Back on Friday i sent some questions to Stuart Waldman, President of VICA (Valley Industry and Commerce Association) Mr Waldman called me back and he and I had a little chat about VICA and Measure B. There were others present but Mr Waldman did all the talking.
Mr Waldman is a cheerful guy, very astute and a politicians politician, he is quick and engaging. He made me wonder why our industry doesn’t have guys like this to speak for us.
He told me that VICA meets and considers every ballot measure that shows up on an L.A. County ballot, that they discuss it from a business standpoint and vote on whether or not they will take a position. There are 80 voters representing many of the companies who are a part of VICA. The vote to take a position must pass by a 2/3 majority.
He went on to state that the position didn’t represent the individual views of any company or sponsor that is a part of VICA.
He explained that because of the financial impact the adult industry has on the Valley, employing many people outside the industry, that VICA chose to take the stand not to support passage of Measure B.
He answered that no adult company is a member of VICA or to his knowledge ever has been.
At this point I noted that his chairman had recently made the statement that other cities would provide incentives for the industry to relocate there, to which he agreed that was true. I asked him to name a couple. At this point he hesitated and said he didn’t feel he could disclose that information. When pressed further he admitted that he has had no contact with any governor or mayor that has made that offer but that such cities do exist.
He went on to iterate that VICA’s stance on Measure B has nothing to do with the safety of performers, or of the surrounding community, that it is purely an economic decision.
2 Responses
Nobody wants to pay for ANY porn company to relocate to their cities and or state. Its masterbation material, its not like food or gasoline or a real need in life. Geez, VICA sound like really desperate to keep anything they can in the Valley.
Glad you asked the question about cities or states that would entice porn to relocate so they can operate condom free. The most likely city/state would be Las Vegas or another city in Nevada where prostitution is legal. Except that prostitutes are required to use condoms.
Here’s another way of restating the argument. Mike, I live in an area with a number of hospitals and medical facilities. They say that they incur a major financial cost forcing health care providers to wear latex gloves and properly dispose of medical waste. My fear is that another community will give them financial incentives to relocate and operate without these public health measures in place.