FSC Introduces No on Government Waste, No on Measure B Campaign Committee Staff

CANOGA PARK, Calif. - The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) is pleased to introduce the “No on Measure B” campaign staff.

Planning with our campaign manager for the potential ballot measure began early in 2012 with the committee officially coming together in July. During that time, campaign staff and committee members have worked tirelessly gathering and analyzing polling data, developing communication and fundraising strategies, soliciting donations to build the campaign infrastructure and preparing for the launch of the campaign.

Senior campaign staff includes:

Sue Burnside, the “No on Measure B” Campaign Manager is the Founder and CEO of Burnside and Associates. Established by Sue Burnside in 1991, Burnside & Associates is a Los Angeles-based political consulting firm specializing in sophisticated grassroots field operations, turnout programs, ground-based vote-by-mail programs and coalition building. Fifteen percent of Burnside & Associates' races have been decided by less than one percent of the total votes cast. Their direct mail programs have a 95% win record.

In 2008 Burnside & Associates achieved a perfect 100% win record for both their Political and Corporate Clients.  In 2009, Burnside & Associates was proud to announce a 100% win record for their Corporate Clients. In 2010, they scored a 90% win rate for their clients.  They kicked off last year with Rep. Janice Hahn's historic first open primary Congressional election in California and ended it with solid wins for their political, corporate and municipal clients.  Included in their long list of clients are the DNC in Oregon, New Mexico and California, Linda Sanchez for Congress, AARP, HRC-Protect Our Constitution-Hawaii & California Project, America Votes, JetBlue and many, many more.  For more information about Burnside and Associates, click here. http://www.burnsideandassociates.com.

James Lee of The Lee Strategy Group, Inc. (LSG) is the campaign’s Communications Director.  Prior to forming LSG, James was a director at the global PR firm Burson-Marsteller working on a wide array of issues, including utility deregulation, wireless standards, biotechnology and healthcare, business-to-business marketing, labor relations, environmental communications, community outreach and coalition building. He also has extensive experience in HIV and AIDS drug development having worked for biotech firms searching for cures and treatments.

James’ extensive campaign experience includes working for several conservative candidates and organizations including President George H.W. Bush and Governor Pete Wilson.   Because of James’ extensive experience working to fight onerous government regulation and the relationships he developed in the course of those fights, he brings to the campaign the ability to connect successfully with the County’s more conservative business organizations.  Campaign poll results emphasize the importance of a bipartisan effort as this ballot measure cannot be simple-mindedly pigeonholed as either a Democratic or Republican issue.  For more information about LSG, click here. http://leestrategy.com/

Goodwin Simon Strategic Research (GSSR) is the pollster for the campaign.  GSSR is an independent opinion research firm with offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Together, Partners Paul Goodwin and Amy Simon bring more than 30 years of experience in polling, social and political marketing, policy analysis, program evaluation, and communications for clients in the political, public, and private sectors.

GSSR offers a comprehensive array of quantitative and qualitative research services, including telephone, on-line, and intercept surveys; focus groups; and consulting. Their research and consulting services guide strategic and tactical decision making across the full range of campaign concerns.

GSSR’s client list includes, American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), American Cancer Society, California Progressive Alliance, Courage Campaign, Marijuana Policy Project and yes, even AIDS Healthcare Foundation.  For a more extensive list of clients and more information about GSSR got to http://www.goodwinsimon.com

“We couldn’t be happier with the people who are coming together to fight this ballot measure,” said Diane Duke, Free Speech Coalition CEO.  “This issue is non-partisan, and it cannot be broken down by traditional demographic lines. We have assembled an exceptional team of experts that can reach all parties and bring us to a win.”

FSC Announces FSC Summit Website is Launched

CANOGA PARK, Calif. – Free Speech Coalition (FSC) is proud to announce the FSC Summit website has been launched. The FSC Summit, which will be hosted by adult industry trade publication XBIZ, is a first-ever, one-day event to be held on Thursday, Nov 8, at the Sofitel Hotel in West Hollywood, Calif. Sponsorships for the inaugural summit are available by contacting This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The day of seminars will be followed by a gala reception, where the FSC Awards will be presented. Awards will be given in the following categories: Woman of the Year, Man of the Year, Internet Company of the Year, Novelty Company of the Year, Production Company of the Year, the Positive Image Awards, and the Legacy Award.

“We are so pleased and honored to highlight the political, legal and business issues that affect the industry in this first-ever event,” said FSC CEO Diane Duke. “As the adult industry trade association, FSC works on the frontlines of these issues and others, to promote the well-being and business interests of adult industry businesses and all the folks employed by the adult industry.

“Especially since this show will follow one of the most contentious elections in memory, there will be plenty to discuss,” Duke added. “We will be looking at the results of the election; especially the Los Angeles County condom ordinance, which will have been decided by voters.”

The FSC Summit seminars include:

• Strange Bedfellows – What You Need to Know About Sex & Politics
• Diversification – How to Expand Your Business with Multiple Revenue Streams & Cross-Promotion
• The New Internet – How it Will Affect your Brand
• Opening Up Brave New Markets and Revitalizing Established Markets
• Piracy, Politics and Patent Trolls
• Legal Mumbo Jumbo – Making Sense of Legal Trends and Litigation

For more information about sponsorship or the FSC Summit, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Link to FSC Summit site: http://freespeechcoalition.com/summit/

CAMPAIGN TO DEFEAT MEASURE B REQUIRING CONDOMS ON ADULT FILM SETS LAUNCHED BY BROAD COALITION

Ballot Initiative Would Result in Cuts in Healthcare Services and Government Deficits

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – (Sept. 5, 2012) – Citing the potential for deficits in county healthcare programs, a broad-based coalition of business organizations, entertainment companies, community activists and healthcare advocates today announced the launch of a campaign aimed at defeating Measure B, the so-called “Safer Sex” initiative on the Los Angeles County ballot this Nov. 6th.

