Oldest profession still pays off for Boisean who owns Nevada brothel

Geoff Arnold says that even though business is down at Donna's Ranch, the 139-year-old Nevada brothel he owns, he'd rather have his money there than in the stock market.

"We're off, but everybody's off," said Arnold, who has a day job as a certified public accountant in Boise. "Someone came up to me joking that 10 businesses do well in a recession. I'm in two of them."

About a dozen years ago, he plunked down more than $1 million to buy Donna's, one of about 25 legal brothels in Nevada. Donna's is housed in a modest, single-story building with a leaky roof and colorful history about 115 miles south of Twin Falls.

Arnold also owns a second brothel in Battle Mountain, Nev., and is president of the state brothel association.

He also served a term as president of the Elko Chamber of Commerce.

"We still have a positive bottom line," Arnold told the Idaho Statesman, though he estimates business is down by 20 percent.

Unlike other local businesses he sees - the furniture stores, the car dealerships - Donna's hasn't cut anyone's salary, or laid anyone off.

The services brothels provide will always be in demand, even in hard times, he said.

"People wanting these kinds of relationships never change," Arnold said. "It's not just sex. It's really common for the guys to want companionship, listening and touching. That's essential to mental health."

COMFORT: IT'S ABOUT DIESEL PRICES

Patrons are economizing as they seek comfort, though - mental or otherwise.

Most are opting for a quick, 15-minute encounter, house minimum $100, rather than the "high value parties," fantasy rooms, threesomes and hot tubs that can run $3,000 a night.

The situation was especially bad this summer when diesel prices reached a record high. News of Nevada's troubled bordellos hit news wires around the world. "The subject is titillating," Arnold said.

Unlike brothels outside cities like Las Vegas and Reno that get a steady stream of conventioneers, 80 percent of Arnold's customers are blue-collar, long-haul truckers.

The success of country brothels is directly linked to the cost of diesel fuel. When it's high, truckers don't spend as much money at the ranch.

The women who work there feel those cuts the most.

Bartender Gayle Salinas' pay is linked to how much the prostitutes make. She usually takes home $50 in tips. This summer, she was pocketing about $12.

One employee, Amy, who's in her early 50s, once made enough to pay cash for a $32,000 Toyota Tacoma. Lately, she's struggled to pay her $1,200 mortgage, even as everyone is optimistic about falling diesel prices.

What she wistfully terms "the good old days" - when she could meet up to 13 men a day and afford to turn down customers - are gone.

In good times, a woman working for Arnold takes home an average of $3,000 a week, he said. Now, take-home pay is closer to $2,000.

Women pay for their own weekly, legally mandated medical checkups, which cost $50 - $90 if blood is drawn for an HIV and syphilis test. They buy their own condoms.

The house takes a 50 percent cut in exchange for providing room, board, telephone, utilities and other services.

"Our expenses look exactly like those for a sorority house at the University of Idaho," Arnold said.

From 2006 to 2007, the brothel's revenue climbed 7.6 percent, to about $1 million. In 2008, Arnold expects to make about $200,000 less. He's already planning to give up his winter paycheck. This works for him, because his tax preparation business increases in the winter.

Even without a recession, winter is a slow time in the brothel business. There's less cattle and produce to haul. And if the weather is bad, truckers take a southern route and bypass Donna's.

TIPS ARE APPRECIATED

Though his brothels are hanging on, Arnold has noticed some changes since the troubled economy became big news.

There's more on-site theft at the ranch. Cleaning supplies and a whole side of beef have disappeared. His manager has resorted to cutting coupons. And he makes sure to do all his food shopping for the houses at bargain spots like the Boise Costco.

In tough times, Arnold gets more calls than usual from women interested in entering the field.

"If the economy goes completely in the tank, then women all over are trying to make ends meet, trying to support their kids," he said.

Arnold got into the field himself because of the money. He was the accountant for Donna's Ranch for 17 years before deciding to buy it. He thought Donna's, which claims to be the longest-running bordello in the West, was a solid business, easy to run, with a good cash flow.

"When the chance came up to buy it, I thought, 'If I don't, I'll kick myself forever,' " he said.

He got permission from the state Boards of Accountancy in Nevada and Idaho and made his investment.

"We've been through a lot of recessions in 139 years," he said. "In that time, Donna's has never closed."

Arnold is unmarried. He has three grown sons and is serious enough about his photography that his picture of Canadian planes flying in formation brought in a $1,000 bid at a local charity auction for Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Those in his social circle accept his nontraditional profession, he said. "Most of the people I know don't care," he said. "Or it's a joke to them."

He gives frequent tours of the brothel to men and women, friends in Boise who come home with "big bragging rights," and attendees of the annual car show and senior pro rodeo in Wells. Donna's Ranch is a major supporter of both events.

Arnold is also proud that Donna's has made donations to light the field at Wells High School and buy bats for the school baseball team.

So far, the troubled economy hasn't made Donna's cut back on any of its donations.

Like 24-hour delis in New York City, there's no lock on the door at the ranch. A sign outside depicts a cowboy-hatted brunette atop a truck bed.

Inside, a handmade sign reminds customers: "Tips are appreciated."

Anna Webb: 377-6431