The Titty Tax

Sounds tit-illating, doesn't it? Do you ever wonder why the cover charge at a strip joint is so high? It isn't just to pay the waitresses, strippers, bouncers, bartenders, etc... A portion of that money is actually placed into a fund for sexually assaulted survivor programs. Seems a little ironic that a business based solely on sex should have to contribute to any fund that helps victims of violent behavior that most likely derived from visiting such an establishment.

House Bill 1751, 'The Topless Tax', is actually in limbo. It was considered unconstitutional and now sits in appeals. Despite this fact, the state comptroller still collects the surcharge from all 167 sexually oriented businesses in the state. As a result, all of that money meant for survivor programs is now just sitting in an account. $11.2 million, completely unspent.

Love them or hate them, these businesses exist all around us. Our right to free speech makes them possible. This article is an interesting read because most of us rarely spare a moment to think about what these businesses could possibly give back to society, besides an evening of lewd entertainment.

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A744363