Posted on 05/06/2011 12:53:13 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
TALLAHASSEE -- Applying for welfare benefits in Florida? Soon youll need to get drug tested.
A measure requiring the tests passed the Senate on Thursday and is headed to Gov. Rick Scott, who called it one of his legislative priorities.
Its fair to taxpayers, Scott said after the vote. Theyre paying the bill. And theyre often drug screened for their jobs. On top of that, its good for families. It creates another reason why people will think again before using drugs, which as you know is just a significant issue in our state.
Scott already signed an executive order requiring random drug testing of state workers.
HB 353 requires all adult recipients of federal cash benefits the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to pay for the tests, which are typically around $35. The screen would be for all controlled substances and applicants would have to disclose any legal prescriptions.
Recipients who test positive for drugs would lose their benefits for a year. If they fail a second time, they lose the benefits for three years. Parents who test positive must designate another adult to receive benefits on behalf of their children.
Those who pass would be reimbursed by having their benefits increased by the cost of the test.
This is an effort to stop this cycle of drug abuse, said Sen. Steve Oelrich, R-Gainesville, one of the sponsors, who added the requirement was similar to one that many employers make of workers.
(Excerpt) Read more at miamiherald.com ...
How long before one hears screams of ‘racism’?
“F”em! If you want the money take the test!
Is beer a drug?
It’s about time!!!!!!!!!!
bump
This is NOT a bad idea. There are some safeguards as well for prescription medications or a visit to the dentist (novacaine can test positive).
How long before one hears screams of racism?
About one minute after the first study showing a disproportionate number of a certain racial group being denied compared to whitey.
“Is beer a drug?”
Yea, but don’t tell anyone.
I’m sure the liberal view is that drug testing people on public assistance is violating people’s rights.
Well, if you want to use drugs, then you can’t be on public assistance. We all make choices in life.
I’m sure liberals will decry drug addicts getting kicked off public assistance. They will say that now they can’t get treated for their addictions, among other things.
Folks come down here from the cold and immediately apply for every kind fo welfare that's available.
I know of a rehab center in SW Florida that accommodates “addicts” from the NE during the winter time for 30 day stints-they leave for a week, get a $500 welfare check, use it on drugs and are back at the rehab center for 30 more days of “a cot and 3 hots” a pool, jacuzzi, tennis courts.
All of this, of course, sponsored by the taxpayer!
NEXT for the drug tests: Incumbent politicians.
EXACTLY. We need to laugh in the face of every preposterous use of the race card. We are going to see it more and more as 2012 gets closer.
(novacaine can test positive).
Not for cocaine. The mass spec is incontrovertible evidence for cocaine use.
This is so great I can’t stand it...jumping for joy that FINALLY it’s about time someone applied some common logic to this gimmeee-gimmee group - can’t pass a drug test then you can’t get a job..same rule should apply to welfare.
Finally, common sense prevails.
I’ve heard this mentioned in Texas.
Wonder if this will become a national trend.
I can see it happening in Ohio. Our state is running a 10 billion dollar budget deficit and our governor has made it clear that he is serious about cutting costs.
Nope! It is a NUTRITIOUS FOOD!
“I got fired from my state job for continuous drug use and then they kicked me off welfare for continuous drug use. You know what I’m gonna do?”
“Quit using drugs?”
“Nope. Vote Democrat.”
that's not so bad.
In CA we have 1/10th of the national population and 1/3 of all welfare recipients. We don't even have the national cap of 5 years the rest of the country has...after 5 years here the state takes over all obligations.
People move here for the welfare. People move out to start businesses.
The problem with this is that it is unconstitutional. To do this, the Fed needs to pass a law similar to the military where you agree to give up your constitutional rights when you go on public assistance similar to giving them up when you go into the military. Otherwise, the courts will strike this down in a heartbeat, as it is a nobrainer violation of the 4th Amendment.
I’ve been harping on this for Nevada as well.
“The problem with this is that it is unconstitutional. To do this, the Fed needs to pass a law similar to the military where you agree to give up your constitutional rights when you go on public assistance similar to giving them up when you go into the military. Otherwise, the courts will strike this down in a heartbeat, as it is a nobrainer violation of the 4th Amendment.”
