Push for mandatory drug tests for welfare recipients March 19, 2011 8:19 AM Alexandra Field
ALBANY -- Republican Assemblyman Clifford Crouch (R-Guilford) is proposing a law that would require anyone who receives public assistance to submit to mandatory drug testing.
Those who fail the test would be referred to a mandatory treatment program. Crouch says a recipient could ultimately lose benefits if he or she is unable to pass future drug tests.
The New York Civil Liberties Union calls the bill 'discriminatory' and adds that any law requiring drug tests for welfare recipients would be challenged in court.
What a great idea. It's alright to drug test the people who have to work to support the program but it's not alright to test the people who use the program according to the Civil Liberties Union. What hypocrites they are.
pregnant folks get WIC and it 'over feeds' them.....they get so much they hand it out to friends and family......let the churches and other groups like the Elks and other lodges and organizations put up.......it's like paying to have other folks animals neutered and spayed--I'm sorry you decided to get an animal you couldn't F'EN afford---GET OFF MY BACK, here's a 5cent slug and you can use my gun......the "I deserve this, they owe me that, I'm not paying for this, I'm not paying for that"........
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
No one ever told me I'd have to be sober to enjoy the benefits of social services.....
Hi Senders. It appears you have never applied for social services Public Assistance as they have required that for ages. At least the last 20 years that I am aware of.
At one time the county had the social services intake worker make the decision if someone was an alcoholic or had drug abuse issue. These workers had absolutely no knowledge or training about addictions. It was arbitrary how they determined who had an addiction. Certainly not a fair requirement to place on the intake worker's shoulders along with everything else they had to attend to determining eligibility for services.
As a result of welfare reform in the nineties, social services then added people specially trained in identifying substance abuse. Drug abusers and alcoholics are masters at manipulation you need someone specially trained in identifying the issues. How many folks do you know who are drunks and you had no idea. The closet drinker.
Personally, I don't believe drug testing leading to a "mandatory" rehab program in order to receive services is a very effective tool for reasons I won't bore you with but is the only approach there is as far as I can see. I bet the percentage of success isn't as high as we are led to believe but I am only going on my gut feelings and don't have the stats in front of me to prove or disprove that.
I know of folks who are or have been in mandatory rehab who fail over and over and over again and are in the revolving door of using the system. I also know of some dynamite folks that have succeeded at sobriety and put their lives back together, went back to school and became employed again, got off the system as a result of starting out from the mandatory requirements of receiving Social Services so they are out there..
At this time I believe they still have someone trained in substance abuse determinations and this taking of drug testing is taking it a step further or maybe it is meant to replace the substance abuse trained person with a simple test to make the determination which is a bunch of malarkey if that is the case. The process still needs professional determinations in identifying a substance "abuse" issue in my opinion. Along with the initial drug testing during the application process a random testing should also be done while on services in order to keep them.
Personally I would like to see mandatory drug testing and rehab but two strikes and you are out no more applying for PA but then what... they become homeless and end up hanging around Bethesda House? There is no way BH could ever handle the numbers of individuals that strike out twice and would lose access to PA. There is no way the food pantries and the free meal providers in Schenectady could handle the numbers.
Drug addicts and alcoholics are masters at manipulation but you can't fool a drug test.
What needs to be done too and our congressional reps can't be bothered with is where the real abuse happens. It is this crap about getting SSI Social Security Income based on the disease of addictions without mandatory random drug testing. PA is basically temporary. SSI is forever.
drug testing welfare recipients makes everyone else who feels that someone 'got one over on them' feel like the playing field was made level again.... basically it's the electorate trying to calm the plebs and tossing crumbs.....JOKE
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
I know of folks who are or have been in mandatory rehab who fail over and over and over again and are in the revolving door of using the system.
Drug test them. (like they do in the private sector JOBS) Give them 6 months of rehab. If it don't work...they are kicked out of the social service system....end of story. If they get caught involved in criminal activity.........put their a$$ in jail!!
Some folks just can't be rehabilitated by the 'Government Almighty'.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Drug test them. (like they do in the private sector JOBS) Give them 6 months of rehab. If it don't work...they are kicked out of the social service system....end of story. If they get caught involved in criminal activity.........put their a$$ in jail!!
Some folks just can't be rehabilitated by the 'Government Almighty'.
They do that in public sector jobs too.
So, the ACLU has no problem with drug testing those who get paid by the taxpayers to enforce the law, but they have a big problem with drug testing those who get paid by the taxpayers to sit on their asses all day, on their porches, running off their boom boxes and breaking laws
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
So, the ACLU has no problem with drug testing those who get paid by the taxpayers to enforce the law, but they have a big problem with drug testing those who get paid by the taxpayers to sit on their asses all day, on their porches, running off their boom boxes and breaking laws
Yup.....that about sums it up!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
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