"Florida is the first state that will require drug testing when applying for welfare (effective July 1st)! Some people are crying this is unconstitutional. How is this unconstitutional yet it's okay that every working person had to pass a drug test in order to support those on welfare? I been seeing this floating around Facebook, searched it and it's true. Who else thinks all 50 states should apply this law.
I think it is going to cut back on the amount of people who are getting benefits. Hope they can get it together or they will be in bad situations. But it is good because if they have money for drugs than they should be able to have money for their basic needs.
Instead of the money going to help people, it's going to a drug testing company (which Gov Scott is invested in). I see a few things wrong with it, not all welfare recipients are drug users and this sort of thing might end up costing the tax payers more than it saves in the long run. Drug use and poverty are a closely intertwined socio-economic problem and to add more government bureaucracy to an already ineffective and bloated program seems a little myopic to me. Drug testing isn't free and neither are the paper pushers in govt offices. This is heralded as saving tax payer money, but in the end just adds another layer of waste to an already wasteful social program.
I have mixed feelings about it. Is the idea that if you're buying drugs, you have money for that, so you don't really need to be collecting welfare? If that were true, it could also be said about drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and a list of other things the governments deems that we don't really need. If the idea is more that taking drugs is bad, perhaps those applying for welfare would agree to stop any drug usage, with requirements for regular drug testing as long as they are on welfare. As far as it violating their rights, I don't really agree, no one really has the "right" to collect welfare, and stipulations should be expected. It just seems like the money might be better spent, for example addressing welfare abuse, as in long term recipients who do little to change their circumstances. Also, tackling the unemployment problem - I think there are ways we can drastically reduce unemployment that we are not currently implementing. In that way, we would have much less need for welfare to begin with.
That is a nice way to improve the social mode! But it can still make some abuses! Sympathize with those poor men!
I am on welfare and would grump, but still AGREE to do drug testing to prove my honesty that I don't do drugs! Sure, I am all for it. Don't employees at JOBS have to do drug testing, I think so. Why not the rest of the world?