Vice

[R. August Croen]

I'm going to toss this idea out because, if nothing else, it might lead to a lively discussion.

For several years, Las Vegas tried to market itself as a great place to take the family. The town almost went bankrupt with that approach. Recently, they changed their strategy and returned to marketing themselves as an adult playground. Business took off.

Places (like my own hometown) that call themselves a "great place to raise your kids" are going under. Places that allow adults to do adult things are packing in the tourists.

Should SC move to permit gambling, prostitution, and perhaps even marijuana? This state could become the Amsterdam of the United States that way. Or should it continue being a great place for decent people to raise their children, even if that means becoming just another sleepy little state with a worsening economy and a dwindling tax base?

I'm not really taking a position on this idea one way or the other. I'm only asking.

-RAC

[Anonymous]

This is an easy one: No.

I hate that SC is so backward and seemingly so proud of being so backward, but I don't want sin city either.

[R. August Croen]

I don't either, and I'm not espousing any particular course of action, but I respectfully submit that you already have "sin city" here anyway. Everyplace does. It just remains underground where the profits are untaxed and the activities go on unregulated. And in some places, the cops are in on the action.

Years ago, Dennis Miller made a good observation on Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update." He said (paraphrase), "A recent study of New Jersey prostitutes has shown over ninety percent of them to be infected with the AIDS virus. Compare that figure to Nevada, where prostitutes are licensed and regularly tested, with zero percent. The moral of this story? If you really want to gamble, go to New Jersey."

Me, I couldn't care less. I'm one of those guys who would develop psychological impotence over paying for it. But maybe this will give folks pause for thought regarding the unintended consequence of trying to forbid certain adult behaviors.

Having your husband turn out to be a whoremonger could lead to a broken home. Having your husband turn out to be an AIDS-ridden whoremonger could lead to broken bodies... yours, and your kids'.

Which is worse?

[DixieChic]

The problem with SC is it talks out of both sides of its mouth. It says all of those things are illegal but if you know the right people then you don't have to worry about that. Our politicians are too busy taking care of themselves and their buddies. Precious few care about the people of this state. All of those thing have been going on since the state began and the only people who get caught are the ones who don't know the right people. : :help: :rant:

[Anonymous]

DixieChic: "The problem with SC is it talks out of both sides of its mouth. It says all of those things are illegal but if you know the right people then you don't have to worry about that..."

Heck, that's everywhere in the U.S., especially at the Federal level. I'm new here, so maybe I've got a newbie's dumb enthusiasm, but one of the things I've seen here that I like is that South Carolinians actually raise their voices against that sort of thing. I've seen it in your media, even in Columbia's TV news.

Where I come from, the media are thoroughly in bed with the Powers that Be. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. You need to vote in this tax hike "For The Future Of Our City," or "For The Children." And the prevailing attitude of the general public is, "That's the way it's always been, and that's the way it will always be." Apathy is rampant, and the steady beat of corporate and government propaganda provides the background music.

The South has proved resistant to all sorts of "progressive," Big Government schemes--sometimes to its detriment, as in the case of segregation--but more often to less controversial bureaucratic empowerments that are largely embraced and accepted where I came from. Y'all do yourselves credit with that attitude.

People here can still be outraged by Big Brother's abuses of power. A lot of places aren't so lucky.

[R. August Croen]

I wrote the above. This is the second time this is happened: I logged in; I made certain of that; I pulled up a "reply" window to respond; I disconnected from my ISP so I could still receive phone calls while I wrote; I did not log out. When I was finished writing, I reconnected and hit the "submit" button.

In all the other BBS systems I've used, that should work. The cookie should remain active. The system should still know who I am.

But it doesn't.

Anyway, sorry. That was me. :oops:

[Fred C. Dobbs]

I'm all for it.

Bring in the graft and the gambling. Hookers and dopers.

Have our wifes and daughters wearing those tiny, short skirts and they can serve the free drinks in the casinos.

Our husbands and sons can deal and spin the roulette wheel or just park cars in the big asphalt lots beside the mega hotels.

...

On second thought, maybe it's not such a great idea.

[Anonymous]

If they want gambling, then let them have it. We are all adults and the last time I looked at my paycheck they had already taken their taxes out before I got mine. I think maybe they should have certain areas. It is still going on today just as someone said but, only underground. Kindof like "cockfighting" :grrr:

[better days]

Guess I'll give my opinion and prepare my self to be hollared at by Robert for having one. First off S.C. supports gambling via the lottery. Then misplaces the money by supporting bloated higher education systems. Strange to me how a 2000 dollar scholarship means much if tuition increases the same. The sane thing would be if gambling is the road we so chose to follow, then funds should go where the impact provides for the greater good of all. I surmise the funds would benefit K- middle school, ( with expanded options, charter, or privite for college bound students). This would prepare students better for college plus provide the funds for welfare ,day care that some feel is the aim of our school system any way. All options should be explored , horse racing in Camden, Aiken; casino boats along the coast and tribal gaming.

