Last updated on 2011.01.09
Father Tim sighs with dismay at the shrug his local state senators offer to his suggestion that South Dakota should rein in the excessive interest charged by our payday lenders and other financial institutions:
Only Sen. Shantel Krebs attempted to answer, and she wound up saying that efforts to restrict interest would be "starting to mess with an industry that employs a lot of people in South Dakota" [Fr. Timothy Logan Fountain, "Yikes! Usury Is Good to Go in South Dakota," Northern Plains Anglican, 2011.01.05].
Meanwhile, on the other side of the state, Jeramy Caron of Summerset is busted for employing a lot of people in prostitution:
Pennington County State's Attorney Glenn Brenner says Caron was bringing women from as Las Vegas and Minnesota to work in Rapid City hotels. He says Caron and some of the prostitutes were making as much as $65,000 per month ["SD Man Accused in Prostitution Ring," AP via KELOLand.com, 2011.01.07].
Ah, so South Dakota does lure industry away from Minnesota. But $65K a month? Holy cow! How can the state mess with an industry that has high-paying jobs like that?
Update: Thad was right: $1500 to $2000 per "encounter."
Your sources are horribly out of date. Happy New Year!
It was reported that an 'encounter' ran between $1500 - $2000. The economy must be getting better if guys are shelling out that much cash....or inflation is raising its head.
Thanks for the correction, Curmudgeon!
Thad: $2000?! For nookie?! I enjoy sex, but even if I were the type to put a price tag on such activities, I can't imagine spending that kind of money on an encounter. For $2000, I could get a lot more utility (and exercise!) out of a new recumbent bike.
Yes, why would South Dakota officials mess with such a profitable industry? After all, morally, prostitution fits right in there with usury and the lottery.