A mix of New York and old Europe??!!! Politicians like this. playing for cheap attention, should be hung for what they've already done to this city (example: the hideous developments along the waterfront)---along with the loverboys and street-drug dealers. There is a lovely French expression which describes them all, translated loosely it means they're all: "different shades of shit".

On the bright side at least we'll finally have a reason to get out of the website business:-)

-------------------------

Turn off Amsterdam's red light — call
30 November 2005

AMSTERDAM — Head of the biggest political party in Amsterdam calls for gradual closure of the city's infamous, but legal, window prostitution zone.

Chairman of the Amsterdam branch of the Labour Party (PvdA), Lodewijk Asscher, 31, made the suggestion in his book 'Nieuw Amsterdam' (New Amsterdam) published on Wednesday. In it he wrote, "Rather a tourist attraction than complicity in the abuse of women".

Asscher said Amsterdammers would have no reason to be proud of the red light district — known locally as "De Wallen" — "if we know the window prostitution in Amsterdam is under the control of a small number of criminals; if we know that forced prostitution is at play for a lot of the women; and if we know that Amsterdam is a golden market for lover boys".

Lover boys is the Dutch term for men who befriend young women and shower them with gifts before forcing them to work as prostitutes.

Asscher said women who wanted to earn their living by prostitution would be better off working in a brothel.

In his book, Asscher described his vision of Amsterdam of the future as a mix of New York and the old Europe: dynamic and energetic; international and tolerant with good social services and deep-rooted solidarity.

(from expatica)

Great news! Of course, prosecuting pimps and pushers would be too easy, so let's shut the whole Wallen down.
But not before banning all tourists from coffeshops, .....the future looks bright ahead!

D.

The problem with expatica news is they treat every stupid fucking idea floated by a dutch politician just to get attention as though it is feasible or has any chance at all of passing.

Yeah, close the coffeeshops & rld, and then amsterdam can be as interesting as Detroit, where there are no coffeeshops or rld, and yet hard drug use is rampant, far higher than in amsterdam, violence is much higher, prostitution is still everywhere, much of it by std+ pimped out exploited women, not 1 cent of it gets taxed, both industries entirely unregulated, largely uncontrollable because of the stupid way they attempt to solve these social issues...Detroit's alternative to amsterdam is not much of a tourist attraction, is it?

The rld has been there, in those kamers, for 400+years. Just as I support keeping the traditional architecture in the city center, I support keeping the rld open. And, quite frankly, those woman open bank accounts, pay taxes, spend lots of money locally, and probably bring in more money than virtually any other business genre in that city, 2nd to the coffeeshops. If they close one or both it would be crippling economically. People that used to come for one or the other won't be there at all and so won't be buying 3 meals a day or renting a hotel room either. It would be an economic fuckup so massive I strongly doubt the dutch gov would ever seriously consider it. Sure, they might start selling the rld girls licenses like the coffeeshops, and regulating the industry to remove pimps or other problems, but having a rld makes prostitution a more controllable industry in much the same way the coffeeshops do.

The dutch gov will close coffeeshops and shut down the rld the day Bermuda and Switzerland ban banks.

These kind of things are just trendy to say, everybody thinking his own thing , it's just nothing -

he doesn't dare to say : "Fuck the gayscene because of the whole fuckin AIDS shit ....."
NOT done, end of his political career .....

Hey, let's ban vlaamse frites because they cause heart disease.

And when you go to a girl like Evil Nina not from Poland or Joy not from Sweden (remember her?), you are the one who gets abused.

Doog
pepto

Although I did not fancy Joy not from Sweden, I liked her in the reverse cowgirl position. And it was 100 NLG rather than 50 euros.

Fred

I agree with curious on expatica
I agree with curious on expattica-many pessimistic words,most from posters.like the one from Atlanta,Georgia who slammed me cuz i said one of many reasons i want to live inNL is the rld and gave wrong info about an Amsterdam city alderman who was forced from office visiting a lady.I did research and found out she did,nt include that he did it illegally on the street near the A10 freeway which at the time the city wants to shut down for the pimping,drugs,etc,and was not going it legally at a window in the rld or a prive which are the only ways legal inNL

To add to my previos post-a survey was taken of residents at the time and 73% says he should not have to resign for visiting a hooker being maried and i agree.I don,r hink opinions havehanged since 2003 when this happened

Any politician that thinks Amsterdam should be more like New York has been spending WAY TOO MUCH time in the coffeeshops.


Weasel

Hey! New York is great. Harumph! ;-)

Yeah, it's beautiful all lit up as I fly over it on my way to Amsterdam! (hahahaha........

Weasel

We can't all live in Wisconsin. Although you could probably use the body heat we would generate.

Hey guys, there is just an idea coming into my mind: What if the announcement of probably closing down the RLD is just an indirect promotion. Well, lets see it from this point view: If I would tell you the RLD will be closed the day after tomorrow what would you do? Right: Heading for as many girls as possible tomorrow just in case you could have missed something. So, more customers -> more payments -> more taxes.

Very clever way of advertisement or simply a very bad joke. Take it as you like.

Penopel

Dear Mr Asscher,



Lets let the legal, taxpaying business practicioners of the wallen continue to conduct their business in their chosen location.

Regisrered businesswomen pose no threat to the citizens or community.

On the other hand, the criminal element who engage in hard drug dealing, violent assault, mugging, armed robbery, pimping, extortion and blackmale are not only a disgrace, but a serious threat to the local community and international tourists as well. The Netherlands law enforcement community should be embarassed with their inability to deal with these criminals. Small business peoples, local citizens and international tourists all deserve a greater degree of protection from these criminals who operate in the wallen.

Yes sir, what the centrum needs is a few skyscrapers and highrise apartment buildings to give it that good ole gezellig NY feeling. Sir, you indeed are a true visionary, one wonders how you acquired such wisdom at the ripe old age of 31. Your progressive thinking is an inspiration.

Hey lets fill in the canals while they are at it too and smash all the tulips.