Councilman, mayoral candidate Steve Ross: ‘Prostitution is not welcome here’

By Delen Goldberg

Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011 | 2:32 p.m.

Las Vegas Councilman and mayoral candidate Steve Ross today weighed in on the prostitution debate that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid began earlier this week.

"With 50,000 Las Vegans out of work and every other city in the country fighting for new employers, Las Vegas deserves the opportunity to compete without one hand tied behind its back," Ross said. "It's time to declare unequivocally: Las Vegas is open for business ... not for prostitution."

"As mayor, I'll say it: prostitution is not welcome here," Ross added.

Ross, whose main campaign platform is creating jobs, said employers want to locate in safe, family-friendly communities and brothels undermine that.

Ross is taking a similar stance to Reid, who this week told state lawmakers that businesses are loathe to move to Nevada because of its legalized prostitution. Reid reiterated his point today during a transportation groundbreaking ceremony in Las Vegas.

"It is bad for business in Nevada. Forget about the morality," Reid said.

Earlier today, Mayor Oscar Goodman said he thinks Reid's assessment is wrong. He said he's not necessarily in favor of legalizing prostitution in Las Vegas but is open to having a conversation about the issue.

It's a view that seems to be shared by Goodman's wife, mayoral candidate Carolyn Goodman.

Goodman has also said she is open to the idea of creating a red light district downtown, and brothel lobbyist George Flint told Sun columnist Jon Ralston that Mayor Goodman said his wife is more enthusiastic than the mayor about the idea.

As for the other leading mayoral candidates, Clark County Commissioner Larry Brown and businessman Victor Chaltiel have said they are against it, while Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani is undecided.