drug testing for welfare recipients

[loumeinhart 0]

http://www.seattlepi.com/default/article/States-eye-drug-tests-for-welfare-recipients-1374095.php#page-2

I googled the article after catching this on the Maddow show last night.

There are plenty of unanswered questions like cost/savings over time.

Thoughts?

[VTmotoMike08 0]

4 pages of reading

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=3786686;page=1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25;

[loumeinhart 0]

Thanks Moto, Apparently my pre-post search was not thorough enough.

[Krip 2]

Hi lou

Why only test welfare recipients?

Let's test everyone thats working in critical positions also for "Drugs" booze and meds.

Dr's, Lawyers, Airline pilots, School teacher's, Oil tanker captains, School bus drivers, Judges etc etc etc

R.I.P.

One Jump Wonder

[Amazon 7]

Quote

Hi lou

Why only test welfare recipients?

Let's test everyone thats working in critical positions also for "Drugs" booze and meds.

Dr's, Lawyers, Airline pilots, School teacher's, Oil tanker captains, School bus drivers, Judges etc etc etc

R.I.P.

It's THE consevetard thing to do

[freethefly 6]

Quote

Hi lou

Why only test welfare recipients?

Let's test everyone thats working in critical positions also for "Drugs" booze and meds.

Dr's, Lawyers, Airline pilots, School teacher's, Oil tanker captains, School bus drivers, Judges etc etc etc

R.I.P.

Why stop there? Let's slide further down the slippery slope and do roadside drug testing. Pop positive and lose your drivers license for a year. Just think how much safer the roads will be after taking 100 million pot smokers out from behind the wheel.
Let's go even further down the slide and test people who ride bicycles to work. Let's get them off of the bike paths that our taxes pay for.
And why stop there? There has to be several hundred more reasons to test the entire population. You know, we got to keep the sheep in the line.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[rhaig 0]

Quote

Hi lou

Why only test welfare recipients?

Let's test everyone thats working in critical positions also for "Drugs" booze and meds.

Dr's, Lawyers, Airline pilots, School teacher's, Oil tanker captains, School bus drivers, Judges etc etc etc

R.I.P.

employers can already drug test their employees as a condition of employment. For several of the positions you list, there are already laws in place preventing them from being intoxicated while performing their duties. If their employers are ok with letting them have their personal time all to themselves and spending their salary on drugs, that's between them and their employees.

The point being made here is that welfare recipients are being paid by the tax payers. Their job is to get themselves back on their feet, and find another job so that they may exit the welfare system. Those that don't do that are stealing from their employer just as you would be if you went to work, collected a paycheck, and did nothing but troll on dz.com all day from the company network.

Some welfare recipients have other issues going on that keep them from being employed. Not everyone on welfare is abusing the system. But some are, and it is a very easy system to abuse.

Would I support random drug tests for those on welfare? Put a time limit on it and randomize it. I don't know what the average time on welfare is, but I'd say halfway through whatever time period that is, randomly test 5% of the recipients who haven't been tested in the past 60 days.

and yes, if my employer wanted to put the same policy on me (5% of employees would be tested at most every 60 days) I'd either piss in the cup, or find a different employer.

--
Rob

[Bertt 0]

Yeah, lawyers.

You don't have to outrun the bear.

[loumeinhart 0]

Quote

It's THE consevetard thing to do

Funny how I didn't even take a position on this. And you just throw up a funny word mixing the words "conservative" and "retarded" and creating a hybrid called "conservetard" - implying that someone with conservative values is also mentally retarded.

Thank you for your substantive contribution to the internet



.

[freethefly 6]

Quote

Quote

It's THE consevetard thing to do

Funny how I didn't even take a position on this. And you just throw up a funny word mixing the words "conservative" and "retarded" and creating a hybrid called "conservetard" - implying that someone with conservative values is also mentally retarded.

Thank you for your substantive contribution to the internet



.

That word has been around long before it was used here on dz.com and the internet.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[loumeinhart 0]

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That word has been around long before it was used here on dz.com and the internet.

No kidding

[kallend 2,146]

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.

The point being made here is that welfare recipients are being paid by the tax payers.

Let the person who has never benefited from ANYTHING supported by taxpayer $$$ be exempted then. All others get tested. Went to state school or university - get tested. Travel on public roads, get tested. Travel on public transport - get tested. Fly out of a publicly funded airport - get tested. Live in a town with a police and/or fire department - get tested. File a lawsuit - get tested...

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[rehmwa 2]

I love that tactic where you may only take one of two extreme positions. or similar tactic

it's a lot of fun - well played

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[SkyDekker 1,465]

I'm still not sure what drug testing a welfare recipient is going to accomplish.

Do people think there is going to be some kind of savings? To me it sounds like one of those soundbites people like to throw around without actually thinking too much about it.

[Krip 2]

Hi

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Bingo!!!

It's a SC kind of thing.

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Do people think there is going to be some kind of savings? To me it sounds like one of those soundbites people like to throw around without actually thinking too much about it.

