State Rep. Auden Grogins, the blonde banshee from Black Rock, is on a mission to regulate massage parlors and adult entertainment establishments that she says curtails quality of life and lowers property values of her constituency. She’s part of a coalition pushing to strengthen regulation both on a state and local level. Monday night the State Senate, with an assist from Senator Anthony Musto and the rest of the city’s legislative delegation, unanimously approved legislation to “crack down on massage parlors in Bridgeport and elsewhere that have served as a front for illicit activity, including prostitution and human trafficking.”
State legislators say the bill will fight human trafficking, increase regulation to ensure practice of legitimate massage therapy. The bill is now before Governor Dannel Malloy who is expected to sign it into law soon.
Grogins and Musto both represent Black Rock where residents urge tighter regulation on Fairfield Avenue massage parlors and strip clubs. In fact the legislation has been a priority for all eight members of the city’s legislative delegation seeking reelection this year.
“These illicit ‘massage parlors’ are nothing more than a front for prostitution and human trafficking,” says Musto. “This bill will give law enforcement the tools they need to shut these places down. These parlors are a blemish on Bridgeport’s reputation and cast doubt on those who practice legitimate massage therapy. The residents of Black Rock have been vocal in drawing attention to this problem, and this legislation is the result of their hard work.”
Grogins, vice chair of the Planning and Development Committee where the bill originated, says, “For far too long, these businesses have been getting away with providing sexually oriented services under the guise of legitimate store fronts. I am pleased my colleagues in the legislature agreed this is a bill that should be supported. This sends a clear and strong message this illegal activity will no longer be tolerated.”
According to Musto the state currently requires massage therapists to be licensed in order to practice their trade, but only regulates individual practitioners, not those employing them. New regulations will allow police departments to go after both unlicensed “therapists” and their employers. It criminalizes the employment of unlicensed individuals to practice massage therapy.
The bill also prohibits using the word “massage” in an advertisement for services not performed by a licensed massage therapist. The same restriction also applies to the terms “shiatsu,” “acupressure,” “Thai massage,” “Thai yoga massage” and “Thai yoga.”
Connecticut law describes “massage therapy” as the “systematic and scientific manipulation and treatment of the body’s soft tissues using pressure, friction, stroking, percussion, kneading, vibration by manual or mechanical means, range of motion, and nonspecific stretching.”
The legislation also empowers the state Department of Public Health to investigate complaints of unlicensed massage practice.
Call me cynical if you want to, but this legislation could have been proposed a decade ago when Rep. Grogins was a City Councilman. Unfortunately it was not and the problem continued to fester.
Also, these establishments could have been penalized under the Public Nuisance Abatement Act and have been put out of their misery through means that are already established. This was the case with “Dangerous Curves” when Rich DeParle and other concerned citizens went through established channels and got the job done. Dangerous Curves no longer exists.
But I guess if you do that you don’t get front-page coverage in the Connecticut Post, do you?
The issue didn’t have any political value until now. With re-election around the corner it behooves Grogins and Musto to do something about it. The motivation shouldn’t be questioned, nor the methods. They are doing something to improve the quality of life. It ain’t as if they’re demanding the closure of all the bars on Fairfield Avenue …
Right, Rob.
The City took Dangerous Curves and the strip bar across the street, too.
Wow, Rob … that is really interesting info you have seemingly known about for some time … that is, the nuisance law. Question: If you knew so much, why were you not out there trying to make some change?
I was hoping this would have a happy ending.
Sometime between 1987 and 1992 a number of Black Rock neighbors created anti-massage parlor signs, picketed the establishments for one or more nights and waited for the establishments to close. Lots of negative “quality of life” comments raised in the neighborhood since then at Master Plan or NRZ sessions, along with all of the reasons why somebody else should be doing the job or why it was impossible to get any change.
Fascinating to observe the group of (mostly) women who have studied the issue, reflected on what could be done, organized a team of people who could get the task done and directed and focused activity and publicity on processes in both the City of Bridgeport and the State of CT. I think they have been working at this less than one year, but they ran into the end of the City Council session last fall, and had to start again this year. The State delegation with Auden in the vanguard has brought necessary changes about faster than our own local City Council. Surprised? Not when Ordinance Committee of the CC cancels meetings at which discussions must take place. Is there a pushback against changing the laws and ordinances locally that is stronger than the opposition and momentum for status quo that existed in Hartford? Perhaps. And who will go public in the City to support the status quo? Pretty impressive achievement in the timespan I would say. Whatever you wish to say about her past activity (and I have not always been of the same opinion as Ms. Grogins), her opposition to Mayor Finch’s taxing plan and her steadfast work on the quality of life legislation is truly quite impressive to many voters. Let’s see what the Ordinance Committee does with this. Time will tell.
FYI Susan Brannelly submitted a application about this subject to the Ordinance Comm. in March. To date no action.
BUT it is supposed to be on the Calendar May 22nd. Be there to support the regulation of these “Massage” parlors. This is the link to the application.
Pgs 20 – 54 contain the Ordinances as submitted during the March 19th, 2012 City Council Meeting, in case anyone wants to see the latest version of the document:
www .bridgeportct.gov/CityClerk/Documents/City%20Council%20Meeting%20Minutes/CCMinswBackup/CCMinswBackup2011-2012/2012-03-19.pdf
Spread the word and support this application.
*** I’m not a big fan of Rep. Grogins or Sen. Musto and realize it’s an election year. However, adult entertainment and massage parlors are areas that have needed big-time regulation and enforced laws for years. So better late than never and let’s hope they all continue “really” earning their money, benefits and political perks while representing the residents of Bpt. and surrounding towns. *** HERE WE GO ***
As usual, Mojo, you are right. Grogins and Musto usually go where the votes are and this time is no exception except they are on steroids because the Smut Busters, so-called, are voters and well organized. Thank heavens. Still, the effort is really worthwhile and the extraordinary push by their constituents contributed mightily to the energy they expended. Hope they keep it going.
This is an example of the “broken window” syndrome. If nothing is done these businesses will be allowed to stay open. I for one Black Rock resident would like to see the whorehouses masquerading as “spas” removed. There are four on Fairfield Avenue, including one right next door to a thrift store operated by a local Baptist church.
Can robot reporters replace the kind of clever, witty, off the wall insight found ONLY at OIB?
Hell, no.
www .wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/04/can-an-algorithm-write-a-better-news-story-than-a-human-reporter/all/1
Humanoids, unite!