politicians every election cycle pull this shit. They pass a new law, it affects the clubs for a while. Back in the mid-90's the clubs almost went out of business. They came back, a few years later, they passed another law, it changed things, now they will probably do it again. The clubs will come back. We just go to the other Wayne county clubs for awhile. Oh well, here we go again.
• Darkblue999

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  8 years ago

  Now what is left for liberal touching..South Florida , Texas ,Philly and California clubs??
• Htxx

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  8 years ago

  Vince is right. All this will do is make the clubs in Dearborn & inkster etc more popular and attract better dancers. More competition for the same dollars equals a win for the customers! It'll all shift back to normal eventually
• skibum609

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  8 years ago

  Tell me more Progressives about how diverse and multi-cultural all y'all happen to be? Typical Blue State bullshit.
• Dominic77

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  8 years ago

  The states aren't blue be used they're Progressive. They're blue because they are working class and historically unionized labor. It anything they far from involved (Progressive) they just want to work, earn a living wage, and go home to their families.
  
  These local government crack down on strip clubs affects both blue and red areas. Hell, we can't even touch the dancers here nor can they show much skin. And yet the Sun also rises.
• shailynn

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  8 years ago

  It seems to happen every election cycle, people talk about increased policing of strip clubs and the general public is afraid to spend money.
  
  Like usual, after the first of the year things get back to normal for the vast majority of people regardless of who enters office.
  
  Side note to OP, I remember hearing something similar about 6-7 months ago while I was at an 8 mile club. Covering their butts while off stage and much more tame dances in the VIP (because enforcement came in and wrote some tickets). I returned maybe a month later and everything was back to normal.
• NinaBambina

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  8 years ago

  ReiDetroit - thanks for posting. The revenue we bring to the city (even solely in "cabaret licenses") is one of the key issues I am going to bring up to the City Counsel. Theoretically, if they were to shut down clubs, would we all get reimbursed for the cabaret licenses we bought the past year? Will they pro-rate it for those who got their licenses 6+ months ago? Or will they just rob us of our money that we paid for to be able to work in this city.
  
  Also, I have to voice my opinion about the pointless tickets given out to girls who are not even doing anything relating to sex... as someone who is going to have to apply to the bar association to even take the exam and then have my application include them searching for any past tickets or police reports, a ticket for soliciting prostitution is not something I need on my record.
  
  I'm going to consult with the lawyer I work for about this via text, and see what other points he finds important to express to the counsel, if they will even hear me out.
• NinaBambina

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  8 years ago

  Also I calculated the cost of dance cards x the number of employees, left room for error since not ALL have their cabaret license, but the figure is still around one million dollars a year in revenue to the city that we pay them. Are they willing to use money they don't have to reimburse us? This is insane.
• ATACdawg

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  8 years ago

  The cabaret licenses are just the tip of a very large iceberg. What about all of the women, including single mothers, whose income will be severely curtailed, if not totally lost if their jobs are lost. Many of these women will be unceremoniously dumped into the welfare system. This will be a lot more expensive than license fees, for a state and city that can ill afford it.
• ReiDetroit

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  8 years ago

  Nina,
  
  Since we work together, have you seen the info about this in the locker room? There was a mass text sent out last night and our day shift manager is organizing for those interested to meet at work and walk over to the courthouse Monday morning. If I don't see you this weekend at work, message me on Facebook if you want the info for Monday (if you want to head over with us). :)
  
  Also, were you there during the last two raids? I don't remember. During the last one, only one girl was ticketed and it was for just BEING in vip. A customer was back there but they were far away apart and she was covered and clothed, so her ticket should not have even been written.
• Tiredtraveler

