Drug testing for Welfare payments

[Hobbes]

Regarding the $30-$35 cost of the tests in Florida, the company that received the contract to perform the testing is a company that Florida governor Rick Scott helped found and is currently managed by close associates of the governor.
That might have something to do with the cost.

Now, in Oklahoma, there is just no way this would save money because they have already said that if a recipient tests positive the money from the state would instead be given to sober relatives to manage.
They're not talking about cutting people off the rolls.

The best case you can make is that even though it would cost more it would benefit child dependents in that more of the money would be directed toward their welfare instead of addiction spending.
If that is true, then it just might be worth the extra costs involved in the long run.

I just have a basic objection to the government promoting drug testing for the same reasons I object to a lot of other things the government gets involved in.
It will creep into more and more peoples lives just like everything else.

 

[Dexcheque]

I firmly believe that drug use should not be illegal. The gov't ( or anyone else) does not have the right to say what a person may or may not do to ones' self. As long as you are only hurting yourself, it shouldn't be anyone else's business.

That being said, I have a job with a salary out of which the gov't demands taxes to pay for welfare and other social "entitlements". The money I earn that pays for those entitlements requires that I be willing to stop what I'm doing and pee in a cup anytime my employers so desire. Why should a welfare recipient receiving a "wage" for doing nothing be above those funding the system?

If this passes, there will most assuredly be children that suffer. Unfortunately, there are children that are suffering right now with the status quo. It isn't right nor is it fair, but should we enable the cycle to continue?

There needs to be a complete overhaul of the system. While I don't see it ever happening, the whole "entitlement" mindset needs to be stopped. Welfare was actually designed as a stop-gap measure to help while one was getting back on one's feet. NOT a lifestyle. This bill should absolutely pass, and it should be just the first part of widespread reforms.

 

[dutchwrangler]

What property are we talking about? I thought we were talking about Urine...and if thats the case, the government is more than welcome to come on over and take all they want. Fresh from the souce...

As I was replying to points in relation to programs that are from the fed.gov, those programs are unconstitutional as they are not enumerated in Article, Section 8 of the Constitution. Thus the money stolen from said programs are wrongly taken. That money is property. Very simple concept to understand.

 

[soonersfan]

Society has no moral or ethical duty IMO to support anyone except in cases where one is incapable of doing for one's self due to mental or physical handicap one is born with.

I think society could do this just fine without any government intervention too. I actually think there is enough charity out there to care for those who actually need it. However, as long as we are paying the .gov to get it done, private organizations are not going to duplicate the effort. I also think private charity would do a much better job of holding people accountable and getting the help to those who actually need it, not those who are trying to work the system

 

[UnSafe]

Damn, this thread grew legs quickly. Cards81fan, you make good points, and yes, this may be a political stunt that appeals to anyone (Me) that's frustrated with those that are part of the welfare culture and tend to abuse the hand offered to them. I still believe that there should be harsher penalties for welfare/ medicaid abuse and fraud. Problem is, just like insurance fraud, that it can be hard and labor intensive to catch someone with the "Smoking gun"- video/ credible witness testimony, etc.. And the Medicaid & DHS workers I've met aren't quite Sherlock Holmes material.

I was looking at a motorcycle parts vendor's website today- Choppers R Us, and saw a link to a website "How to pass a drug test" http://www.ipassedmydrugtest.com/ . If true, so much for the whole drug test for welfare thing.

 

[dutchwrangler]

The question I keep bringing up, even at the state level... what is the purpose of government? Seems nobody wants to provide an answer. I read of doing this, doing that, doing whatever it takes to make recipients of welfare behave accordingly in order to receive money. Where the hell is this money coming from? It comes from those who work like slaves to survive. It's stolen from me. From my friends. From my neighbors. Someone on this forum, please provide the moral justification of taking from those who produce and give it to those who produce nothing. Please justify theft.

 

[inactive]

The question I keep bringing up, even at the state level... what is the purpose of government? Seems nobody wants to provide an answer. I read of doing this, doing that, doing whatever it takes to make recipients of welfare behave accordingly in order to receive money. Where the hell is this money coming from? It comes from those who work like slaves to survive. It's stolen from me. From my friends. From my neighbors. Someone on this forum, please provide the moral justification of taking from those who produce and give it to those who produce nothing. Please justify theft.

Because it enslaves both you and the entitled to the politicians. And the drug test is lip service to you, while providing one more level of control over the entitled. It's a win-win for those in charge.

 

[dutchwrangler]

Because it enslaves both you and the entitled to the politicians. And the drug test is lip service to you, while providing one more level of control over the entitled. It's a win-win for those in charge.

I know it. You know it. And a few others know it. Pity that few people on a 2A forum know it.

Here's the answer... the only legitimate purpose of government is to protect the individual's right to Life, Liberty & Property. The sooner people understand this the sooner they can stand before the Creator and say they were not complicite in theft. Each and every person who supports any and all government welfare is guilty of theft. You give coercive theft credence if you don't object. This is a fact that none can refute. Christian nation? Not so much...

 

[Isha's Pa Pa]

Do we pose these same requirements to the elderly drawing SSI? I've yet to see anyone pose an answer.

See now you are bringing SSI into the picture it says now where in the article about people on SSI
It says welfare recipients ! And I think everyone is missing the point here if people want to use
drugs then they need to find there own money to buy it with instaed tax payer money !
No matter what argument you come up with about the Goverenment has no right to do drug testing
The fact of the matter is if you are on assitance welfare and you are able to work and choose not
to and draw money off of the goverenment then you should be subject to the test !
This is a way to weed out some of the people that don't need to be on it in the first place and save money !
No matter what argument you bring up it will not change the majority of the people's thinking on this.
If people are on assistance and dont want to work then if they are doing drugs then they should loose
there benifits enough is enough why should tax payers have to pay for able body people who choose not to work
and live off of the system and use money to buy drugs with money provided by us the tax payers !
You know what if you want to stay on the system then quit doing drugs problem solved !
JMHO

 

[inactive]

I think you missed a lot of discussion that occurred between my post you quoted in your reply, and your reply.