Welfare Drug Testing

[Fourtyfive]

Just saw it on WSMV , the only people tested for drug use to qualify for welfare under the new law are the ones that ADMIT they use illegal drugs ! F'ing really!

[RED333]

I have to take the test random and if I get hurt on the job to keep works comp.

I am offended and my rights are taken away from me, do I have a leg to stand on, NO!!!

So why do teet suckers get a free pass???

[peejman]

I too have a "pee in a cup" job. I wouldn't be opposed to drug testing and birth control for welfare recipients.

[raildog]

I think anyone who gets welfare or any kind of government hand out needs to be drug tested monthly and put on some kind of medical castrashion I'm sick and tired of paying everyone else's way

Rant over

[I am Groot!]

They need to loose your right to vote all well. As a nonproductive member of this Nation, they only vote for who is willing to keep them in welfare and food stamps. Edited February 10, 2015 by Odessa7979

[Grand Torino]

I think anyone who gets welfare or any kind of government hand out needs to be drug tested monthly and put on some kind of medical castrashion I'm sick and tired of paying everyone else's way

Rant over

I'm with you. I guess in the Administration's eyes that would make us both racist.

[john455]

I agree they should be tested monthly with a unannounced home visit test thrown in every 6 months, and if they fail no benefits for 1 year first time then perminate DQ if they fail another, and I am on disability have been for about a year due to 3 blown disks in my back, and worn out knees from 20 yrs of trimming tree's for power lines. I would have no problem at all being drug tested!

[Murgatroy]

So what happens after they fail a drug test?

 

They lose all their benefits, right?

 

No food, no home, no medical, nothing.

 

What do they do then? Rob, steal, etc... Then they go to prison and we still wind up paying for them.

 

 

 

The problem is the institution and what it has become, three, four generations living on the dole and knowing all the ins and outs. If the system were overhauled to be beneficial, it would enable these folk to empower themselves and better themselves. As it is now, the system IS a career choice.

Edited February 10, 2015 by Murgatroy

[I am Groot!]

So what happens after they fail a drug test?
 
They lose all their benefits, right?
 
No food, no home, no medical, nothing.
 
What do they do then? Rob, steal, etc... Then they go to prison and we still wind up paying for them.
 
 
 
The problem is the institution and what it has become, three, four generations living on the dole and knowing all the ins and outs. If the system were overhauled to be beneficial, it would enable these folk to empower themselves and better themselves. As it is now, the system IS a career choice.

I agree, there needs to be tangible consequences designed to help these people. There are jobs that people do not want to do, that most of these people are capable of doing. Then if they do not want to work, they are choosing to not feed them selves and their families.

I graduated collage the summer right before 9/11 and I could not find a job. I washed coke machines with a degree from Vanderbilt University for 4 months before I could find a job. It sucked at the time, but it is one of the things I am most proud of. I did not move I with my parents and I took nothing from any one else. When I here about people that can't find work, I remember washing coke machines and think there is always work to be done. You get hungry enough and have enough pride you will find a job. It may not be the job you want, but it is better than sitting on your ass taking form others.

There are always people that cannot work due to physical and mental disabilities, but these people are the exception not the rule.

[Fourtyfive]

Oh , maybe I'm the first to say this country has gone to s::t , no ? What can we do to take our country and money back ? What is the answer ? Really , what is the answer ?

[raildog]

I'm with you. I guess in the Administration's eyes that would make us both racist.

I'm not a racist. I'm a biget I hate everyone equal. If a human being of well mind and body is not productive they are a failure. I grew up in a small town on the Tennessee/Alabama state line no jobs no education no future. My senior year of high school i was able to graduate at cristmas break took my deploma and joined the United States Army and left since then i have returned home 3 times in 16 years i made somethingof my self why can't any one else do it because the have no pride or dignity for there selfs. This of all subjects just burns my biscuits I don't believe in handouts from the government because it is not the GOVERNMENT'S to hand out it is the WORKING CLASSES money they are giving away Edited February 10, 2015 by raildog

[peejman]

So what happens after they fail a drug test?

 

They lose all their benefits, right?

 

No food, no home, no medical, nothing.

 

What do they do then? Rob, steal, etc... Then they go to prison and we still wind up paying for them.

 

 

 

The problem is the institution and what it has become, three, four generations living on the dole and knowing all the ins and outs. If the system were overhauled to be beneficial, it would enable these folk to empower themselves and better themselves. As it is now, the system IS a career choice.

 

 

Debtor's prison?  Indentured servitude? 

 

 

I'm only kinda serious.  I think welfare as a government service should be dissolved and given to private entities to manage... specifically churches. 

Edited February 10, 2015 by peejman

[Dirtshooter]

Debtor's prison?  Indentured servitude? 