“Measure B is a waste of taxpayer dollars, does nothing to promote better healthcare and threatens to add increased costs to the county by creating another underfunded government program,” said James Lee, spokesman for the No on Government Waste Committee. “Measure B will result in deficits threatening community clinics and healthcare services to the poor and minority communities of Los Angeles County.”

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 unincorporated areas of the county and require performers to wear condoms and create an unworkable system of on-set inspections and enforcement by county personnel. The measure hopes to fund the program through permitting fees, but makes no allowance should funds prove insufficient to maintain the program.

“The adult entertainment industry has the most aggressive and comprehensive testing and reporting program in the country. It’s an industry that acts swiftly and responsibly in shutting down production nationwide at even a hint of a positive test result,” Lee said. “What this is really about is creating another government bureaucracy regardless of what it means for county healthcare services and drive production-related jobs out of an area with stagnant job growth.”

Los Angeles County estimates the initial start-up costs for the inspection and permitting program would come to more than $300,000 per year in administration, salary and benefits for county inspectors, but with Film LA, Inc., the film-permitting arm for Los Angeles County, estimating less than 480 permits issued for all adult film shoots, the program could start losing money from its launch.

Measure B also stipulates standards for conduct on sets during filming that could require actors and film crew to wear gloves, goggles and lab coats.

“The people of Los Angeles County can think of a lot better uses for the time of first responders, county health inspectors and other government personnel than hanging around an adult film shoot checking for condom usage,” Lee said. “Measure B is seriously flawed and is going to cost taxpayers money and cost them critical health services.”

Facts about the adult entertainment industry:

• In Los Angeles County from June 30, 2008 to June 30, 2011, there were 6,447 new cases of HIV reported according to the California Dept. of Public Health, but only two were adult performers who did not contract it on-set;
• There have been no documented cases of HIV transmission on an adult entertainment set since 2004;
• The industry sets testing standards far in excess of virtually any other industry such as local hospitals, pharmaceutical firms or food service. It is also the only industry that orders industry-wide shutdowns of production whenever a threat to performers exists;
• The industry employs over ten thousand workers in production-related jobs such as make-up, lighting, carpenters, transportation, food service, payroll processing, web design, etc. All of which would be in jeopardy should Measure B pass;
• The industry contributes over a billion dollars in local economic impact and tax revenues to local cities and the county that would also be in jeopardy.

No to 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. The Committee will be launching its online program, which will provide additional information to interested voters.

Testing, Treatments Proceed With Cooperation from Performers, Producers

CANOGA PARK, Calif. – Adult Production Health & Safety Services (APHSS.org) would like to update the current developments with syphilis testing and treatments for adult performers.

APHSS.org has implemented exposure protocols due to the recent incident involving performers that have tested positive for syphilis. Nearly 300 performers have been tested and treated for syphilis since August 22. These include performers in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Fort Lauderdale, FL and other locations nationwide.

“We would like to thank the performers and producers for their quick response to the protocols and for their cooperation,” said FSC Executive Director Diane Duke. “This situation might have resulted in even more serious repercussions if there was no program like APHSS to step in with protocols for follow-up care with doctors and, ultimately, testing and treatment. We are encouraged by the proactive action of performers and producers - with their support for the testing/treatment protocols, we have significantly minimized risk for performers.”

Testing/treatments continue to be offered this week. These developments follow reports of a widespread syphilis outbreak in Prague and Budapest, which coincide with alleged exposures here in the U.S.

Los Angeles County Public Health Department (LACPH) has stated that there are at least nine adult performers that have tested positive for syphilis, but so far APHSS.org has reported only two performers with positive results - one in Los Angeles and the other outside of California. Without data to identify any additional positive cases, the APHSS doctors network decided that preventative treatment with antibiotics was the best course to take, in order to minimize risk for exposure for performers.

“Because of the possibility of additional positive results from non-APHSS providers, after consulting with our team of doctors, it was clear that the only responsible course of action was to call a production moratorium and to follow that with testing and treatment,” Duke added.

Performer and APHSS Committee Member Danny Wylde also offered his opinion on the importance of performers to comply with the current syphilis testing/treatment protocols.

“I defend the testing and treatment protocols proposed by APHSS, including the production moratorium and prophylactic antibiotic treatment,” Wylde said. “For those who rely on performing as their primary means of income, there has been no proposed alternative to the APHSS protocol that addresses both the syphilis exposure as a concern and considers the reality that performers need to make a living.

“Many performers claim to have received medical advice from their personal physician to not accept prophylactic penicillin without explicit knowledge of infection,” Wylde added. “I cannot recommend that anyone disregard advice from their doctor. However, a performer's personal physician has not been asked to address a community health threat to the adult performer population.”

“I respect one's right to forego antibiotic treatment and wait out the 90-day incubation period for syphilis,” Wylde said, lastly. “But to return to work without treatment - and without knowledge of who has been exposed - is dangerous.”

Currently, all performers signed up for the APHSS database have been made “unavailable” for work. Data is being compiled that will track the ten-period after each performer has been treated; at that point, they will be marked “available” for work with a clean panel.

Form more information on current developments or APHSS.org, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (818) 348-9373.