City getting rough with massage parlors

By Jeff — Jeff Wilson

Do you remember the brief outrage manufactured during last year’s City Council election over massage parlors, spread by an anonymous letter that was sent to SCV churches? It was a story tailor-made to damage the incumbents in the Council race (Ferry, McLean, Weste), as the City took a lot of heavy criticism from Council candidates and residents over the proliferation of massage parlors throughout town.

And then, just like that, the issue disappeared.

Until now. Next Tuesday, the Santa Clarita City Staff will recommend some sweeping regulations to govern Santa Clarita’s massage industry, which has exploded in recent years.

The Council will consider applying a state law to the operation of some 37 massage parlors throughout the City. The new ordinance would require massage parlors to only hire licensed therapists, to keep the names and addresses of ~~Johns~~ clients who visit the studios (and make that list available to City staff for law enforcement purposes), and keep a registry of massage parlor employees in English.

The new ordinance also explicitly outlaws the “intentional contact, or occasional and repetitive contact with the genitals” and other fun parts of human anatomy.

The licensing aspect may be the most stringent part of the ordinance however. The City says it will require local massage studios to hire therapists who have a “CMTC Certificate.” That’s in reference to a new statewide California non-profit agency that licenses massage therapists and came into being in 2009.

As was pointed out here and on the Signal last year, many local massage shops seem to employ Chinese immigrants, most of whom (I’m just guessing here) have little to no massage training, never mind a certificate. The Sheriff’s station has suggested that some of these employees live at massage shops throughout town. Others have gone so far as to say that the employment conditions of these Chinese women is akin to slavery at worst or indentured servitude at best.

In either case, it can’t be a happy life for these women, especially when the Sheriff’s vice squad makes a bust and the Signal names the woman, but not the John who hired her or the male business owner who employs her.

It’s important to point out that these shops wouldn’t be here unless there was a demand for them. Santa Clarita residents are visiting them, else there wouldn’t be 37 of them throughout town. And landlords, desperate for revenues at a time when 1/3rd of commercial & office spaces are vacant, seem more than happy to lease space to these businesses despite their taint. Everyone’s making money or enjoying pleasures here, with the probable exception of the women masseuses.

So I applaud the City for taking this approach. It’s not directly punitive to the female employees, but rather the shop owners who exploit them, forcing them to go through the expense of hiring real therapists if they want to stay in business. And it will make any Johns think twice before visiting because they’ll have to put down their names and addresses before receiving services.

In any event, expect this to get top-billing in the Signal tomorrow followed by a torrent of supportive LTEs and a lots of support at next week’s Council meeting.

ORDINANCE

Staff Report

Comments (20)

OccassionalPosterJanuary 21, 2011 at 11:26 am

There goes The Signal sports section. Without L&V Asia Massage and their grand re-openings ever month, how will the sports section turn a profit.

Timothy Myers SRJanuary 21, 2011 at 11:59 am

I would say that a Council Member cannot vote for this ordinance unless they can say “occasional and repetitive contact with the genitals” WITHOUT bursting into laughter. (By the way, if the RC’s try to make that a GENERAL proscription I know a lot (well every) teenage boy will be putting the ACLU on speed dial!)

navigatorJanuary 21, 2011 at 12:12 pm

Is this another version of the red light camera invasion (pun intended)?

john adamsJanuary 21, 2011 at 12:38 pm

Nothing like a good massage to put a smile on your face. You walk in and the asian girl says U lika han or mouse? Oh I love the mouse!!

john adamsJanuary 21, 2011 at 12:45 pm

Oh and if you have not tried it yet this new shake weight work out is invigorating http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeND6VPi8qc&feature=related

spineflower2January 21, 2011 at 12:46 pm

Where are those local tea partyers when we need them to protect our liberty? Isn’t this excessive government intrusion? Shouldn’t the “Invisible Hand (Job)” prevail in the marketplace?

john adamsJanuary 21, 2011 at 1:50 pm

Speaking from my own experience only…. The hand is always visible

SFC PerezJanuary 21, 2011 at 3:15 pm

Reminds me of a story a friend of mine told me about this guy he knew in Korea, a lap dog, blindfold, and a prostitute.