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  8 years ago

  Politicians are always do as I say not as I do.
  Politicians are possessed or diseased egomaniacs that think they have the right to tell everyone how to live.
  For dancers, it is their body and they should be able to dance if they want and for men, we should be able to spend our money on them if we wish. The girls are earning a living!
  I have no problem with limiting locations away from schools etc but i resent some politico dictating morality for personal gain.
  The real problem is all politicians are hypocrites since they do not believe in what they do they do it to gain power by pandering.
  If the people of an area really do not want a strip club it will go out of business due to lack of patronage!
• vincemichaels

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  8 years ago

  Let's not forget Charles Pugh, the former Detroit councilman now on trial for sexually molesting teenage boys. Hypocritical creep !!
• georgebailey

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  8 years ago

  We are ALL hypocrites in some way. Being quick to judge is self-serving. As long as someone isn't hurting someone else, we should mind our business. Why not zone areas for clubs, and put them in safe places
• vincemichaels

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  8 years ago

  Yes, I agree, georgebailey. Humans, all are hypocricitical at one time or another. Zoning restrictions can be a good thing. Colisesum is a club to note. Placed in an industrial section of East 8 mile, with that hilarious helicopter pad in the back end of the club. It harms no neighborhood. Detroit has plenty of vacant land. The Penthouse Club on the West end of 8 Mile has the neighboring residents up in arms. Cie la vie.
• whodey

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  8 years ago

  Are there really 7,000 people that work in strip clubs in Detroit? If so, can Detroit really afford to lose an industry that large? Last I heard Detroit was barely hanging on financially so I would think loosing this many jobs would be fatal to the economy.
• Papi_Chulo

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  8 years ago

  How about all the PLs that come-in from out of town (especially from surrounding lame SC states) that add a decent sum to the local economy (hotel rentals, csr-rentals, meals at restaurants, etc) - it's not as if there are a whole bunch of other reasons to visit Detroit
• vincemichaels

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  8 years ago

  It's politics, plain and simple. As I've said before, it's election time. City council isn't up for election I think. The politicians are grandstanding once again. Papi, downtown Detroit and the riverfront are recovering nicely, We have plenty of historic places to visit. We have new football and baseball stadiums A brand spanking new hockey stadium will be open next year. People visit us for many, reasons. I believe most of the out of town mongers stay at hotels and motels in the surrounding suburbs. Crime is indeed a problem for unfortunates in the city. Most of it is black to black related crimes. I don't deny crime exists, Detroit is an old city, with a mostly black population, but the downtown lofts and apartments attract young professionals of all races. I live in the far Northeast suburbs these days My first owned home was on the East side of Detroit. I have a lot of experience. My house was broken into 6 times while I lived there in the 80's. We had a saying. If you want anything, go to Chandler Park Drive. :( We had nice, stately homes, it is a beautiful residential street. I bought it because I got more house for the money than I could in the suburbs. Where I live now, is a nice residential street also. My apartment is in a newly renovated apartment building set back in the woods. It's quite peaceful. I like it. Detroit is my hometown. I love the old lady.
• georgebailey

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  8 years ago

  
  VM my story mirrors your own except the west side. You called it exactly. Detroit has a long way.
  
  As the city center develops, and it is booming, rents will continue to rise and drive out the indigenous trash. Just like Manhattan. In the future people will lament about the good old days (that were horrible).
  
  Detroit's incredible. If you ignore the bad shit. I doubt the strip club mecca will hold on forever guys. It's just a matter of time before we pass prime.
• vincemichaels

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  8 years ago

  Yes, the 67 riots caused a tumultuous change as whites fled to the suburbs. My former neighborhood on the East side, if you drive South several streets, entire blocks have maybe one house on the street. The others got burned as vacant properties left by residents leaving, the city went through and tore them down. Huge areas are like that, it is unreal to view. Detroit won't ever be what it was, but that's life.
  
