Sacramento - A coalition of porn stars, exotic dancers and other adult
entertainers flocked to the state capitol Monday to oppose a so-called porn
tax.
Assembly Bill 1551, drafted by Assemblyman Charles Calderon of Whittier, would
impose a fee on businesses that support the adult entertainment industry. Live
dancers, videos, DVDs and "gentlemen's clubs" would all be affected.
Among the porn stars that lobbied against the bill was Mary Carey, who ran for
governor of California in the 2003 recall election.
She argued that taxing adult entertainment would actually force the state to
lose money. "People will just order more online or from other countries and
that's not going to benefit California in any way," Carey said.
Adult industry representatives said they generate $3 to $4 billion a year.
Calderon said the bill is not about morals, but a way to balance the budget.
The money raised would go to the "Adult Entertainment Venue Impact Fund."
