Fox News recently reported that 23 states are considering plans to drug test welfare recipients as a prerequisite to receiving tax payer funded financial aid. Wyoming is considering such a measure and Speaker of the House Ed Buchanan had this to say;
"The idea, from Joe Taxpayer is, `I don't mind helping you out, but you need to show that you're looking for work, or better yet that you're employed, and that you're drug and alcohol free,"'While I applaud those that want to actually do something to bring fraud and plain old fashioned laziness under control it will be an uphill battle. People receiving entitlements are going to feign their indignation at having to undergo what they will call a humiliating invasion of their rights. In reality this sort of thing has been attempted before only to have groups such as the ACLU bring suit against any who dare to try to get run away social programs under control. While it is a common misconception that everyone on welfare is using drugs those of us paying the taxes to fund these programs would sure feel better if we knew that the “hand up” as it were was actually going to people that have a desire to help themselves and not become lifelong abusers of the numerous programs that are designed to help the needy. What is ironic is that it seems the “real” needy continue to be needy and the lazy and greedy seem to be able to work the system to never get off the public dole.
No matter what your opinion of mandated drug testing it is obvious that some revamping of our social entitlement programs needs to be looked at. Are you listening Montana legislators?
While i agree that entitlement may very well need adjusting, you cant just single out the poor. The middle class is the biggest recipient of entitlements (welfare). For instance, how would you like to be drug tested before you took your mortgage interest deduction or draw a social security check?
ReplyDeleteMy vote would be, either everyone that gets anything from the government gets tested, or nobody.
You can belittle the poor shmuck that gets a few hundered dollars a month in foodstamps, but we all know people who make great livings on the backs of taxpayers because they stubed their toe on a railroad track.
Perhaps our reps should study the Florida experience.
ReplyDeletehttp://www2.tbo.com/news/politics/2011/aug/24/3/welfare-drug-testing-yields-2-percent-positive-res-ar-252458/
Less than 2% of persons tested were positive for drugs-far less than the general population.
The state did absorb the costs of the tests at $30 a shot.
This is not about saving money. This is actually an imposition of religious values- particularly the misinformation and disinformation promoted by the Alcoholics Anonymous faith and the $20 billion dollar a year recovery industry- 'treating' a 'disease' that does not exist.
It would be far better to get a down an out person a job than a drug test.ps the powers that be should look
Look you have to take a drug test to work on a drill rig, and it is the same with other situations I know. So why should welfare queens get special treatment
ReplyDeleteYou are most likely right Decon. I doubt a larger percentage of welfare recipients use drugs than regular working people.
ReplyDeleteOne thing this testing would do is make the people funding all these programs know for sure they aren’t using their hard earned money for drugs. Why is that not enough reason to do it? No would force them to take a drug test. They would voluntarily take it to get their check
I would add that before the creation of the welfare state, assistance was given through social groups that looked after each other. The advantage there was that all paid in when they could, and drew from it when they needed it.
ReplyDeleteIt also was a deterrent to cheating, since your neighbors saw what you were doing, and how you were spending the money that they all contributed. Now, the faceless blob of the government has replaced those neighbors, and there no longer is a stigma associated with the abuse of the system. In fact, there is a mentality of get it while you can and screw everyone else.
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ReplyDeleteIn Montana, marijuana is a legal drug for those people with a prescription Fred. Do you think it is wise for the government to step in between a doctor and financial assistance?
ReplyDeleteI personally would donate more money than I do now to the ACLU to fight this.
This would be long court fight and the state would lose. Additionally, since people in need of public assistance do not have any money, they really cannot afford many drugs, and certainly not good ones.
Once again this is the posturing for the hardcore right. Perhaps they should consider than by out Rush Limabaughing each other, and their constant obstruction of legislation over the last few years, the blaming of Obama for Bushes stupidity the electorate will give them all walking papers.
In the nest election, you will see a Democratic Prez, a democratic senate -complete with one Jon Tester, and a democratic house.
The republicans can spin things all they want, but they dug themselves into a very deep hole, and instead of stopping, they are bringing in excavators to dig it deeper.
Dear Deconstructor. If we do see a democratic senate, house, and presidency. The only positive thing I can say is this country will fall apart sooner than later. I'm thinking it's time to start fixing things, I don't see that happening with the Democrats.
ReplyDeleteDear Deconstructor. If we do see a democratic senate, house, and presidency. The only positive thing I can say is this country will fall apart sooner than later. I'm thinking it's time to start fixing things, I don't see that happening with the Democrats.
ReplyDeleteI am beginning to think like everyone else. Why do I even bother going to work I could be sleeping in every day without a care in the world? I would do a drug test for free room and board and a small stipend.
ReplyDeleteActually the worst case of welfare is government farm subsidies.
ReplyDeleteRepublicans should actually stop pandering and posturing to the 1%, as the 99% are going to vote, and they are not going to vote for a party that continues to do anything they can possibly think of to make poor peoples lives even harder.
It would be quite refreshing to see some of the tea baggers support the immediate stopping of all of farm subsidy payments contributing to the giant sucking sound they continue to complain about.
I would also support drug testing all of these farmers, many of them millionaires, looking for a government handout.
I would go for the farmers getting tested to get their check also Deconstructor along with the welfare people and the rest.
ReplyDeleteEveryone that gets a government check. Not just those I judge like you are doing with no ACLU help needed