In the blog entry titled “Mandatory Drug Testing To Receive
Welfare Benefits” Hit or Miss poorly articulates her argument in favor of the
demoralizing mandate proposed by many republican lawmakers. This proposal not only violates the dignity
of poor people but it has been proven to be a financial loss.
Hit or Miss claims that “drug testing will reveal recipients
who are wasting taxpayer’s money”.
Actually, the cost of unnecessary drug testing is the where the taxpayer’s
money would be wasted. In the first four
months of Florida’s mandatory drug testing for welfare beneficiaries, they lost
45,000 bucks. They spent more on drug testing
than the screenings saved and caught very few people “wasting taxpayer’s money.” The drug testing in Florida only succeeded in
proving that recipients of TANF are actually less likely to abuse drug than the
general population. Florida’s Department
of Children and Families found 2.5% of welfare applicants failed the drug test,
which is lower than the rate of the general population.
Hit or Miss then points out that some people will claim that
this is unconstitutional and that it violates their 4th amendment
right against unreasonable searches and seizures. Yes, I will!
She then claims that “No one hears the people complaining how it is unconstitutional
taking drug test for employment.” Yes, I
do!
Aside from being a grammatical failure, the commentary
clearly stereotypes the poor. It’s not a
crime to be on welfare and if states were to implement this law we could
conclude that being poor and needing help warrants suspicion of drug use. These states would also like to ridicule and
demean beneficiaries of unemployment in their money saving plan. The supporters of this plan want rip the constitutional
rights away from men and women who have just lost their jobs and from veterans
who need assistance.
Her solution is to blame the “druggie” and let the children
suffer unless the drug user goes into a rehabilitation center or substance abuse
class, self paid I assume. In the end,
she says the government can’t screen all welfare recipients, but they can “weed”
out the system abusers by finding the drug addicts. I don’t really know what that means but as a
recovering addict who has had the privilege of being in a couple of drug rehab
facilities, I know this is not an end all to addiction.
I believe the solution
is equal and efficient education for our children, regardless of their economic
status. The states should take the money
that they propose spending on drug testing and spend it on more job programs
and educational programs. The only
people who would benefit from this mandate are the private companies who do the
drug testing.
“How reprehensible it is when those blessed with commodities
insist on ignoring the poor. Better to
torment them, force them into indentured servitude, inflict compulsion and
blows-this at least produces a connection, fury and a pounding heart, and these
too constitute a form of relationship.
But to cower in elegant homes behind golden garden gates, fearful lest
the breath of warm humankind touch you, unable to indulge in extravagances for
fear they might be glimpsed by the embittered oppressed, to oppress and yet
lack the courage to show yourself as an oppressor, even to fear the ones you
are oppressing, feeling ill at ease in your own wealth and begrudging others
their ease, to resort to disagreeable weapons that require neither true
audacity nor manly courage, to have money, but only money, without splendor:
That’s what things look like in our cities at present.”
-Robert Walser, The Tanners
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