[Anonymous]

We should have kept video poker, taxed it at 30-35% and, used the money for the elimination of property and vehicle taxes.

[R. August Croen]

Just to play devil's advocate for a minute, don't you think that allowing governments to actually run their own games leads to corruption?

Years ago, my home state, Oklahoma, legalized horse racing. But they established a Race Commission that awarded its licenses, permissions, and race days only to favored cities and individuals (read "the well-connected").

While I believe we'd be better off ending the Prohibition of certain businesses, behaviors, and substances (that can't be controlled in any event), I certainly don't believe government should become more involved than necessary. Perhaps it should make sure that games aren't rigged, prostitutes are clean, substances are pure, and all such activities are confined to specific districts, but that should be the extent of its involvement.

Government could take its inevitable pound of flesh from payroll and other taxes, just like with any other businesses. What's good for the economy is good for the tax base. But actually getting in on the action? No.

Too many opportunities for corruption. The idea here is to eliminate as much of that as possible, not make it worse.

[better days]

Ok gambling is out, prostitution we may already have in the form of legal escort services, to what extent I don't know. Legal drugs, well personally I favor small amounts for personal use of marijuana, since it's no more than a poor man's prozac, with potential benefits from hemp production, ( bio-fuel, wood building products, cloth, etc...). Overall, making S.C. a more favorable place to live for natives and retirement living seems the better idea.

[Anonymous]

Better Days,
I am NOT going to put your comments down because I agree with most of what you say. I am only saying and I know you heard this before: You can't legislate morality". Ask any Catholic Priest!! Let US decide what to do with our time and money. :roll:

[gator96]

I agree that morality cannot be legislated. But how can IMmorality be ignored? I see no problem with the lottery and the like. Here's why:

It is an optional tax. You play, you pay.
It is mainly geared toward those that do not contribute much to the tax base.
Ever see someone at the gas station having to choose between cigarettes and lottery tickets? It is likely that they are receiving tax-funded medical care (hack-cough-cough) at our expense. I disagree that is exploitation of the poor. Being poor does not mean that you have no financial direction. Nor does being poor mean that you lose common sense. It simply means that you have to be more AWARE as to where your money is going (been there--done that!). It makes so much MORE sense to sack the $10 a day in a savings account instead of wheeling it out on lottery tickets where you might break even on a lucky day. Security is more important than quick-fixes. Even WITH the lottery, our schools are still rock-bottom. Why? Even if the funds generated by the "Education Lottery" were appropriated correctly, South Carolina simply does NOT have the population to support a high-revenue lottery (Jackpot of $500,000!). We are NOT Georgia (Atlanta), Florida (JAX, Orlando, Tampa, Miami), New York, New Jersey, California (LA, SD, SF), or Illinois (CHI). Our only saving grace (if you could call it that) is the Powerball~~which then again millions are playing for this. The lottery has been an optional tax for the poor from the start. An average person could do the math and see that the number of players, in turn amount of jackpot, in turn revenue just wouldn't make much more of a difference.


Thank you....that rambling made me feel SO much better! :)

[Captain Worley]

Wouldn't it be great if SC became the next great vice capital? Man, I could blast down Blossom Street in my pimped out Eldorado, bottle of tequila shoved in my crotch, shoot my Desert Eagle .45s into the cerulean SC sky, and yell "Here's to our legislature! Yahoo!!"

Coming soon to your neighborhood: Captain Worley's Pimpmobile! We got pimps in the front, ho's in the back, and chumps in the trunk.

[Gator96]

I saw a couple of our Capital City's finest in a new Malibu the other day. It had those iron cross snap-on hubcap spinners, a huge bolt-on rear wing (I think it was on backwards, aerodynamics considered), and a really bad stereo system...don't think it was BOSE. I wish I had my camera...it was amazing how $400 could totally devalue an otherwise decent car. Oh, the things we do for attention...negative or otherwise.....

[GRITS]

Hey guys, I can remember it was just a few short years ago you could drive down a certain part of Two Notch Rd. in Columbia and see the street walkers on the sidewalk. It was very obvious of why they were on the street by the way they were dressed. Not a cop in sight.

[Captain Worley]

How 'bout Gervais Street back before it became the Vista?

Park Street got that name because its original name (can't remember what it was right now) was well known for its brothels where the Coliseum moulders today. The people at the other end of the street didn't like that, and whammo!, it was renamed Park.

[Gator96]

Has anyone seen my red shoes? Doggone it, I had them here a minute ago....

