LOS ANGELES — The AHF submitted enough signatures last month to qualify their latest initiative, the creation of a Los Angeles City Health Department for consideration by voters.
The City Council has the choice to adopt the measure outright or place it on the June 2014 ballot.
Ged Kenslea, the AHF senior director of communications told XBIZ that he anticipates that a local health department will enact “more rigorous enforcement” of existing porn-condom laws “that the county has been willing to or able to do.”
“We believe that the smaller body should be more nimble in its response and enforcement of laws — and its response to these [laws] as well,” Kenslea said. “So we expect that there should be more efficient enforcement of Measure B.”
The Los Angeles City Council voted to adopt the language and intent of Measure B on Tuesday, requiring performers in adult films to wear condoms. The amendment also delegated enforcement of the City’s porn-condom ordinance to the county.
While the city has the option to begin development of a local health department, Michael Weinstein, the president of AHF, said that he believes the measure will instead be put before voters to decide next year.
“Since AHF has apparently gathered enough signatures for a ballot initiative, hopefully, voters will not be fooled again, like they were with Measure B,” FSC spokesman Joanne Cachapero told XBIZ. “Will it be worthwhile to create and fund a new city health department at great expense to taxpayers and the city? Will necessary resources and services be disrupted by the creation of a new health agency? These are questions that voters should be asking themselves in regards to AHF's latest initiative.”
According to Kenslea, the AHF has worked with the county on enough public health projects, including HIV testing, to know that its system is broken.
“We have seen firsthand, up close, both the strengths and the weaknesses of the County, and we believe the weaknesses outweigh the strengths,” he said. “Really, one the catalysts, has been to see how inefficient the County of Los Angeles has been in its management of public health.”
“There is no reason to believe that any health department run under the auspices of AHF's direction would result in a system better than the one already in place,” Cachapero said. “After Measure B, voters should see AHF's motives as entirely questionable. She said Measure B simply created obstacles for adult performers and producers in L.A.
Because the county has now been elected to enforce the city’s porn-condom law, the city will be in an odd predicament if a local health department is created — and has no jurisdiction over the measure.
Kenslea acknowledged that the ordinance would again need to be revisited and amended again should voters opt for a city health department.