 

 

I'm only kinda serious.  I think welfare as a government service should be dissolved and given to private entities to manage... specifically churches. 

Peeman gets the prize. A long time ago before gov't welfare the church, families and friends took care of people in need. I am sorry, but if you are able bodied you need to be working. 2 Thes. 3:10 says if any would not work, neither should he eat. Plain and simple folks. I recently retired and there is no telling how much money my employers spent to drug and alcohol test me over the years. I never understood why the workers paying the taxes should be drug tested and the freeloaders not be tested. I have no problem helping those that can't work for a mental or physical problem, but the freeloaders would be picking up trash off of the roads and doing all sorts of WORK. That is the problem, there are a bunch of lazy, babied people that don't know the meaning of getting up at 3am. and getting back home at 8pm, working in the rain, cold etc. Sorry for the rant, but one thing I can't stand is lazy!!

Edited February 11, 2015 by Dirtshooter

[kckndrgn]

Didn't FL try this, passed the law but then the courts ruled it was an unconstitutional search?   I'm sorry, but if you want your government hand out, you need to piss in the cup.  Don't want to get drug tested, then don't take the money.

 

The real problem is that we have families that are 2 or 3 generations on welfare.  No one in the family has ever had a job, just lived off the government tit.  I say, in addition to drug tests, if you are not on disability, then limit the time you can draw welfare.  Max of a couple of years, regardless of the number of kids you pop out.  I have an aunt, that when she was younger told her family that she was going to have another kid just so she could stay on welfare longer.  Since her first had just turned 16, she had another, then another just to keep from working.   This same aunt would buy an item, like a curling iron, put her old one in the box and seal it back up then return it for a refund. 

[leroy]

The fact of the matter is that there is a battle raging in this country between those who do work and those who don't... We all know who is who... We've heard the baloney and demagoguery from both political parties about the "safety net" and "compassionate conservatism"; all to buy votes and to pander to various constituencies... For the first time in this nation's history, the "non working class" united with disgruntled folks and elected a president who was non-abashedly anti-american...

 

This is a serious problem and needs to be attended to... Even the great "Bubba" Clinton realized the welfare thing was out of hand... I say we need to take care of those who genuinely need help; but we need to put conditions on that help... We simply need to eliminate the "freeloaders" and "career welfare recipients"...period... The drug testing thing is a step in the right direction... Another step is the requirement to continuously look for a job while on assistance; along with appropriate job training... I predict ya will see more and more of these things...

 

The sixties hippies did this country a great dis-service (...along with the great god Roosevelt; and that greatest of vote buyers, LBJ; with his "war on poverty"...) when they made "the dole" acceptable and inculcated the "...im ok-your ok..." philosophy into pop culture... My grandparents and parents thought "bein on the dole" was a disgrace... I do too; but there are many who don't and will get militant when the subject is brought up...

 

I say it's high time to declare war on the dole, along with the social security dole (...those. who get it, but didn't pay into it; e.g the "disabled" who didn't work to begin with and are only "disabled" due to drinkin and druggin...); and to fix the problem of the "non tax paying" segment voting largesse for themselves... As the old timers would say "...those who vote for a livin instead of workin for a living..."... It's an idea whose time has come...  Here's hopin it will take off...

 

leroy the "anti-dole" zealot

Edited February 10, 2015 by leroy

[oldogy]

In addition, any one on assistance who sports new tats or hog rings should be removed from assistance immediately.

[leroy]

In addition, any one on assistance who sports new tats or hog rings should be removed from assistance immediately.

 

Oldogy... I like this one... Recently, i've changed my approach on the hog ring and piercing thing... I used to smile and act like it wasn't there...Now, i take a close look at it like it's a problem and is hurtin the wearer; then i politely ask if they need it removed... I always tell 'em that i have my pliers in my fishing tackle box and that i'll be glad to get the hook out... Strangely, i've had no takers, but plenty of polite "no's"... Its great to watch the reaction...

 

leroy, "...hook removal jhadist..." and old time fisherman...

[john455]

I have an aunt and uncle who have never worked a day at a public job, they raised there kids on welfare and both of there sons are the same way, they draw welfare and FS and run the flea market circuit and own a nice house in my papaws name who has been gone for over 10 yrs and drive new cars. Sometimes it just ticks me off how well off they are but still draw the welfare and FS. I have thought a million times about turning them in but they have been turned in several times and nothing has ever come of it, I have no ideal how they get by with it but they do. 

[mav]

Instead of drug testing, how about we cut taxes, repeal onerous laws and regulations, eliminate various departments and/or agencies, enforce existing immigration laws etc...?  Basically, how about we just shrink the size of government and eliminate all the handouts?  If government wasn't involved, things would probably be cheap enough that non-freeloaders wouldn't need assistance in the first place.

