Wait--don't Republicans hate the iron jackboots of government interference in the free market?

@1

Indeed, they do. Except when they don't. How to know which? Sit down, shut up, and they'll tell you.

Freedom is on the march!

I don’t think it’s a conservative vs liberal response .. I think it’s a response based on the fact that McKenna is running for Gov in 2012. McGinn’s solutions requires a thoughtful explanation and McKenna needs to seem tough on crime to appeal to Republican voters. If this weren’t happening in the run up to an election, I imagine his response might be similar to McGinn’s

the solution to every problem is to ban 4 Loko... oh shoot, i'm about year behind...

One is just pissed because other people get laid more often than he does.

All the instincts here seem pretty fucking conservative to me.

I heard Eli talking about this on KUOW today. I wish they would have had a Weekly representative there to discuss the matter so there could be some nice editorial tension or something like there always was back during the Tunnel Wars.

@3: You're putting unnecessary stock in McKenna. I'm pretty positive his response would be exactly the same.

Eli, I think you mean that if McKenna gets his way The Stranger will have to shut down its escort ads too. But if McGinn gets his way The Stranger will get to keep on keepin on.

Let's call a spade a spade.

@9 haha!

But in fairness the Stranger's online escort ads can't be too much of a cash cow - their policy means they only get a dozen so paying ads at any given time. If McKenna got his way and the government closed Naughty NW and Backpage both, Index Newspapers LLC wouldn't notice the difference much. But Village Voice Media sure would.

Likewise, were McGinn's plan to win through Backpage would be faced with the prospect of having to open and staff an office to check IDs in every city they run ads for - 600 around the world right now. Locally, the McGinn plan might tend to level the playing field for the Stranger's Naughty NW, but most sex worker advertisements would probably gravitate to some new provider that would spring up - most sex work advertisers all along the ethical spectrum will always prefer not going in person to register if they can help it, and online business will continue to meet that need of theirs somehow.

I like McGinn's proposal here, it's a lot like the "legalize and regulate" argument for prostitution as a whole. It's also not tampering with free speech but instead is just enforcing a law already there better.

It is curious that McGinn is taking the more free market stance, but the difference of opinion isn't particularly noteworthy, save for the fact that IT IS THE DISCUSSION TO BE HAVING!

Escort services are a 'backdoor' legalization of prostitution. Although I support legalization, this particular form creates a lot of problems, problems which McKenna's approach does nothing while appearing to be tough. McGinn gets the win on this one, but it is the follow through that matters on this issue, and those closely related.