Army of Dog

My days of hanging around strip clubs are long behind me, but I was happy to read this article in the local paper.

A state district judge struck down a state fee on patrons of strip clubs Friday, invalidating a measure designed to raise money for sexual assault victims and people without health insurance.

Travis County Judge Scott Jenkins called the $5 cover charge – which state lawmakers passed overwhelmingly last year – unconstitutional, and said it taxed “expression that, while politically unpopular, is nevertheless protected by the First Amendment.”

Attorney General Greg Abbott, representing the state, plans to “vigorously appeal” the ruling, a spokesman said. And at least one Dallas club owner said she’s not ready to go out and celebrate.

“The rest of them are ready to throw a big party, but I don’t think this is over,” said Dawn Rizos, who owns the Lodge, an upscale Dallas club. “They’re going to rewrite it, and eventually it will pass.”

Rizos is exactly right, the bastards in Austin (most of them Republicans) will keep reworking this until they get a judge to sign off. When it works, the Republicans will go back to their districts and assure their constituents that children are safe from exposed boobies and the Democrats will trumpet their aid to victimized women and the uninsured.

I’ve known enough women who worked at these establishments to have a pretty strong distaste for the people who run them and most of the people who frequent them. That fact doesn’t mitigate my opposition to the “fee.” In the same sense that one does not have to like smoking to oppose increases in the cigarette tax.

The problem with public acceptance of these laws is that it sends the message that it’s ok to tax things the majority of the people don’t approve of in order to fund things they do. Providing services for sexual assault victims is something most people will get behind, and the people behind this law know it.

Officials with the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, which helped craft the measure, said they are very disappointed by the decision but intend to rework the bill when lawmakers return to Austin in January.

“This is not the end of the adult entertainment fee or of our goal of providing comprehensive sexual assault-related services to Texans,” spokeswoman Karen Amacker said.

In case I need to bring this idea a little closer to home, imagine a day where the majority of people are opposed to the exercise of Second Amendment rights and lawmakers decide that they can get away with an onerous “ammunition tax” or a mandatory five dollar fee for entry to the local gun range.

I will concede however that I generally find the “getting naked for tips is a First Amendment right” argument to be more than a little lacking. I would much rather see a law like this get repealed because enough right-minded people see it for what it is, a way to raise taxes on a small segment of the population to gain the favor of a larger segment that disapproves of them.

In high school I took an AP Government class as a junior. The more I learned about government, the more I hated it and became firm in my resolve that it should be as small and powerless in the everyday lives of people as possible. I knew then instinctively what I know now academically, government will never run out of reasons to take power from the people. It’s a sad commentary that in many social and political circles in this country one’s level of compassion and basic humanity is measured in the degree to which one will allow government bureaucracy to make decisions for individuals.

I keep holding out hope that the rabid collectivist frenzy will one day reach a zenith so absurd that we can point to it and say with a righteous confidence, “that shit has jumped the shark.” This morning I had an experience that has radically altered my views on this critical aspect of our social contract. As I was perusing the AP wire feed on Breitbart I came across this press release.

I’ve known for many years that aging is a reality for all of us. Until today, however, I’ve always believed that I would be forced to face the merciless ravages of time without a coherent, government approved plan. Even at the tender age of thirty-one, I can feel the cold grasp of mortality that holds on to us all with unwavering resolve. I take a great measure of comfort in the fact that, through the visionary leadership of the people and government of the great state of Pennsylvania, by the time aging becomes a primary concern for me there may be a national plan that I can look to to guide me through the valley of the shadow of death.

You may be thinking, as I was until I read the third paragraph of the press release, that this saving grace, while noble in its concept, will almost certainly be overshadowed by more pressing government concerns. Let your fears be laid to rest gentle reader, your struggle will not be forgotten.

The department is required by state and federal law to update its plan every four years.

As part of their never-ending commitment to helping our seasoned citizens, the state of Pennsylvania has launched this helpful website to provide you with tips and resources for aging more effectively.