 

We have some 40 plus million on food stamps alone.  It would get pretty expensive doing a monthly drug test on that number of people.  I don't want to pay for that, nor do I want to increase the size of government further, which is what implementing such a program would do.  Anyway, such a policy/law would never be passed at the federal level, but neither would my proposal.  Since I am debating two things that won't happen, I would rather have the one that eliminated all the handouts and shrank the government.

[peejman]

It's interesting how times, values, and opinions change.  As stated above... many years ago, being on the "dole" was considered disgraceful.  A man worked for a living.  Any job, no matter how menial, was better than no job and being a debtor.  People were proud of the work they did.  I think a lot of that was because at that time, most of the work was done with one's hands.  At the end of the day, there was some physical thing that was accomplished that one could be proud of. 

 

Now, lots of people spend the majority of their work day pecking away at a keyboard.  The physical manifestation of their labor has been lost.  Their reward for good work is typically more work.  People deal with stupid rules, stupid bosses, stupid meetings, and feel no more valuable than a number in that spreadsheet they've been working on all day.  The lack of anything tangible makes it much more difficult to take pride in your work.  Pride (to the point of narcissism) is one of the "7 Deadly Sins", but a lack of pride seems to be more of a problem in modern society.

[teecro]

So what happens after they fail a drug test?

 

They lose all their benefits, right?

 

No food, no home, no medical, nothing.

 

While I can't help but wish for the day that weed is as legal as liquor is; today it is not.... As a condition of my job I must submit to a pee test on demand 24/7/365 to which even trace amount of liquor while on the job will cost me my job to which Uncle Sam will pull my sailing documents thus preventing me from gainful employment in my field of choice. I will be offered no rehab no 2nd chances nada... So I've got no compassion for someone who willfully rides my coattails and doing drugs......

[Guest Spru]

I have to dissent here. Having worked with many truly disabled people, as in bed ridden or nearly bed ridden. Many of them have friends and family that will come smoke a joint with them occasionally. Not all of them are abusing the money provided to them, in fact most that aren't abusing the system couldn't afford to. The same thought that applies to gun owners can be used here: Why should the innocent be punished because of the guilty? I'd be more in favor of it if it excluded marijuana. Many people use marijuana as a medicine. Legal or not in this state the country is moving to a medicinal state and some even to a recreational use.

Another thing is comparing it to a job. Well, you have a choice in who you work for, you could choose an employer who does not drug screen. A truly disabled person does not get that option when applying for benefits in a government insurance program they were required to pay into.

Now let me not get this mixed up. I know there are people who abuse the system and drain the funding for it unjustly. I just don't think the honest guy sitting at home 6-7 days week that only gets out to see his doctor or pay bills etc should be punished because his friends and family understand the medicinal side marijuana can have for that person.

[analog_kidd]

In addition to the drug testing, my idea is to give them the choice to work, or attend state funded education program. Take the education and get good grades, you get double the cash. Slack off in class you get put on the work detail. All of it has an end date of one year. Get your training, or do menial work for the state, but after a year you are on your own. You could reapply one more time in your life, but only after a year of not being on the program. To get a pay check, you must be working or learning. No exceptions. Free, state run child care would also be offered to participants.

 

Oh, and if you take the work detail, it could be during the night-shift. It needs to be so uncomfortable that they gladly look for a real job.

 

Of course, seriously medically disabled people could get help for life. But you have to get a yearly exam by a private doctor, and a state employed doctor, who BOTH have to be in agreement that you are disabled.

 

One other thing, participants need to bring legitimate proof of expenses, like a mortgage statement or lease, or car payment, and payments will be made directly from the state to the business. No more checks that come in the mail and get spent on crap. 

[macville]

Let's see how smart you all are on here, because the people I've been debating at one of the news websites don't understand how you calculate things.

 

So which way are you supposed to calculate the rate....

 

16,000 applied for assistance and were asked if they had done drugs in the past 3 months, failed a job drug test in the past three months, or had been to court over a drug issue. If "yes" to then you had to take a drug test.

 

279 people were drug tested.

37 failed.

 

Do you divide 37 by 16,000 or 279?

[DaveTN]

I certainly have no sympathy for drug users, but this will never get by the SCOTUS. A government entity can’t require people to take a drug test because they are poor. If they say they are drug abusers then its fine to test them; but I would guess the only way they will do that is if it gets them some type of disability.

Quite frankly I’m kinda surprised at the number of people here that get their panties in a bunch every time there is a mention of the Police searching someone but seem to be fine with searching people with no PC or even RAS because they don’t think they should be getting money.