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Given the recent news that has come to light about the now former New York Governor, many people have been asking why?
How could such an up-and-coming politician risk everything and get mixed up with an escort service?
Now I am not sure if he will need that divorce lawyer or even if his wife was ignorant of the situation, but if the outcry from women is any indication he might need that lawyer after all. Women's opinions are clear, if the web and television are to be believed – men can't control themselves, the poor wife, the poor family.
And from men in the same space you can hear a different story – it's a victimless crime...she can't exactly be called a victim when she's making $5,000 an hour.
Men see it one way and women generally see it another. People take the point of view of their sex, seeing what their point of view permits. Since Spitzer has been seen as the law-and-order type he has received little support from anyone.
But we are not here to judge whether or not he should divorce, be harshly judged because he knew better or even be prosecuted for these alleged crimes. Rather, it seems the heart of the issue is the extent he went to carry on these affairs, and how much money he had to spend.
Apparently some reports have suggested he spent upwards of $80,000, over an unknown period of time on these trysts. But even these enormous costs may not fully express the complete costs that he had to endure. Allowing that he might be subject to a divorce from his wife, potential fines and imprisonment, the loss of his job, career and credibility it might be expected to be a lesson to those currently cheating on their wives and/or laundering money to outwit the authorities. But really, the most interesting aspect is that while people have been shocked to see how much money he spent, no one seems to be surprised by the enormous cost of such illicit activities. Since when does an hour of someone's time cost upwards of $5,000? Granted, she must be good at her job, but Spitzer himself is one of the reasons he has to jump through so many hoops to relax for an hour.
As in any activity, once the government gets involved, prices go up. If prosecutors such as Spitzer were not so zealous in cracking down, maybe he would not have needed to launder money to relax for $5,000 an hour.
If government enforcement has reduced the availability of escort services, then it has just ended up raising prices and limiting its access to the wealthy and powerful.
At least in Nevada, where prostitution and escort services are legal, even with government taxation and regulation, an hour does not cost $5,000.
So the real outrage should be the prosecutorial related inflation, witnessed by anyone with access to a television or computer. He can take some solace in the fact that if he needs a divorce lawyer it won't cost $5,000 an hour.
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