Things You Can Vote on in LA County

"County Measure B: Shall an ordinance be adopted requiring..." is how the reading on the ballot starts. This is one of the Los Angeles County measures that we're voting on, and the beginning is similar to many other county measures on other ballots this November. It's what follows that sets it apart:

"...requiring producers of adult films to obtain a County public health permit, to require adult film performers to use condoms while engaged in sex acts..." Something about the government in the bedroom had me bristling a little bit back when they were collecting signatures. It makes some sort of sense in the realm of economics and what's a taxable thing, I guess, since there will be a product that can generate funds in multiple states, and if it generates a taxable thing, then the government tends to claim they have authority to regulate it. Measure B goes even further:

"...require adult film performers to use condoms while engaged in sex acts, to provide proof of blood borne pathogen training course," to make them post such data and make violators of the ordinance subject to civil fines and criminal charges. I paraphrased there at the end, but I left off the question mark that is necessary when we remember the beginning, "Shall and ordinance be adopted..."

It's known as the Porn Star Measure.

The ordinance would require porn stars to be educated in blood borne pathogens? Can't say that's a particularly bad thing.

I think this measure may be a little late. Isn't the whole world moving to a YouTube mentality, even the porn industry? I read a while back that the pornography was at that time a fourteen-billion dollar a year industry. I don't think that's a realistic projection going forward, though.

How do you regulate people who make bad decisions mixing alcohol with their digital cameras? I don't think you can, and since those people aren't out to make money, I don't think the authority even exists---it's just consenting adults and a film-making device.

I guess that's the heart of who gets effected by Measure B. "Big Porn" get's rocked, leaving the amateurs to Amateur Porn, which would seem still mostly unregulated. Government can't assume they have jurisdiction over consenting adults doing whatever the hell they feel like in the privacy of their own room.

But maybe Big Porn is due for a bit of regulation. Fourteen-billion dollars annually is a lot of cash; that's more than twice NFL money.

Twice the NFL. And then still some more.

So, now, shall we require them to wear condoms and learn about blood borne pathogens? That doesn't seem like it will even cost too much, besides setting up, and checking up on, the database.

"Rocked" doesn't seem like an accurate description of how Big Porn will be effected. And even the people out collecting signatures spoke of how Measure B enjoys wide support from industry brass as well as the rank and file.



Yup...this is my county and her votables...