Readers Respond to the Increase of Illicit Massage Parlors - Willamette Week

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Our story on massage struck a nerve. Last week, reporter Eliza Aronson examined how massage parlors that appear on sex-purchase websites have increased more rapidly in Portland and Oregon than in the country as a whole (“Nightmare in Plain Sight,” WW, Sept. 25). Nonprofit watchdogs and state regulators say such businesses are often staffed by women who have little recourse to leave. As is often the case in Portland, much of the resulting debate centered on what role the police should play. Here’s what our readers had to say:

Sometypeofbae, via Reddit: “I actually live right next to one of these places. It makes my blood boil bc it’s so obvious. I am an actual LMT and I hate how spineless the Oregon board of massage actually is. What’s the point of having a governing body like that at all if they can’t even work with the city to get these places shut down? Get these places evicted, lose their permits, make the actual business suffer!!

“Yeah the cops don’t give a shit. Obviously.

“It grosses me out that these places are using my actual profession as a guise for nasty men to seek sexual favors. These places threaten the integrity and livelihood of all legitimate LMTs, not to mention put us in a position where men might seek sexual favors more often! I have really strong feelings about it but I feel powerless to change it.”

Sandy, via wweek.com: “Portland tries to blame the unhoused and their tents for the decline of Portland. I blame the police who aren’t doing their jobs. From not taking care of street traffic (being a pedestrian is very scary these days) to not acting against this horrible crime of trafficking these abused women, they are nearly useless. The police seem to only be interested in shootings.”

Nugs, the Tricycle Ridin’ Hooker, via Twitter: “Wow so you have no issue pushing further violence onto migrant sex workers eh? Disgusting and abhorrent.”

Corran22, via Reddit: “These women are literally enslaved and abused and nothing is being done? The new city council will have a lot of work to do to make up for the neglect this city has endured. Write a fucking ordinance and fix this.”

StewartCotez, via Twitter: “I live a few blocks from that parlor and that story really opened my eyes. WW always with the best journalism in the PNW.”

Regrets4lifetx, via Reddit: “The craziest part is that in Beaverton there is one right next to a church called The Potter’s House Christian Fellowship Church.”

STOPPING TRAFFICKING REQUIRES COOPERATION

I appreciated Eliza Aronson’s reporting on the harms of illicit massage businesses and was taken aback by the claims of the State’s representative [”Nightmare in Plain Sight,” Sept. 25]. The assertion that the Board of Massage Therapists, the agency charged by the State with regulating massage facility and provider licenses, is powerless while simultaneously stating that local jurisdictions, a level of government pre-empted by the State to police said licenses, should do their regulatory bidding is absurd. And municipal business license regulations carry less enforcement potential than when my grandpa would try to enter Costco sans membership for a cheap hot dog. Second, the legitimate community concern here is human trafficking. Thanks to the detailed and exhaustive work of Lake Oswego detectives, a multi-jurisdictional investigation led to the arrest of several individuals. But not every jurisdiction has the resources and staffing to allow for that degree of investigative stamina. Putting up barriers to business operations that exploit any human, particularly vulnerable ones, is an important policy objective. But it will take leadership at the state level, legislative action and investment in addition to cooperation between layers of government. What Mr. Van Laanen suggests is a moral failing on the part of local government is really just our already under-resourced cities recognizing that his silver bullets are nothing but another example of the State talking firepower from above while providing blanks on the ground.

Joe Buck

Mayor of Lake Oswego

Letters to the editor must include the author’s street address and phone number for verification. Letters must be 250 or fewer words. Submit to: P.O. Box 10770, Portland OR 97296 Email: mzusman@wweek.com