Posted on 03/26/2009 10:35:26 AM PDT by GOPGuide
snip
In the past, such efforts have been stymied by legal and cost concerns, said Christine Nelson, a program manager with the National Conference of State Legislatures. But states' bigger fiscal crises, and the surging demand for public assistance, could change that.
"It's an example of where you could cut costs at the expense of a segment of society that's least able to defend themselves," said Frank Crabtree, executive director of the West Virginia chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
Drug testing is not the only restriction envisioned for people receiving public assistance: a bill in the Tennessee Legislature would cap lottery winnings for recipients at $600.
snip
Particularly troubling to some policy analysts is the drive to drug test people collecting unemployment insurance, whose numbers nationwide now exceed 5.4 million, the highest total on records dating back to 1967.
"It doesn't seem like the kind of thing to bring up during a recession," said Ron Haskins, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. "People who are unemployed, who have lost their job, that's a sympathetic group. Americans are tuned into that, because they're worried they'll be next."
Indeed, these proposals are coming at a time when more Americans find themselves in need of public assistance.
Although the number of TANF recipients has stayed relatively stable at 3.8 million in the last year, claims for unemployment benefits and food stamps have soared.
In December, more than 31.7 million Americans were receiving food stamp benefits, compared with 27.5 million the year before.
The link between public assistance and drug testing stems from the Congressional overhaul of welfare in the 1990s, which allowed states to implement drug testing as a condition of receiving help.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.myway.com ...
Being pushed by drug test vendors. We need to stop the drug war insanity.
No, I think they are pushing it because they know many welfare recipients won’t cut the mustard, so to speak.
“Being pushed by drug test vendors. We need to stop the drug war insanity.”
BS! Why should some druggie get welfare (our tax money)?
Make them take the tests ! No pass; No $$
May I suggest a better solution? Get rid of welfare and all other social programs. Problem solved!
I’m for it. I’ve seen plenty of people in grocery store lines using food stamps to buy food but they were obviously strung out on who knows what. For that matter I’ve seen em buy smokes and booze too.
If you can’t afford food you can’t afford drugs, smokes and booze.
I don’t think we should be paying for their habits by paying for their food.
No dope smokin’ hippie is going to lay around getting high and watching H.R. Puffinstuff on my dime.
The man who pays the fiddler calls the tune..............
“Those are the people who need welfare the most” and “paying them welfare is the most effective stimulus, they will spend it right away”
See how the reasoning goes?
It is NOT for the benefit of any recipients. The ONLY purpose of testing is to give the States an excuse to CUT PAYMENTS.
Sure....why not? I had to take a drug test to get my job. Why can’t they take a drug test to get my money from my job?....
Valid point, but on the flip side, many, many jobs require you to pee in a cup before being offered employment. If you are on unemployment, how would you be able to take a job if you were unable to pee “clean”??? And unemployment payments can be looked at as now the “employer” is your fellow taxpayer, and like most employers, don’t want unproductive meth freaks on the payroll.
You make it sound like a bad thing.
It will save the states a lot of money.
But wasn’t welfare designed to get stoners out of the work force?
/sarcasm
“Urine the Money!”
Michael Savage suggested no voting rights if you don’t pay taxes.
I agree with Savage.
The rest of us go to work to support their habit.
If drug testing is appropriate for our military it’s appropriate for welfare recipients.
I may be mistaken, but it seems to me that certain public housing, perhaps in certain cities only, instituted random drug testing for applicants/residents, and the courts have upheld. Does anyone else recall this?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.