I’ve proposed a law (HB 2103) to save lives as well as retain medical care and minimal help for truly needy people by taxing the adult entertainment business.

A Federal Way Mirror editorial (“Porn tax: Pure political fluff,” Feb. 14) calls my proposal a deliberate attempt to “stoke the culture war” and argues that “promoting a bill that may kill businesses is not ideal.”

To me, the real question is: Can the adult entertainment industry afford to give up just a little of its enormous revenues for the sake of saving lives and rescuing some of the least fortunate among us from catastrophe? My answer is still yes. And I think everyone realizes that an 18.5 percent tax would have virtually no impact on the viability or the free speech rights of the pornography industry.

I admit, however, I would lose no tears or sleep if my bill did actually reduce a small part of the ever-growing volume of pornography and adult entertainment services.

I remember when our community vigorously discouraged the Déjà Vu strip club from our city and when we united even more forcefully — facing threats of lawsuits and intimidation — to prevent the Castle Adult Entertainment Superstore from locating in the heart of downtown Federal Way.

The industry tempted us with jobs and money, but we said no. We stood up to these bullies and we are a better town for it. Is The Mirror suggesting we should welcome back the Déjà Vu and the Castle Adult Entertainment Superstores to Federal Way because they offer jobs and money?

Again, we need to try to save lives in Federal Way. A tax on the wealthy adult entertainment industry is a relatively painless way to do it.

State Rep. Mark Miloscia, Federal Way