Drug Testing for Public Assistance

[jhmd2000]

Without advancing a personal position, I would like to hear the arguments. Go.

 

[Deacfreak07]

Before I make an argument, I'd love to know what you believe the value of this testing to be?

 

[warak]

I Could be in favor of this but it is expensive and I believe pilot studies have not been supportive for the testing. I think some programs are being abused but not sure that this is the best way to fix the problems.

 

[Coach O]

Yes.

Now, that being said, before we begin drug testing for public assistance, we need to make marijuana legal in all 50 states. Ok. Now that is done, the drug testing should be for opiods, particularly meth and oxy. If found in their system, not only do they not get public assistance, they go to jail for mandatory sentences.

 

[RJKarl]

This is another moronic, kneejerk, RW boogeyman that has proven to be an expensive bumper sticker.

https://thinkprogress.org/what-7-st...ng-welfare-recipients-c346e0b4305d#.e6znx8s11

"According to state data gathered by ThinkProgress, the seven states with existing programs — Arizona, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Utah — are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to ferret out very few drug users. The statistics show that applicants actually test positive at a lower rate than the drug use of the general population. The national drug use rate is 9.4 percent. In these states, however, the rate of positive drug tests to total welfare applicants ranges from 0.002 percent to 8.3 percent, but all except one have a rate below 1 percent. Meanwhile, they’ve collectively spent nearly $1 million on the effort, and millions more may have to be spent in coming years."

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/18/us/no-savings-found-in-florida-welfare-drug-tests.html

"Because the Florida law requires that applicants who pass the test be reimbursed for the cost, an average of $30, the cost to the state was $118,140. This is more than would have been paid out in benefits to the people who failed the test, Mr. Newton said.

As a result, the testing cost the government an extra $45,780, he said.

And the testing did not have the effect some predicted. An internal document about Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, caseloads stated that the drug testing policy, at least from July through September, did not lead to fewer cases.

“We saw no dampening effect on the caseload,” the document said."

It costs far more than it saves. A very typical RW action.

 

[sailordeac]

expensive and can lead to mistakes

why do we need it?

the left-libs will be probably outraged but training people, if necessary, and asking them to work for public assistance makes more sense to me

 

[ChrisL68]

Yes.

Now, that being said, before we begin drug testing for public assistance, we need to make marijuana legal in all 50 states. Ok. Now that is done, the drug testing should be for opiods, particularly meth and oxy. If found in their system, not only do they not get public assistance, they go to jail for mandatory sentences.

do you think putting addicts in jail will be an effective solution?

 

[RJKarl]

expensive and can lead to mistakes

why do we need it?

the left-libs will be probably outraged but training people, if necessary, and asking them to work for public assistance makes more sense to me

but rW-fascists are against make work programs. If those jobs are necessary why don't they exist today?

 

[WakeandBake]

In don't understand the thread. Do you mean testing to see who needs public assistance with drug addiction issues?

 

[warak]

Thank you RJ, I knew I read that it was expensive and did not produce results.

Sailor, you troll...work doing what? Those factory jobs Trump will bring back? Man those racist (alt) right wingers that voted for him would be outraged.

 

[RaleighDevil]

I say we drug test the executives whose businesses move into a state due to receiving tax incentives. That is merely another form of public assistance.

 

[Coach O]

do you think putting addicts in jail will be an effective solution?

I am assuming those who feel most strongly about the current drug laws and those impacted carry the same enthusiasm for the folks in rural areas who are using meth/oxy. Interesting thing is, they never seem to.

Urban, brown folks who smoke weed? Mandatory minimums, lock them up, they should get a job/bootstraps, lack of two parent families, etc.

Rural, white folks addicted to meth/oxy? Silence.

 

[warak]

Should not be locking up non-violent drug charges, especially pot.

 

[WakeandBake]

I say we drug test the executives whose businesses move into a state due to receiving tax incentives. That is merely another form of public assistance.

I think so, too.

While we're at it, I think we should drug test to be able to call police and fire, to use bridges and roadways, to and to use the court system for civil disputes.

 

[sailordeac]

Thank you RJ, I knew I read that it was expensive and did not produce results.

Sailor, you troll...work doing what? Those factory jobs Trump will bring back? Man those racist (alt) right wingers that voted for him would be outraged.

try cleaning up trash for openers

 

[RJKarl]

If the trash needs to be cleaned up, why don't we hire people to do it? The would create more tax revenues, less unemployment expenditures and less people on welfare. If it needs to be done, get it done.

 

[Deacfreak07]

I've never understood the connection between a desire for folks to work for welfare and the disdain folks on the right seem to have for government employees. Anyone care to explain that to me?

 

[RJKarl]

It's the same group that thinks if you give the rich a tax cut, they will give that money to the poor and middle class.

 

[sailordeac]

It's not a prefect world. Any work, even government work, is better and more honorable, than no work at all. Cleaning up is of great public benefit in many ways.

 

[RJKarl]

Then do it now and not wait for some silly bill.

By the way, who will pay for the child care of the people you put on the make work jobs?