One Jump Wonder

[marks2065 0]

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I'm still not sure what drug testing a welfare recipient is going to accomplish.

Do people think there is going to be some kind of savings? To me it sounds like one of those soundbites people like to throw around without actually thinking too much about it.

The only ones I think should be tested are the ones taking money they didn't earn, If you earned the money you should be able to do whatever you want with it.

[rhaig 0]

Quote

Quote

.

The point being made here is that welfare recipients are being paid by the tax payers.

Let the person who has never benefited from ANYTHING supported by taxpayer $$$ be exempted then. All others get tested. Went to state school or university - get tested. Travel on public roads, get tested. Travel on public transport - get tested. Fly out of a publicly funded airport - get tested. Live in a town with a police and/or fire department - get tested. File a lawsuit - get tested...

do any of the above without paying taxes currently? get tested.

paying taxes is paying for all the above services. welfare is free money to help people get out of a bad situation.

I'd figured you'd have thought through your kneejerk response a little more.

--
Rob

[rehmwa 2]

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I'm still not sure what drug testing a welfare recipient is going to accomplish.

well, we can create a whole new system of testing and checks and followups - with an entirely new department, and group of trough eaters to go with it

some politicians like to call that a 'jobs program'

since it's government expense, at least it's FREE


the concept is great (stay off drugs or no bennies). but the application is pretty much impossible

but - good concepts that can't be enforced are politicians specialties!!!!

I'm very excited

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[rhaig 0]

Quote

I'm still not sure what drug testing a welfare recipient is going to accomplish.

Do people think there is going to be some kind of savings? To me it sounds like one of those soundbites people like to throw around without actually thinking too much about it.

people using welfare money to buy drugs perhaps shouldn't be on welfare if they have so much extra money that they can afford to buy drugs.

immediate savings? no. the testing and administrative costs are an immediate outflow. Long term savings? possibly, after discouraging drug users from abusing the system. Political win for someone? likely.

--
Rob

[SkyDekker 1,465]

Excellent idea, and since people on welfare need jobs, they could be the ones staffing this new department....

it is all starting to make sense now...

[SkyDekker 1,465]

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people using welfare money to buy drugs perhaps shouldn't be on welfare if they have so much extra money that they can afford to buy drugs.

immediate savings? no. the testing and administrative costs are an immediate outflow. Long term savings? possibly, after discouraging drug users from abusing the system. Political win for someone? likely.

Lol, there is no way in hell there would be any long term savings.

[freethefly 6]

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I'm still not sure what drug testing a welfare recipient is going to accomplish.

Mostly, it would accomplish nothing. Most recipients are single parent households. If a mother pops positive for THC, the denial of funds would take food from the mouths of her children. As welfare benefits are no longer doled out in the form of a check, but a debit card that can not be transferred and used only for certain food items the only people who would benefit from such a law is the drug testing industry. Such laws would be a boom for said industry. Those who would stand to lose are the people who will be paying for the test - the taxpayers.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[freethefly 6]

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people using welfare money to buy drugs perhaps shouldn't be on welfare if they have so much extra money that they can afford to buy drugs.

Show me how people are using welfare money to buy drugs?
In the past welfare was doled out in the form of a check. That system was widely abused. The State debit card addressed this issue of abuse. The debit card allows for only certain items to be purchased. Hence, no tobacco, alcohol (the most widely abused drug in the U.S.), or non-nutritional food items. It does allow for hygiene products, but no DVD rentals or any other type of entertainment items.
Also, who is to say that the marijuana (or other drugs such as alcohol, tobacco, or crack) was purchased with a welfare debit card? As far as I know, drug dealers do not accept this type of payment. Also, one most produce identification to use the cards.
This is "feel good, I'm tough on crime" knee jerk legislation that has been kicked around for more than 20 years.
I say, let's drug test politicians on a daily basis. Not only for drugs, but for alcohol, tobacco products, as well as for unhealthy, fattening food. A fair number of them in MO. have been busted over the years. They receive tax dollars, they need to be held to a higher standard if they wish to test the rest of us and stay in their cushioned jobs.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[kelpdiver 2]

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Show me how people are using welfare money to buy drugs?

easy substitution - other money that would have been spent on rent and food can now be spent on drugs.

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This is "feel good, I'm tough on crime" knee jerk legislation that has been kicked around for more than 20 years.

nonetheless, this point is still 100% true. Testing welfare recipients is sound bite legislation. It won't accomplish savings, will in fact cost more money overall. It won't stop drug use.

[rhaig 0]

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Lol, there is no way in hell there would be any long term savings.

I see you have a time machine. Or flawed logic that you can't explain (thus the absence of explanation).

I don't doubt the possibility of a lack of long term savings. Note the word "possibly" in my post. I'm sure you know what it means, or have the means to discover that information.

Even if it costs extra, but discourages drug use by those on the government teat, perhaps encouraging some to get off of welfare, wouldn't that be worth it? Or are you content to see people with no ambition to improve themselves beyond apathetically living off of others???

--
Rob