• ReiDetroit

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  8 years ago

  There really is so much more to Detroit than what the media portrays. Downtown is a beautiful area (with a lot of awful drivers though lol). The crime that is reported in the media is usually in the same geographical areas. Serious crime in downtown is rare or goes unreported. At worst, homeless and panhandlers yell atnypu for not giving them money. Cat callers all over in downtown. I'm armed when I'm out and about, but I also never give anybithe opportunity to bother me either. When I say good things about Detroit, I'm saying them about downtown. This city really does suck. It sicks so bad, it uses its teeth with barely any lube (haha). Given all of the revenue gained from cabaret licenses, the city would be making a HUGE mistake of they were to close down or abolish SCs.
  I'm attending that meeting on Monday with managers, staff, and dancers from my club. I'm not sure if other clubs will be making themselves known at the meeting. However, I will report backwith news if there is anything to report on.
  
  Also, so Detroit guys know, all of the clubs with curtains and VIP booths received notices from the city to either close down for business or take down the curtains/walls. This is why curtains are disappearing and VIPs are opening up in most clubs. Some clubs (like mine) were grandfathered into the law. Clubs that opened after these laws were established are the primary targets.
• ReiDetroit

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  8 years ago

  Omg, I hate using mobile. Apologies for my typos.
  *yell at you
  *anybody
  *it sucks
• vincemichaels

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  8 years ago

  LOL, ReiDetroit, that's one of many reasons I don't have a smart phone. Good luck at the meeting, I won't be there.
• DrStab

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  8 years ago

  I've said it often: Because of its problems, Detroit should make itself the Amsterdam of America. Strip clubs, brothels, legal marijuana. Regulated, taxed and managed. Instead, with the boneheads running the state, it probably will be the last state to legalize weed (and we know someday it will be totally legal), and they are chasing the strip clubs out of town. Idiots.
• vincemichaels

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  8 years ago

  Detroit has a rich history of black churches. The parishioners don't like living next to strip clubs. I don't think we need to go as far as DrStab suggests. It sure would be interesting. I don't think we need those problems, Detroit is a fine old city reestablishing itself as one of the big cities of America. It won't be what it was, but what is. Don't get me started on the governor, the asshole who fell asleep on the switch about Flint River water.
• Papi_Chulo

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  8 years ago

  Strip-clubs are an easy scapegoat for politicians, religious conservatives, and liberals
• maho

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  8 years ago

  Think I've read that Penthouse and Coliseum are like 2 of the top venues in the state of Michigan in liquor sales. In addition to taxes PHC and Coli places pay, someone is making a lot of money on the liquor sales.
  
  Part of me wishes the high end clubs would be left alone. If they make an effort to keep trouble away from their clubs, are considerate to the surrounding neighbors, ect, then why bother them.
  
  As an out of state SC visitor, my SC visits the last 6 months or so have almost strictly been outside of Detroit City Limits - i.e. Flight Club.
• jester214

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  8 years ago

  I listened to a bit of the meeting on the internet.
  
  I almost felt bad for the council members trying to explain to a bunch of slackjaws that this ordinance wasn't going to shut down all the strip clubs in Detroit.
• vincemichaels

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  8 years ago

  Dang, I didn't know it was broadcast on the net, jester214. Did council vote to pass an ordinance ?
  
• jester214

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  8 years ago

  I wasn't paying 100% attention but as I understood it. They postponed it for a couple of weeks. If I got it right the legal beagles want to amend the proposed amendment, possibly to assuage people concerns, but I'm not sure I got the 'why' right.
  
  Basically the city wants the option to be able to ask a judge to shut down a club temporarily if there is a protracted legal battle over permanently shutting down the club.
• ReiDetroit

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  8 years ago

  Here is the footage from the meeting: http://www.detroitmi.gov/Government/City…
• vincemichaels

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  8 years ago

  Thanks, ReiDetroit.
• georgebailey

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  8 years ago

  I watched a little and I think next hearing is 11/7
• Tiburon

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  8 years ago

  Huh, well guess I won't be going to Detroit any time soon. And I just got my Navigator too
• Tiburon

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  8 years ago

  I mean Pathfinder