Your Web GuruJanuary 21, 2011 at 3:55 pm

I predict no happy endings on this one!

ToddJanuary 21, 2011 at 6:28 pm

To be serious for a moment… there is without a doubt some illegitimacy with some of the massage places in town. But I worry about the unintended consequences here. How many legitimate places will be forced to go out of business because of these restrictions? Theres a place that I have popped into from time to time for a foot massage over in Granary Square. Its a nice, quiet, restful place that only lightens my wallet by a few bucks. Every time I’m there, the place is full of women. They can’t get enough of the cheap foot massages! Where are all the MILFs of the SCV gonna go to get their indulgence on now????

MikeJanuary 21, 2011 at 6:48 pm

I’m of a few minds. For a while, I thought everyone was hysterically exaggerating. But then, I noticed that these places really *are* everywhere. But then, I’m like, “so what”? If they’re doing a crime, catch them in the act, shut them down. We license far too many “professions”, it’s ridiculous.

ReaderMamaJanuary 21, 2011 at 7:50 pm

Perhaps rather than checking for “certificated” personnel they should be checking green cards and social security numbers. Or perhaps they should make some other rule requiring that massages be visible to the public, as they are in the mall. No, no, no. I’ve got it! Let’s require them to take pictures of all their customers and print them in the paper. Might be a few surprised good Mormon wives . . .

BrianJanuary 21, 2011 at 8:14 pm

I’ve had a neck pain for a few months now and would like a massage to see if that would work. I stopped in to one of these places and asked if they accepted my health insurance. They didn’t so I left. Shouldn’t a legit massage business also accept insurance if they were really what they say they are?

ReaderMamaJanuary 21, 2011 at 9:19 pm

Look in the yellow pages or Google “Physical Therapy.” You want someone working on your neck who has been trained properly. Most of them do accept insurance. You may also wish to consider acupuncture, which is very effective pain relief and often covered by insurance as well.

ToddJanuary 21, 2011 at 9:53 pm

As to the “shouldn’t they accept insurance” point? No. Some of the world’s best physicians and surgeons don’t accept insurance either. Insurance is a pain to deal with on many levels. Obviously they don’t need to because the business comes in the door regardless.

BrianJanuary 22, 2011 at 5:42 am

Physical therapist. I didn’t think of that. Thank you!

ReaderMamaJanuary 22, 2011 at 9:46 am

Well let’s not put the local massage parlor in the same category as some of the “world’s best physicians and surgeons.” You’re talking apples and oranges there. I’ve never dealt with a doctor yet that didn’t take insurance at all, but then again I’ve never had cosmetic surgery. The procedures they perform are generally not covered by insurance.

Gang FangJanuary 21, 2011 at 8:21 pm

Oh no! Where will Bill go when I have a headache?

Joe GrandeJanuary 22, 2011 at 10:02 am

Toting a new tax as a tax cut is morally corrupt Ooccasional and repetitive contact with the genitals is just sex.

lvogelJanuary 22, 2011 at 4:27 pm

My biggest concern with all these massage parlors, is the possibility of human trafficking. I feel the city should do an investigation into these businesses if only to rule out that chance. If the city doesn’t do anything and it later comes to light that there are young women/men/children being brought here illegally, then they (we) will all be responsible for that crime. Most legitimate masseuses have the licenses (and I believe are required to), so it should not be hard to determine the legal massage parlors.

