Mandatory drug testing

Poorboy

Expert Expediter
From K-100 FM radio in Toledo Effective July 1st. 2011 people applying for welfare in Florida will have to submit to a drug test prior to being granted welfare which is a darn good idea. If that's true then how long before the rest of the states follow suit if any? :D
 

jjoerger

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
US Army
And the person applying for aid has to pay for their own test.
Let's hear it for Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature.
 

Dakota

Veteran Expediter
Awesome, why should tax payers have to pay for someone's drug habit. I hope other states follow suit.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
Dems are against it, but not all of them. Some Republicans are against it, too. Blanket drug testing in unconstitutional, and that's why some are against it. This will be challenged in court, and the law will be overturned, just like the 1999 law in Michigan was. The Michigan law tried to get around it because they were doing random testing for welfare applicants, but it was still a targeted blanketing. The Florida law is just straight up blanket testing, and it doesn't stand a chance to a constitutional challenge.

Florida is trying to use a pilot program they did a while back as justification, in order to get around the legal challenges. As part of a pilot program in Jacksonville and parts of Putnam County from 1998 to 2001, 8,797 people applying or receiving welfare benefits were drug tested. Of those, 335 tested positive, according to a Senate analysis of the bill. But that's less than four percent, not nearly enough to make a case for blanket testing. Nor does it come anywhere near the stereotypical percentages that many conservatives believe that welfare recipients are using drugs.

Governor Scott said he wants to provide people with an incentive not to use drugs, and most importantly, to ensure that welfare funds go to their primary target – to disadvantaged children, because, you know, it's always all about the chiiiildren. No comment from the Governor as to whether or not he thinks children of drug addicted parents are disadvantaged.

The funny thing about this issue is the conservatives who rail on poor people for their crack, meth and pot use, will do so while driving to the pharmacy to fill their prescriptions for Xanax and Lortab. <snort> It's not about welfare recipients being on drugs, it's about blaming the poor for all of our problems.
 

jjoerger

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
US Army
As part of a pilot program in Jacksonville and parts of Putnam County from 1998 to 2001, 8,797 people applying or receiving welfare benefits were drug tested. Of those, 335 tested positive, according to a Senate analysis of the bill. But that's less than four percent, not nearly enough to make a case for blanket testing. Nor does it come anywhere near the stereotypical percentages that many conservatives believe that welfare recipients are using drugs.

Maybe that's because the people who knew they would fail didn't bother to apply.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
Maybe that's because the people who knew they would fail didn't bother to apply.
Maybe, but it was a double-blind study and the participants all knew that (A) whatever the results of their tests would be it would have no impact on their benefits, and (B) test results weren't matched up to recipients, anyway. So even if they did fail, it didn't matter.
 

LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Good law. Proper. Correct. As it should be. No wonder the abhorrent criminal lovers union objects to it.
 

tbubster

Seasoned Expediter
for me its not about being poor.when someone is in need you help if you can thats what still makes this country great.but every job ive ever had i had to use the cup first.so when someone gets to use my tax dollars to pay for their bills then they should have to use that cup to.as far as the 4% goes for me thats to high of a number for my liking.
if any of them had a brain(the left or the right)they would make a deal.keep the whole insurance thing but drug testing is mandatory on a federal level for anyone seeking welfar!just my thought!:eek:
 

Poorboy

Expert Expediter
Dems are against it, but not all of them. Some Republicans are against it, too. Blanket drug testing in unconstitutional, and that's why some are against it. This will be challenged in court, and the law will be overturned, just like the 1999 law in Michigan was. The Michigan law tried to get around it because they were doing random testing for welfare applicants, but it was still a targeted blanketing. The Florida law is just straight up blanket testing, and it doesn't stand a chance to a constitutional challenge.

Florida is trying to use a pilot program they did a while back as justification, in order to get around the legal challenges. As part of a pilot program in Jacksonville and parts of Putnam County from 1998 to 2001, 8,797 people applying or receiving welfare benefits were drug tested. Of those, 335 tested positive, according to a Senate analysis of the bill. But that's less than four percent, not nearly enough to make a case for blanket testing. Nor does it come anywhere near the stereotypical percentages that many conservatives believe that welfare recipients are using drugs.

Governor Scott said he wants to provide people with an incentive not to use drugs, and most importantly, to ensure that welfare funds go to their primary target – to disadvantaged children, because, you know, it's always all about the chiiiildren. No comment from the Governor as to whether or not he thinks children of drug addicted parents are disadvantaged.

The funny thing about this issue is the conservatives who rail on poor people for their crack, meth and pot use, will do so while driving to the pharmacy to fill their prescriptions for Xanax and Lortab. <snort> It's not about welfare recipients being on drugs, it's about blaming the poor for all of our problems.

All the article mentioned was that state Dems were against it and nothing about the Republicans. I imagine that there are some repubs against it as well but it wasn't stated so I have no way of knowing:D
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
All the article mentioned was that state Dems were against it and nothing about the Republicans. I imagine that there are some repubs against it as well but it wasn't stated so I have no way of knowing:D
Well, I chose not to confine my knowledge on the subject to just that one article. :)
 

AMonger

Veteran Expediter
Blanket drug testing in unconstitutional, and that's why some are against it. This will be challenged in court, and the law will be overturned, just like the 1999 law in Michigan was..

Why? Drivers are blanket-tested, and that's been upheld. Compelling drivers to sign a logbook that can be used as evidence against them is unconstitutional, but it's been upheld.
Governor Scott said he wants to provide people with an incentive not to use drugs, and most importantly, to ensure that welfare funds go to their primary target to disadvantaged children,

Why don't we do the only constitutional thing and abolish all wealth redistribution? Leave poverty relief where it belongs: in the hands of private charity. Problem solved.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
Why? Drivers are blanket-tested, and that's been upheld. Compelling drivers to sign a logbook that can be used as evidence against them is unconstitutional, but it's been upheld.
The overriding factor is the safety of the public.

Why don't we do the only constitutional thing and abolish all wealth redistribution? Leave poverty relief where it belongs: in the hands of private charity. Problem solved.
I agree. You start.
 
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