Santa Monica Daily Press and Malibu Times Latest to Oppose Measure B Says No on Government Waste Committee

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - Nov 1, 2012) - With less than a week until Election Day, another two area newspapers, the Santa Monica Daily Press and the Malibu Times, have joined in the overwhelming opposition against Measure B, the so-called "Safer Sex" initiative, bringing to a total of 11 newspapers with a combined circulation of over 1.26 million readers throughout Los Angeles County that have now called for its defeat dwarfing the meager support proponents have managed to scrounge up, according to the No on Government Waste Committee.

"The repudiation of Measure B from newspapers as diverse as the Los Angeles Times to the Santa Clarita Signal from all parts of the county demonstrates the complete lack of support for this ill-conceived and badly drafted initiative," said James Lee, communications director for the No on Government Waste Committee. "Our campaign, built on the grassroots efforts of a broad coalition of community, business, health and minority groups, is yielding a bonanza of support and we believe will translate in a resounding No vote against Measure B by voters."

"Requiring porn actors to wear condoms while filming their sex scenes is not necessary since the industry is already heavily self-regulated. Measure B will push production out of the county, which will mean fewer jobs available and less tax revenue. We feel there needs to be more evidence that STDs are being spread on porn sites. So far, the urgency isn't there," said the Santa Monica Daily Press.

"Apparently some citizens want to make sure that actors in the porno industry wear condoms. This sets up an entire structure for the County Health Department to oversee and enforce condom and sexual health regulations in the porno industry. The only way I see this being enforced is if the health Department stages unannounced raids on the filming sites and then makes everyone show and tell," said Arnold G. York, publisher of the Malibu Times in his endorsement editorial.

"There are just some things that government just should not touch, so to speak. I don't believe the state of Virginia should be sending probes into woman's vaginas anymore then I believe that County officials should be conducting 'short arm inspections' at San Fernando Valley movie sites. It's a silly proposition put forth by a bunch of academics. Vote NO," York added.

Newspapers so far opposing Measure B include:

• Los Angeles Times
• Los Angeles Daily News
• Long Beach Press Telegram
• Pasadena Star News
• San Gabriel Valley Tribune
• Torrance Daily Breeze
• Whittier Daily News
• Santa Clarita Signal
• Los Cerritos Community Newspapers

A complete list of endorsements against Measure B is available at: http://www.noongovernmentwaste.com/endorsements.html

Measure B, funded and placed on the ballot by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, would require the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to license and permit adult movie productions in the county and require performers to wear condoms and create an unworkable system of on-set inspections and enforcement by county personnel. The county estimates initial start-up costs for the program to be in excess of $300,000, but acknowledges that regardless of the level of compliance by the adult film industry, there would be significant cost to the Department of Public Health.

According to the California Dept. of Public Health, from June 30, 2008 to June 30, 2011, there were 6,447 new cases of HIV reported in Los Angeles County, but only two were adult performers who did not contract the disease on-set. Since 2004, there have been no documented cases of HIV transmission on an adult entertainment set. In fact, with the industry's strict testing protocols -- requiring testing at least every 14 and 28 days for HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis -- adult performers are the most tested workforce in the nation.

No on Government Waste Committee
The Committee is comprised of entertainment companies, local business organizations, community activists, adult entertainment performers and healthcare advocates who oppose Measure B's plan for creating an underfunded government inspection program diverting badly needed resources from local community clinics and underserved minority communities. For more information, please visit: www.noongovernmentwaste.com.