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Letter: Are massage parlor concerns unfounded?

Let’s be frank about the “concerns” that are bringing tightened regulations on massage parlors in South Lake Tahoe. There weren’t any concerns about sex trafficking or licensing by the community, nor by police, until the Chinese storefront massage parlors arrived. I’m witnessing history repeat itself. Just a couple decades ago when the Chinese started opening their massage spas around L.A., these very same (disguised) concerns started appearing. As a regular and frequent customer of Chinese massage parlors for over a couple decades now, I have never experienced anything other than a professional, therapeutic acupressure massage — and I have been to all of the ones in town. It’s puzzling that law enforcement is acting on “concern of public perception.” Why then not share the parlors addresses to protect the public? Which ones are concerning? The facts here are simply this: the spa industry is losing business to them so they have become a threat, clients are no longer overpaying for these type of services, the new storefront parlors all get great reviews and establish loyal customers, and these new massage parlors that are succeeding around town now are — I’ll say it for you — Chinese. Let’s hope we don’t go to the extreme and start pushing for another exclusion act. Let’s show some support and try to be respectful and welcoming to all of our new businesses in town.

Yvette Ponce

South Lake Tahoe, Calif.


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