SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED

If something is working, as the adage might go, don’t hand it a drink in front of naked women. Bangor city councilors should keep this vividly in mind as they ponder changing a city ordinance to allow a strip club to open on the fringes of town.

Five years ago, councilors struggled to write an ordinance that didn’t trample on the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution while limiting the extent of “adult entertainment” in Bangor. The result is an ordinance that allows semi-nude dancing or alcohol consumption in some parts of the city, but not both at the same establishment. While one downtown establishment continues to fight the ordinance in federal court, the courts have so far upheld Bangor’s ordinance. It seems to be working.

Now, councilors are considering amending the ordinance to allow a strip club to occupy the former Pilots Grill restaurant on outer Hammond Street. If the ordinance is changed, as Platinum Plus proposes, the new club could serve alcohol while topless dancers exercise their freedom of expression. Company officials say the proposed club would not be commercially viable if it can’t serve alcohol.

While the club’s supporters cite economic development benefits, this is a poor argument for changing the rules. The establishment would create jobs, but is this the type of employment city residents hope their children, primarily their daughters, aspire to? Why, in the name of bringing some sorely needed dollars into town, would Bangor councilors support the degradation of women?

What adults do with their time and money is their business, as the courts have affirmed. Businesses selling pornography, sex toys and lap dances flourish. But, does that mean Bangor should encourage this trade by providing approval for an establishment to apply for a liquor license?

Statistics on crimes associated with strip clubs are conflicting. Police in Portland, for example, report that strip clubs do not have more calls than any other bars. However, the police acknowledge that there is no way to keep track of conversations that take place between dancers and customers to meet later. In other words, officers believe that prostitution does result from strip clubs, although evidence of this is difficult to come by.

A key question is what has changed since 1998, when the current ordinance was passed. Perhaps the answer is that Bangor has gotten more desperate for new businesses – witness its willingness to agree to play host to a loosely regulated racino. Of course, if Bangor were home to more businesses, a strip club would be less likely to stand out and generate so much controversy.

Saying it is OK to offer drinks and topless dances, as long as it’s out of sight, is not a good solution.