Adult Entertainment Ordinance - We need your help

August 1st

Hello,

My name is Marilyn Sanchez, and I am writing this because you are leaders in your respective Neighborhoods. We are a relatively small group of concerned neighbors who have been negatively impacted by the Adult Entertainment Industry and we have a tremendous opportunity to step up to the plate and do something positive for our City. This is regarding the ordinance which has been highly publicized in the newspapers and on television.

The Adult Entertainment Industry has been able to threaten the community and the City leadership while hiding behind the veil of the First Amendment. Under the First Amendment they have a right to exist as a business. What they don't have the right to do is negatively effect our safety or our quality of life. They have done both. According to the cities that have done studies on the effects of Adult Entertainment establishments, they do, in fact, negatively affect us. This is why the laws regarding them have been changing.

We now have an opportunity, with the proposed ordinance, to help mitigate their effects on the people of Los Angeles. The attorneys for the Adult Entertainment Industry would have you believe that this ordinance would put 10,000 dancers and scores of establishments out of business. This is absolutely not the case. This ordinance merely puts much needed rules, regulations and restrictions on an industry that up until now, has been able to run rampant. Every other industry has rules and regulations they must follow, this industry should be no different.

What do we need you to do? JOIN US!!!

You can do this in a couple of ways. First, we need you to sign a petition I'll be happy to forward by email, and get others to do the same (especially those who are involved in other organizations). We need as many completed petitions as possible to show that the concern is a City wide concern not merely a local one, so your address on the petition is vital. The address to send completed petitions to is written at the bottom of the petition. We do need these returned timely because there will be a hearing shortly.

Second, there was a request by Jan Perry, CD-9, that there be a joint meeting of the Safety Committee with the Planning and Land Use Management Committee. The exact meeting date has not been set but they are talking about August 11th or 12th. If possible, please attend this meeting and voice your concerns about the negative effects of the club and how necessary the ordinance is.

Third, please attend the full City Council meeting when it comes up on the agenda and either be prepared to speak or at the very least, fill out a speaker card indicating that you are in full support of this ordinance. That date will be set after the joint Committee meeting has been held. Just ask me, and I will let you know of both of these dates once they are confirmed.

Feel free to tell anyone you feel would be supportive of our cause about this letter. If you have any questions, feel free to email me. Unfortunately, the full proposed ordinance is not available online.

Thank you for your time. See you at the hearing.

Marilyn Sanchez
Montecito Heights

PS: Here is my email address. Feel free to write me to request a copy of the petition, add yourself to our Adult Entertainment Ordinance information list, or to ask any questions you'd like:

marilynjsanchez@netzero.net