NYE COUNTY COMMISSIONER SUGGESTS BROTHEL FEE HIKE

The group has 54 volunteers in Nye County, where they’ve already tallied more than 700 signatures, said Jason Guinasso, a spokesperson for No Little Girl and the director of End Trafficking and Prostitution, which funds No Little Girl.

Volunteers need to collect at least 1,963 signatures from registered Nye County voters before June 15 to be approved for November’s general election.

“Those people (against brothels) don’t understand Nevada,” Hof said. “Nevada was built on mining, gaming, girls and liquor, and prostitution has always contributed a lot to our society. It’s sad that people want to impose their morals on the rest of us.”

Vaude said the prostitutes, including those who work for Hof-run houses, are stuck in the middle of a political battle.

“I work with a lot of ladies and we feel like we’re being used as collateral in this,” Vaude said, “for a personal and political vendetta against Dennis Hof. The ladies that work with Hof are also being used as collateral, because it’s very personal toward him.

“Nobody is thinking about everyone that works at the brothels, and it’s not just the ladies; it’s the staff too. Are we all going to suffer because Hof isn’t a very great guy?”

Hof shrugs off most of the criticism, knowing that not everyone will agree with his outgoing, sometimes over-the-top character. He contends the effort to shutter brothels has nothing to do with his personality.

“They’re totally wrong, it’s politically driven,” he said. “They (Nye County commission) have tortured me for 18 months since I decided to run for office. They tried to shut me down for a sign, and said my place was unsafe … I’m telling you, it’s all politically driven.”

But Guinasso insists there are no political ties to the initiatives. His effort focuses on Lyon and Nye counties because residents reached out with their concerns and the group feels there is enough support to get the question on the ballot.

Fees paid by legal prostitutes and brothels bring in thousands of dollars to the counties each year. Nye County took in $56,779.25 in brothel work card fees for the fiscal year ending June 30 and another $85,000 was collected in brothel license fees, according to the county.

“The girls pay a lot of money, the house pays a lot of money, all of that,” Vaude said. “We employ a lot of people. Part of the logic they’re using is that it’s fine, (banning brothels) is going to bring in a lot more people, but what’s going to happen to all the people who work in the brothels that are going to lose their jobs? It’s not adding up.”

And Hof says the brothels also contribute to the economy in other ways.

“They employ people who spend money here,” he said. “They buy gas. They buy stuff from Walmart; they go to doctors. The number is a big number.”

The No Little Girl campaign is offering training and job placement assistance to the women who work in the brothels that would help them transition to other employment.

Guinasso claims that most women in the brothel business aren’t there because they enjoy their line of work, but because they either have severe financial, drug or mental health issues, or are coerced into it by a pimp.

“These women (who say they enjoy working in a brothel) are the exception, not the rule,” he said. “The vast majority of women in the brothels are not there by choice.”

But Vaude said she and her colleagues loved their line of work and didn’t want to be forced into work they really have no interest in doing.

“A lot of the girls have a higher education. They don’t need training to go work at a desk or something,” she said. “We don’t want their help. … They’re just selfishly doing this fake moral crusade.”

Nye County Commissioner Lorinda Wichman originally said she would be in favor of banning brothels if they were a drain on the county’s finances.

But Wichman now says she doesn’t support abolishing brothels and would look to increase fees associated with brothels to ensure the public isn’t left on the hook for costs associated with regulating the homes, including legal issues.

Wichman also said she was in contact with the prostitutes to explain her reasoning behind her initial proposal to close the brothels. Vaude would like to be included in the talks.

“I plan on getting more involved,” she said. “I don’t like feeling that I’m threatened and my colleagues are threatened.”

Hof, of course, is already involved. He’s long been the loudest supporter of brothels.

“I live in Nevada because I want do what I want to do,” Hof said. “I love that we have gaming 24 hours a day; I don’t gamble. I love that we can get liquor 24 hours a day; I don’t drink. I love the fact that we’ve got (legal) weed; I don’t smoke weed. The freedom to do what you want is what it’s about.”