OccassionalPosterJanuary 21, 2011 at 11:26 am
There goes The Signal sports section. Without L&V Asia Massage and their grand re-openings ever month, how will the sports section turn a profit.
Timothy Myers SRJanuary 21, 2011 at 11:59 am
I would say that a Council Member cannot vote for this ordinance unless they can say “occasional and repetitive contact with the genitals” WITHOUT bursting into laughter. (By the way, if the RC’s try to make that a GENERAL proscription I know a lot (well every) teenage boy will be putting the ACLU on speed dial!)
navigatorJanuary 21, 2011 at 12:12 pm
Is this another version of the red light camera invasion (pun intended)?
john adamsJanuary 21, 2011 at 12:38 pm
Nothing like a good massage to put a smile on your face. You walk in and the asian girl says U lika han or mouse? Oh I love the mouse!!
john adamsJanuary 21, 2011 at 12:45 pm
Oh and if you have not tried it yet this new shake weight work out is invigorating http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeND6VPi8qc&feature=related
spineflower2January 21, 2011 at 12:46 pm
Where are those local tea partyers when we need them to protect our liberty? Isn’t this excessive government intrusion? Shouldn’t the “Invisible Hand (Job)” prevail in the marketplace?
john adamsJanuary 21, 2011 at 1:50 pm
Speaking from my own experience only…. The hand is always visible
SFC PerezJanuary 21, 2011 at 3:15 pm
Reminds me of a story a friend of mine told me about this guy he knew in Korea, a lap dog, blindfold, and a prostitute.
Your Web GuruJanuary 21, 2011 at 3:55 pm
I predict no happy endings on this one!
ToddJanuary 21, 2011 at 6:28 pm
To be serious for a moment… there is without a doubt some illegitimacy with some of the massage places in town. But I worry about the unintended consequences here. How many legitimate places will be forced to go out of business because of these restrictions? Theres a place that I have popped into from time to time for a foot massage over in Granary Square. Its a nice, quiet, restful place that only lightens my wallet by a few bucks. Every time I’m there, the place is full of women. They can’t get enough of the cheap foot massages! Where are all the MILFs of the SCV gonna go to get their indulgence on now????
MikeJanuary 21, 2011 at 6:48 pm
I’m of a few minds. For a while, I thought everyone was hysterically exaggerating. But then, I noticed that these places really *are* everywhere. But then, I’m like, “so what”? If they’re doing a crime, catch them in the act, shut them down. We license far too many “professions”, it’s ridiculous.
ReaderMamaJanuary 21, 2011 at 7:50 pm
Perhaps rather than checking for “certificated” personnel they should be checking green cards and social security numbers. Or perhaps they should make some other rule requiring that massages be visible to the public, as they are in the mall. No, no, no. I’ve got it! Let’s require them to take pictures of all their customers and print them in the paper. Might be a few surprised good Mormon wives . . .
BrianJanuary 21, 2011 at 8:14 pm
I’ve had a neck pain for a few months now and would like a massage to see if that would work. I stopped in to one of these places and asked if they accepted my health insurance. They didn’t so I left. Shouldn’t a legit massage business also accept insurance if they were really what they say they are?
ReaderMamaJanuary 21, 2011 at 9:19 pm
Look in the yellow pages or Google “Physical Therapy.” You want someone working on your neck who has been trained properly. Most of them do accept insurance. You may also wish to consider acupuncture, which is very effective pain relief and often covered by insurance as well.
ToddJanuary 21, 2011 at 9:53 pm
As to the “shouldn’t they accept insurance” point? No. Some of the world’s best physicians and surgeons don’t accept insurance either. Insurance is a pain to deal with on many levels. Obviously they don’t need to because the business comes in the door regardless.
BrianJanuary 22, 2011 at 5:42 am
Physical therapist. I didn’t think of that. Thank you!
ReaderMamaJanuary 22, 2011 at 9:46 am
Well let’s not put the local massage parlor in the same category as some of the “world’s best physicians and surgeons.” You’re talking apples and oranges there. I’ve never dealt with a doctor yet that didn’t take insurance at all, but then again I’ve never had cosmetic surgery. The procedures they perform are generally not covered by insurance.
Gang FangJanuary 21, 2011 at 8:21 pm
Oh no! Where will Bill go when I have a headache?
Joe GrandeJanuary 22, 2011 at 10:02 am
Toting a new tax as a tax cut is morally corrupt Ooccasional and repetitive contact with the genitals is just sex.
lvogelJanuary 22, 2011 at 4:27 pm
My biggest concern with all these massage parlors, is the possibility of human trafficking. I feel the city should do an investigation into these businesses if only to rule out that chance. If the city doesn’t do anything and it later comes to light that there are young women/men/children being brought here illegally, then they (we) will all be responsible for that crime. Most legitimate masseuses have the licenses (and I believe are required to), so it should not be hard to determine the legal massage parlors.