Blog

(Chuck Muth) – Thanks to passage of the CARES Act in Congress last week, independent contractors – including Nevada’s legal courtesans – are now eligible for unemployment!

“I am pleased to see that we are one step closer to being able to address the needs of independent contractors and others who historically have not been covered under our traditional unemployment system,” Dr. Tiffany Tyler-Garner, Director of the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR), said in a press release issued Tuesday evening.

And here’s some even better news…

“The (CARES) Act also provides for payments of an additional $600 per week in unemployment compensation benefits above and beyond what an individual is otherwise entitled to under state law, for up to four months,” explains the Fox Rothschild law firm.  “Further, the CARES Act extends an individual’s ability to receive unemployment benefits by an additional 13 weeks, through December 31, 2020.”

However…

The ink on the agreement between the federal government and Nevada still isn’t dry, so many of the details and the process for applying for this new program are still being developed.

I spoke with Rosa Mendez at DETR Wednesday morning.  She advised AGAINST independent contractors trying to apply at this time, since they system and eligibility criteria haven’t been set up yet.  She said to check DETR’s Coronavirus webpage for updates and announcements.

Click here

However…

While independent contractors aren’t able to file yet, once they ARE they’ll be able to apply for unemployment retroactively.  Meaning back to the date when the governor specifically ordered all brothels to close as “non-essential” two weeks ago.

Of course, we’re talking about a program with multiple political entities and levels of government involved.  Nothing is sealed in cement…yet.  And there could still be hiccups in the implementation.  But at least this is a major step in the right direction.

Some more cheerful news…

Since some 100+ ladies who were previously working at the four brothels in Lyon County now are out of work and/or heading home, the folks at the Bunny Ranch, Love Ranch, Kit Kat Ranch and Sagebrush Ranch have donated a month’s worth of groceries to the Dayton food pantry, including…

• 1 case + 4 New York steaks
• 1 case ground beef
• ½ case hot dogs
• 2 ½ cases ham
• 2 cases turkey breasts
• 2 cases hard salami
• 1 case hard-boiled eggs
• 2 cases bacon
• 5 bags mini-bagels
• 50 lbs. potatoes
• 1 case pesto
• 1 case chicken base
• 1 case beef base
• 3 tubs veggie base
• 5-lb block Velveeta cheese
• 30 lbs. Parmesan cheese
• 6 lbs. feta cheese
• 4 lbs. cabbage
• 3 lbs. American blend
• 2 lbs. spring mix
• 1 case dry salami
• 2 cases cheddar cheese
• 1 case jack cheese
• 1 case mozzarella cheese balls
• 1 case butter
• 1 flat avocados
• ½ case baby carrots
• ½ case lemons
• 4 cases Chile Verde soup
• 1 case home fried potatoes
• 12 heavy creams
• 3 ½ extra-large bags broccoli
• 1 case bacon bits
• 2 gallons potato salad

Thank you, ladies!

Mr. Muth is president of Citizen Outreach, a limited-government grassroots advocacy organization, and government affairs counsel to the Nevada Brothel Association.  His views are his own.

(Carson City, Nevada) – After initially signaling a decision to remain open during Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak’s request that non-essential businesses shut down for 30 days, a number of Nevada’s legal brothels have reassessed and are closing their doors.

“Late Wednesday afternoon the governor’s office specifically added brothels to its list of designated non-essential businesses,” said Suzette Cole, owner of the Moonlite Bunny Ranch and three other legal brothels in Lyon County.  “In light of that announcement, we’ve decided to voluntarily comply until further notice.”

Cole said she concurs with what The Mustang Ranch in Storey County said in their own statement…

“While we very much support Storey County’s position that all businesses in the county may remain open during this challenging time, we also understand the intentions of the governor’s recent call for a 30-day statewide closure of many businesses.

“The health and safety of the women that work at the Mustang Ranch and our guests remains our foremost priority and we will work with local and state government to evaluate the need to close the Mustang Ranch for the full 30 days and make announcements regarding continue operations in the near future.”

Louis Goldberg, owner Inez’s D&D and Mona’s Ranch, and Gabriel Ornelas, owner of the Desert Rose Gentlemen’s Club, have also decided close operations in Elko until further notice.

“We want to be part of the solution, not the problem,” Goldberg said.

“We’re all in this together,” added Ornelas.  “In the end, we’ll all come out of this stronger, healthier and ready for the future.”

In addition, Sheri’s Ranch and the Chicken Ranch in Nye County have also closed operations.

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2020

(Mound House, Nevada) – Suzette Cole – owner of the Bunny Ranch, Love Ranch, Kit Kat and Sagebrush brothels in Lyon County – has announced, per the governor’s request, that she has closed all in-house bars at her properties; however, she will continue brothel operations with a skeleton crew.

“We will be operating on a low-key basis,” Cole said.

She further noted that enhanced health and safety precautions – including cancellation of scheduled group events and “social distancing” measures that have already been implemented – will continue.

Cole also advised that she’s been in contact with the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office and will continue operating under certain stipulations requested by his office.

“Considering the devastating impact immediate closure would have on the lives and livelihoods of our workers,” she concluded, “we believe the reasonable course of action is to safely remain open on a limited basis.”

# # #

(Chuck Muth) – The World Famous Historic Chicken Ranch brothel in Pahrump, Nevada has announced steps it’s taking to keep its workers and clients safe and healthy during the COVID-19 crisis.