So it is unconstitutional for an employer to make you take a drug test? Since when is welfare a constitutional right?
Now.....if they would only have regular drug-testing required to CONTINUE on welfare.....
>The problem with this is that it is unconstitutional
Wrong.
That is a type of right that can be waived for a compensation due.
It is done by many Federal and State agencies, not to mention numerous private settings.
Settled law.
Somebody call Al Sharpton & Jesse Jackson.
Welfare is a voluntary agreement with the Government. You do not have to be on welfare. You do not have to apply for welfare.
The Government has already set restrictions (i.e. how much you can earn, how long you have been unemployed, etc.) on the receiving of benefits. This will be an additional, lawful restriction.
DEA, FBI, ATF, NSA, FAA - give me a minute and we can come up with a dozen more. :)
The cost of the testing will easily pay for itself.
And as a privacy matter I have no problem with this as it is a condition of receiving charity.
I wonder which is more addictive- gubmint cheese or crack?
The Florida governor founded Solantic in 2001, only a few years after he resigned as the CEO of hospital giant Columbia/HCA. In January, according to the Palm Beach Post, he transferred his $62 million stake in Solantic to his wife, Ann Scott, a homemaker involved in various charitable organizations.
Among the services that Solantic offers: drug testing.
I can’t wait for our hero Governor Walker to implement this in Wisconsin. Coming to a state near you! Whoo Hooo!
Not true. If the government searches everyone, for example at airport screening, or sobriety checkpoints it is permissible and has been upheld by the courts. You can refuse to be searched at airport screening points, but you will be denied boarding. You can refuse to be greeted at a sobriety checkpoint, but you will lose your driver's license.
You mean like the "no gun" rules for public assisted housing?
Welfare is NOT a constitutional right.
I haven’t heard anything about the bill here in Texas the last week or so, but hope our state does the same.
The way I understand it the test is voluntary, it means no test - no check. If somebody doesn’t want to take the test then simply that month they don’t get a welfare check. No 4th amendment problem there.
Ive been laid off from the military-industrial complex where Ive spent most of my 33 year career. Since about 1985 I had to submit to random drug testing just to have a job. Im fine with that as drug users introduce many errors into their work and they have more accidents than non-drug users.
Since Ive been laid off I thought Id take advantage of the unemployment agencies free Microsoft certification program. (Not really free, thank you very much, taxpayers.) As a result Ive been at the unemployment office every day. The unemployment office is also the welfare office and a bunch of other help-the-poor services, all rolled up into one office.
Ive never seen so many worthless lumps of flesh in one place before. During the orientation session everybody has to go through, one young man was so high he suddenly freaked out and ran from the room.
The classroom Im in is located on the sidewalk side of the building and has a long mirrored window. People arent allowed to use their cell phones inside, so they go outside and lean against the mirrored window to talk about drugs (buying, selling, using), cheating on unemployment and buying/selling/obtaining stolen goods. (My favorite; one guy tells somebody he was shooting a porn video. The entire class swiveled to look up and the lady behind me whispered, Maybe hes the cameraman. Cause he was FAT.)
Thats another thing; Id say 85% of the unemployed Ive seen are obese, as in 50-100 pounds overweight. One grossly obese woman tells somebody on her phone she was up until 4:00 am killing the buzz. As an employer Id look at most of these tattooed, fat people
reeking with body language attitude and say, Pass.
Obama t-shirts and bumper stickers (and, I swear to God) tattoos are everywhere. Twice, theres been a register-to-vote table set up in the lobby with some artsy, rich looking white woman I take to be a volunteer lambasting these folks that they need to get out there and vote for what they deserve.
You mean beer or Colt 45?
I read of one instance where TSA refused to let a person leave the airport and threatened charges for refusing to be searched.
No wonder my BIL’s commie NEA wife goes apoplectic when she hears Scott’s name. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside just to think about it.
I smell a whole new agency that will be setup to rehab these scum who fail the test. Psych tests, etc., and of course, it will stay the denial of benefits pending successful treatment.
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