Care 2 – by Kevin MatthewsPeople eligible for public assistance in Michigan better be prepared to urinate in a cup for the government. The state has just approved a questionable pilot program supposedly designed to ensure that people aren’t using taxpayer money to pay for recreational drugs.
Approved in both Michigan’s Senate and House, the drug testing program will roll out in three counties later next year. In doing so, Michigan will join nearly a dozen other U.S. states in “checking up” on welfare recipients.
Representative Jeff Farrington, a Utica Republican, spearheaded the bill in Michigan’s House. He said, “People want to make sure that we give a hand up to those in need, but they’re tired of giving their tax dollars to people who waste it on drugs.”
By Farrington’s own admission, however, the state is not aware of how many people on welfare actually use drugs. Nevertheless, he argues that the program will allow them to see whether it’s actually a problem. Throwing over half a million dollars at a pilot program to address a problem that no one is sure even exists seems like wasteful spending, though.
Perhaps rather than experimenting with such a costly program, Michigan could just look at the data uncovered by fellow states’ similar plans. Tennessee’s whole program found just one drug user on welfare. Only 2% of Utah’s drug users were found to use drugs. Florida found a similar rate, even though the rate of drug use amongst Florida residents is at least triple that amount. If anything, the data shows that people on welfare are less likely to test positive for drugs than the average person.
In addition to the extremely low rate of drug usage discovered, one other factor is consistent amongst the states who have tried this previously: it’s expensive. So expensive that, generally, the money needed to run the program and rehabilitate the drug offenders costs more than the money saved by not having to pay the welfare recipients their benefits.
Just this week, Florida lost in court yet again, with federal appeals judges deciding that drug testing welfare recipients is unconstitutional. “Citizens do not abandon all hope of privacy by applying for government assistance,” wrote Judge Stanley Marcus in the court’s ruling.
Surprisingly, Michigan already dabbled in this area in the late 1990s, though Federal courts declared it unconstitutional then as well. One way that Michigan seems to hope to get around this pesky issue of being “unconstitutional” this time is by not blanket drug testing all welfare recipients. Instead, the state will “profile” those on welfare with a screening test. If the state has “reasonable suspicion” that someone on benefits could be using drugs, he or she will be required to comply with a test.
Regardless, Michigan shouldn’t be finding excuses and loopholes to run this program in the first place. State Republicans are relying on unfounded stereotypes to push this legislation through in an attempt to further demonize the poor. If this is how we’re choosing to “help” Americans living in poverty, we’re doing it wrong.
Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/why-is-michigan-ready-to-drug-test-welfare-recipients.html#ixzz3L8Sg3EGR
“People want to make sure that we give a hand up to those in need, but they’re tired of giving their tax dollars to people who waste it on drugs.”
You mean those same tax dollars that the so-called ‘government’ uses to buy those drugs to sell to the unfortunates whose jobs, hopes & future they’ve stolen?
THOSE tax dollars?
Nah. Not those tax dollars. That’s something else. I just can’t put my finger on it. Maybe if I sniff it, it’ll come to me. (sarcasm)
It is worse were I live to get welfare. You need go down and get police clearence first. No outstanding warents or wanted for arest on site. With that you can then go down and get your 1 free kello of rice a week Per adult. And less for each child depending on age and size. In another way it is better. You can sell sticks. single cigarets, hand crafts, and such for money. Panhandle, and pick up all recicleable things you see on the street, paper metal, plastic,rags,what ever while looking for a job. And we have free safe water here public toilets, and a area they can sleep for free outside.