“We’ve always maintained a clean and safe environment here at the Chicken Ranch and I believe our risk of coronavirus exposure is pretty low,” said General Manager Trudy Kevoian.  “But in light of current circumstances we’ve expanded and enhanced our cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting procedures.”

Kevoian said ranch staff are following National Institute of Health standard protocols for normal day-to-day operations, as well as the Coronavirus Guidelines for America recommendations issued by the White House.

“We are reminding everyone to wash their hands regularly and use hand sanitizer as needed,” Kevoian continued.  “We’re also doing repeated cleanings of the front gate, handrails, all doors, the ATM machine, table tops, bar tops, chairs and restrooms with sanitizing wipes and spray disinfectants.”

The ranch is also banning smoking and vaping in public areas and encouraging “social distancing” by reducing the number of bar stools in the lounge area.

In addition, enhanced screening procedures to assess the health of all staff, customers and vendors have been put in place.

Anyone showing any signs of congestion, shortness of breath or other flu-like symptoms will have their temperature taken, and anyone above 99.5 will be asked to leave the premises until their health is back to normal.

“We are following all new developments and will adapt our practices as needed to provide the safe, high-standard level of service we are known for,” Kevoian concluded.  “Take care, stay well and come visit when you can.”

Mr. Muth is president of Citizen Outreach, a limited-government grassroots advocacy organization, and government affairs counsel to the Nevada Brothel Association.  His views are his own.

(Chuck Muth) – Nevada’s legal brothels – like every other business in the state, especially service businesses – are experiencing challenges posed by the continued spread of the Wuhan Virus.

But unlike most other businesses, brothels already have extensive experience in minimizing health risks to their workers, their clients and the public.

“The women working in our ranches are already subjected to weekly health tests,” noted Suzette Cole, owner of four brothels in Lyon County and president of the Nevada Brothel Association PAC.  “And our people have been fully trained to screen clients for potential health risks and take appropriate measures to protect everyone.”

“However,” she continued, “the coronavirus threat is far more serious than what we usually deal with, so we’ve taken a number of additional safety precautions at our properties that are in line with recommendations by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and other health care professionals.”

Among the additional steps detailed by Ms. Cole…

• Regular staff memos and management reminders on good hygiene practices to all brothel workers, employees and patrons
• Adding hand sanitizers to all entrances, exits and public areas
• Enhanced deep-cleaning and sanitizing of high-contact surface areas – including restrooms, ATM machines, bar tops and door handles – every two hours
• Suspension of all group staff meetings until further notice
• Suspension of all group events, parties, social gatherings and celebrations until further notice
• Reducing by half the number of bar stools to increase the space between customers
• Implementing additional “social distancing” recommendations by the state’s Medical Advisory Team
• Invoking an indoor smoking and vaping ban in all public areas, including the parlors and bars
• Prohibiting clients and workers who have been overseas in the previous 14 days
• Courteously and professionally asking patrons exhibiting signs of illness (coughing, fever or breathing difficulties) to come back at another time
• Requiring independent contractors who are ill to return home or check into a hotel and self-quarantine until well
• Sending employees home if sick and requiring a doctor’s note before being allowed to return to work

Ms. Cole added that she is monitoring press reports and communicating regularly with medical professionals, first responders, law-enforcement and elected officials to keep up-to-date with developments.

“Health and safety is, and always has been, our primary concern,” she concluded. “We’ll continue be vigilant, caring and sensitive in order to safeguard our workers and clients and do our part to bring this national crisis to a close as quickly as possible.”

Mr. Muth is president of Citizen Outreach, a limited-government grassroots advocacy organization, and government affairs counsel to the Nevada Brothel Association.  His views are his own.

In a recent column published by the Las Vegas Sun, Caroline Mello Roberson – state director of NARAL Pro-Choice Nevada – wrote that “our state has a long history of trusting women and protecting our reproductive freedoms.”

She went on to note that Nevadans overwhelmingly passed a state referendum guaranteeing abortion rights in 1990 and celebrated the one-year anniversary of the 2019 Nevada Legislature’s passage of the Trust Nevada Women Act which decriminalized various abortion actions.

But this raises a thorny question…

If women can be trusted to make decisions on whether or not to terminate a pregnancy, why can’t they be trusted to make decisions on whether or not to do the thing that results in pregnancy?

What I’m talking about here, of course, is the Legislature’s refusal to decriminalize or legalize prostitution in Clark and Washoe counties.

Why do pro-choice, when it comes to abortion, elected officials continue to support arresting consenting adult women for freely choosing to work in the commercial sex industry?

Shouldn’t we “trust women” to decide for themselves whether to engage in this line of work without fear of being arrested and prosecuted?

As for the (lame) argument that prostitution is somehow “different” because it’s a financial transaction, there’s no better counter-argument than this vintage riff by comedian George Carlin…

“I don’t understand why prostitution is illegal.  Selling is legal.  F*cking is legal.  Why isn’t selling f*cking legal?  You know, why should it be illegal to sell something that’s perfectly legal to give away?  I can’t follow the logic on that one at all!”

That’s because there is no logic to it.

Instead of studying whether or not to license and regulate prostitution – like we do for gambling, liquor and marijuana – in Clark and Washoe counties, where the health and safety risks for this line of work are enormous, the Nevada Legislature is instead studying the working conditions in the state’s rural LEGAL brothels where such health and safety risks are all but non-existent.

Legislators who are pro-choice when it comes to abortion should at least be consistent.  Do we trust women…or don’t we?

Mr. Muth is president of Citizen Outreach, a limited-government grassroots advocacy organization, and government affairs counsel to the Nevada Brothel Association.  His views are his own.