And On the subject of Credit....Kudos to DCC

[milkman]

for rejecting the TORL proposal , not because it was the 'right' decision , but because most of the Dublin City Council members were actually willing to take a critical look at the evidence of the 'success' of the Model and question it. Based on the contradictory evidence of the Swedish Model and the practical experience of social issues that some of the Members had , it made complete logical sense not to drive an already hazardous source of income further underground and so rejected the TORL proposal .
In fairness to most of the various speakers , their primary concern is sexworker safety not blind faith in an ideaology .

Unsurprisingly,the Labour contingent still played the political game and pushed for their party manifesto policy like the good little party politicians that they are.

And as for FF's Jim O Callaghan's prehistoric remark 'no person would make a voluntary choice to get into prostitution' amid his admission that he didn't know enough about the Swedish Model and prostitution in general should have meant his own personal vote abstension ( Four others who presumably couldn't arrive on one side or the other , responsibly abstained , to their credit ) but O'Sullivan voted anyway.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vgbz6JrFdqw

DCC debate only underlines what a whitewash the JOC Meetings have been - when 'mere' councillors can have an informed debate and a healthy skepticism of what marketing campaigns are trying to sell them ,it only goes to show the scant negligent responsibility many members of the JOC have shown towards the safety of sex workers in deference to their own selfish ideaologies.

Whilst ,of course , acting in the best interests of the victims, don't you know......

Kudos to the DCC ,not necessarily for their decision but for their willingness to examine the evidence...

[Half Man and Half Dildo]

Indeed Milkman, it is a long overdue, well deserved, kick up the arse for the TORL ringleaders in the heart of their power base.

[very shy guy]

Indeed Milkman, it is a long overdue, well deserved, kick up the arse for the TORL ringleaders in the heart of their power base.

An uprising in the grassroots ?.

[Morpheus]

Thanks Milkman.

I haven't had time to see the full 35 mintutes of it, but will try to do so later in the week.

I've just watched the first few minutes, and come across the follwing:

• Cllr Andrew Montague of labour - spewing the usual bullshit, claiming outright the the "majority" of prostitutes have a drink and drug problem!!! And that all the foreign girls who worked as prostitutes are trafficked!!

Thankfully he was followed by:

• Cllr Brid Smith of the PBPA (???) who stated that criminalizing the buyer doesn't deal with the issue of sex trafficking. She states that while it may be true that there are many foreign nationals (not just women, but mens as well) who work in the sex industry in Ireland - that it isn't necesssarlily true that they are all trafficked. And likewise there are many who are trafficked who aren't working in the sex industry. She points out that there are laws dealing with trafficking and that the resouces should be put into the gardai to implement these laws. She states that criminalizing the client makes prostitution a criminal issue, whereas prostitution is really a economic and social issue!!!!!!!

Halleluyah!!!!!! She has a new fan in me. I am delighted to see a councillor who actually sees and says it as it is!! I have no idea who the PBPA are, but I'm voting for them next election is they are all as clear thinking and honest as Cllr Brid Smith.

[Morpheus]

Fair play DCC.

However, the vote was 18 for and 14 against with 4 abstensions. So it passed by a narrow margin. Nonetheless, I think the DCC are one of the few county councils to actually properly debate the Swedish model/TORL motions and oppose it. Unlike so many other county councils (Limerick for example) that have embraced the TORL and backed the Swedish model.

It is one of those days when I am proud to be a Dub.

[the traveller]

PBPA = People Before Profit Alliance
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People_...rofit_Alliance

Good to hear somebody telling the story as it is. Police the laws we already have rather than adding another layer of law thereby taking resources away from trafficking and coercion. But the real reason for TORL is to end sex work, you can't come to any other conclusion. The Swedish model may not criminalise the seller but everything around it is including renting accommodation, how will that help anyone.

[dob]

Why the fuck are county councils even talking about this issue. They have no competence in law making. Is it that a few flowery speeches will be reported in the local media and the councilors can be seen as great people. Meanwhile our roads are in pure rubble, they couldn't plan anything. Trained monkeys would do a better job.