From an economic standpoint, why shouldn't prostituition be legalized? (illegal, drugs, regular)

[kb09]

Seriously, when speaking strictly economics, what is so bad about it? Does it bring in too much money?

When regulated and done right, prostituition can bring in millions - if not billions - annually.

I would seriously like to read the cons of legalizing prostituition; and I don't mean arguements of morality about the issue.

[annerk]

I'm all for it.

Tax it.

Regulate it with regular health checks for the men and women selling their services. (It doesn't have to be just women does it?)

Keep the drugs, organized crime, and violence out of it.

I see many benefits to legalization. I see few benefits to the status quo.

[kb09]

Originally Posted by annerk

I'm all for it.

Tax it.

Regulate it with regular health checks for the men and women selling their services. (It doesn't have to be just women does it?)

Keep the drugs, organized crime, and violence out of it.

I see many benefits to legalization. I see few benefits to the status quo.

One thing we can agree on Annerk.

[texdav]

Because all our politican would then spend all their times with them.

[ogre]

Originally Posted by texdav

Because all our politican would then spend all their times with them.

Don't they do so now?

Anyway, good point, Anerk, about taxes. I had wondered what economic benefit there would be, regardless of other arguments one might make. Good point about taxes.

[AsymptoticFaery]

Not my bag but I am for regulating/taxing, zoning and licensing. It can and should be done.

The black market, abusive pimps and dirty cops enjoy the -many- benefits of keeping it illegal...

[NCN]

Any money made from a sinful endeavor will end up costing in the long run. Sin always costs instead of paying. Cigarettes increases medical insurance. Alcoholic beverages makes car insurance higher. So the person doing the sin may not pay, but in the long run; someone will.

[Tricky D]

The problem with the op is that economics doesn't give a damn about human misery.
Trying to solve a problem by only approaching it from an economic point of view could very well lead to fascism.
I mean from an economic point of view Nazism really makes perfect sense.

[AsymptoticFaery]

Church and state should be separate.

If money is passed between casual sex, then so be it...regardless of what one thinks. There's no good in merging church and state in a country that claims to support freedom of religion and various beliefs...as well as diversity.

I believe an individual should have the right to do this with their body if they want especially if their BELIEF system is not in line with those who are religious or share similar views that say that selling one's body is wrong.

The law has no place in this unless taxes aren't being paid as that leads to unregulated profit. If a person wants to conduct business in this fashion and there are consenting adults involved...then I feel the law has better things to do with its time than sending cops out on the street to try to catch johns and bust sex workers.

Again consider what illegality creates...pimp paradise, cops who will blackmail prostitutes for sexual favors and all of the other elements existent in a black market of this kind where the prostitutes have no rights and johns aren't required to leave any trace or record of their contact with sex workers within a licensed regulation process. It's all unregulated and anything can happen and does. That just does not sit right with me. At ALL. There's too much room for corruption and some underbelly wild wild west.

So again regulate it...zone it (restrict it to certain areas)...and license it.

[annerk]

I agree that zoning needs to be a part of it. Brothels don't belong next to schools, playgrounds, and places of worship.