[GRITS]

Has anyone seen my red shoes? Doggone it, I had them here a minute ago....

Is that you Dorothy? You are in the wrong part of the country. Go back to Kansas.

[Gator96]

GRITS, you are a child of the South (as you claim) surely you remember that only children and whores wear red shoes, hence the joke.

How quickly we forget .....:w00t: nyuk...nyuk...nyuk....

[GRITS]

GRITS, you are a child of the South (as you claim) surely you remember that only children and whores wear red shoes, hence the joke.

How quickly we forget .....:w00t: nyuk...nyuk...nyuk....

Yep, I'm a child of the south al right. I was just making a joke too!

[cuebald]

[QUOTE=Fred C. Dobbs]I'm all for it.

Bring in the graft and the gambling. Hookers and dopers.

QUOTE]

Your wish has been granted, sire. They are here in spades. What is your second wish?

[swampfox]

Coming soon to your neighborhood: Captain Worley's Pimpmobile! We got pimps in the front, ho's in the back, and chumps in the trunk.

BYOB?

[GRITS]

I think all you guys are right. We should fix a vacation flyer advertising our fine state with a map of the locations of where you can get drugs, (we specialize in meth. labs) hoochie and gambling. Then get a spot on the TV networks like Vegas. What goes on here stays here. Except in the case of hoochie you may be able to share what you get here with a friend!

Any other ideas out there?

[swampfox]

Why don't we rent out our legislature? We'll put together vacation packages just for lawmakers from other states, and they can come here for a couple of weeks and pass laws that the people of their states would never stand for.

I can see a big market for this, maybe even international.

[Captain Worley]

BYOB?

BYO 40s, homes.

Pimpin' ain't easy <flashes gang sign>

[cuebald]

Why don't we rent out our legislature? We'll put together vacation packages just for lawmakers from other states, and they can come here for a couple of weeks and pass laws that the people of their states would never stand for.

I can see a big market for this, maybe even international.

What a concept! It could work, and S.C. would be the perfect place. No matter what they passed, no one would pay a bit of attention, anyway. If you want empirical evidence, drive out #1 from Columbia to Lexington and count the drivers who don't use turn signals and the ones who turn left from the right hand lane. Oh yeah - also the ones who "merge" into 45 mph traffic at 30 mph.

Foxy, this could work! Might raise more revenue than the lottery. But where would we spend the money?

[GRITS]

I still think we should put a gambling boat on the river. Close to the zoo. Maybe right there at the foot bridge of the zoo. You can kill two birds with one stone (sorry zoo people). What an income that would be. Charge more to get in to the zoo to get to the boat. Bring your kids. They can take in the zoo while you gamble and drink. If this goes well we can set up a house of ill-repute beside the gambling boat. Gee, I gotta stop while I'm ahead.

[cuebald]

Which side of the river should which boat go on? This needs careful study.

[GRITS]

Which side of the river should which boat go on? This needs careful study.

Does it make a difference? If it was on the Lex. Co. side. Mayor Bob would Annex it!

[cuebald]

It needs study. If you put the casino on the Richland side, the Baptists will stage a pray-in to get rid of it, whereas the Lexington Lutherans will only scowl and go back to secretly buying lottery tickets.

The bordello needs to be somewhere that will attract traffic. On the Richland side you'll have a lot of trouble selling what so many are giving away free, but on the Lexington side, they'll match or undersell all competition and honor all coupons.

Is there enough tourist traffic to cover bread-and -butter, is the real question?

[GRITS]

Is there enough tourist traffic to cover bread-and -butter, is the real question?

If you build it they will come.

[cuebald]

Is there enough tourist traffic to cover bread-and -butter, is the real question?

If you build it they will come.

Then it ought to be built in Charleston. Richland and Lexington Counties have both spent years eradicating any trace of the history that may have at one time drawn visitors.

Looking at a bronze plaque where a historic building used to be is not quite as gratifying as actually seeing the building. That's why Charleston kicks our butts when it's Tourist Time, and the Hollow Headed Bastards and Greedy SOBs we have running the show up here continue to follow a policy of "Anything Goes" when it comes to knocking down history and building strip malls.

They have one guiding principle: Venio ad Pecunium

I hope they choke on it.

[GRITS]

Headed Bastards and Greedy SOBs

Uh, which one is Mayor Bob?

[cuebald]

You need to learn to spell. Major Boob is in a class by himself.

Where are the stone blocks from the old CCI?

[GRITS]

You need to learn to spell. Major Boob is in a class by himself.

Where are the stone blocks from the old CCI?

You're right. I thought that was a nipple on top of his head.

[cuebald]

You're right. I thought that was a nipple on top of his head.

That nipple is the brain case. The rest of it is hollow.