LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- While a newly released book paints Las vegas as the nation's epicenter for prostitution, Mayor Oscar Goodman is once again asserting that there should be dialogue about the possibility of legalizing prostitution.

The affable mayor made his comments Thursday on the heels of the release of a book entitled "Prostitution and Human Trafficking in Nevada: Making the Connections" Wednesday. The book fingered Las Vegas as the chief hotbed for North American prostitution and human trafficking. It also espoused that legalizing prostitution will not decrease organized crime, rape and diseases.

Goodman said there would be some financial benefits to legalizing prostitution within the city limits, but it is something that should be discussed openly.

"My personal view -- it's a legitimate topic to discuss," Goodman said. "I think smart people should not be ostriches, should not be disingenuous. They should recognize there is plenty of prostitution throughout this land."

Goodman also said he does not think city residents are ready to legalize prostitution.