...Should Welfare Recipients Get Drug Tested Before Receiving Benefits? The issue of whether welfare recipients should undergo drug testing is a topic that generates significant controversy. The rationale behind it is that many individuals depending on various government programs, such as youth and unemployment allowance, use the money to fund drugs and substance abuse, thereby becoming less productive and a greater burden to the state (Schaberg 567). On the contrary, some parties believe that if potential welfare recipients test positive for drugs, the government will sign them up with treatment programs that will enable them to change their habits, thus improving their chances of securing employment, enrolling in school, or joining a vocational training institute, hence becoming more productive. According to the authorities in this area of study, there is evidence to confirm that mandatory testing and treatment of drugs can have a positive effect on the behavior of welfare beneficiaries. In particular,...
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...Healey, Eric Government 2305 Drug Testing The idea of drug testing for recipients of Public Assistance is a very controversial topic. I will discuss both the advantages and dis advantages of drug testing and how it affects the people of the United States as a whole. I believe in a system that provides for the welfare of others, food, clothing, and shelter for those that are in need, especially when children are concerned. As Americans it is important that we take care of our own citizens and help provide for them, but at what cost? Most Americans realize there is waste, fraud and abuse in almost every Government program and that includes the public assistance program. It is hoped that the use of drug testing for the receipt of Public Assistance will deter the use of drugs and weed out those that are using drugs from the system saving the taxpayer money. There is no question that there are many that have no problem staying at home and living off the sweat of another person’s labor. In many cases the recipients of Public Assistance use their money to purchase steak, lobster and many other expensive food items someone working a 9-5 job can never afford. It is believed by many that it is not fair to the tax payer to provide financial assistance to a recipient that will use that assistance to purchase drugs. Especially when those providing the assistance, i.e. the hard working tax payer, must, in most cases, undergo a drug test in order to continue to work at their...
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...Cons Of Drug Testing For Welfare Recipients Norman Zeitunian BCOM/275 Business Communication October 30, 2012 Todd Keller Cons Of Drug Testing For Welfare Recipients There are many states that have attempted to introduce or have laws on their books for drug testing when individuals who are applying for state benefits. Some of the states are Kentucky, Florida, Virginia and Washington. The overall purpose of this testing is to better prepare individuals for employment purposes. Although that is a good sounding intention, there are many aspects that will be flawed and not viable. The most powerful argument against drug testing for welfare benefits stems from the constitutional standpoint. Organizations such as the ACLU have argued that the Fourth Amendment protects citizens from being searched without probable cause ( Bowler 2012). This issue is the main stopping point for creating this program in states’ is that there are many legal issues and will be challenges in the court systems. This leads to the costs related to dealing with the legal ramifications and potential lawsuits that are filed against states agencies that impose drug testing. Another point that was stated in the same letter was that mandatory drug testing was an "ineffective" and "fiscally irresponsible" way to deal with drug abuse. Instead of drug tests, which cost an average of $42 each not including the costs of running the program, the money would be better spent on training government workers...
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...Drug testing welfare recipients before they are able to receive financial benefits, has led to much debate, throughout America over the last several years. Welfare services were started in 1939 in order To help low income families live, by having benefits to support them in their time of need. These benefits include programs such as food stamps, TANF (temporary assistance of needy families), WIC (woman, infants, and children), and housing programs. These benefits help families stay together and see that children are healthier. By using these benefits adult recipients are able to live while trying to find new jobs and know that their families are safe. Unfortunately these benefits are taken advantage of and the system flaws have led to the reasoning behind many arguments for the need of drug testing those receiving these types of benefits. Welfare recipients across the United States receive millions of American tax dollars in aid every year. Drug testing these recipients would ensure that assistance being used properly by those recipients of the programs. Many Jobs require that to be hired persons applying be drug screened and after employment to be randomly drug screened in order to continue employment. What is the difference if those receiving welfare had to do the same. By drug testing this would help with the welfare programs from being misused or taken advantage of. It would deter those buying and using illegal drugs, give safer environments for children, and possibly...
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...induction during the Great Depression, the American welfare system has aided poor and low-income Americans within our nation, giving them opportunities that beforehand would have been impossible. With nearly 1 trillion spent on programs associated with welfare (excluding Social Security, Medicare, or Unemployment Insurance), its continuation for these Americans is vital. However, in recent years, this system has become more abused by those benefiting from it with many stating that a number of welfare recipients are not self-sufficient and misuse their funds on drug use and other auxiliaries. Even Franklin D. Roosevelt—the enactor of these welfare programs—warned of their potential misuse. “The lessons of history, confirmed by evidence...
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...Drug Testing Welfare Recipients It is assumed by many that people who are receiving public assistance funds are using this money to support their alcohol and or drug addictions. Is drug testing to receive public assistance an answer to this problem? Would making this a condition of eligibility actually push people with serious substance abuse and or dependency problems farther away from the help and treatment they need? Federal Welfare Reform The Federal Welfare reform act which, was passed in the mid 1990’s has changed the way our system addresses these issues. PRWORA (Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act) provided some distinctive features to address the issues, and changed the idea that there was universal entitlement for all, and helped to reinforce the notion that there is a class of the deserving poor. In 2001 California implemented the policies required and created our version of the TANF (Temporary Aid to Needy Families) called Cal-WORKS (California’s Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids program.) This program has allowed for rules to be implemented such as time limits, work requirements and the availability of substance abuse treatment. (Newell, 2011) The population and the substances. According to the National Poverty Center (2004) the numbers have been overstated and the number of people that are on welfare and are abusing substances are lower than originally estimated. The studies have varied widely in their...
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...ITT | Drug Testing Welfare Recipients | Why We Shouldn’t | | Michael Chiodo (11594970) | 8/30/2012 | Drug testing welfare recipients has been a major topic across the United States for a few years now. Many argue that if working class people are subject to a test prior to hire or randomly during the length of employment, why should those that don’t have to work for money not have the same treatment? Invasion of privacy is a huge disadvantage on the government’s part, yes it is free money but that doesn’t entitle anyone, even government, to control every aspect of your life or hold it constantly over a person’s head until they feel guilt or just flat decline assistance. Let’s ask ourselves just one question; if you went to the bank for a car loan, being this is a necessity for everyday living to own, how would you feel if they asked you to take a drug test prior to lending you the money? I feel many peoples’ tune would change drastically. Money, we all know this is essential in the world we live in. would you go to a restaurant knowing you had no money in your pocket or bank account? Of course not because you know after the meal follows the bill. Working class people are already indebted to the governments ridiculous fees they deduct from each of your paychecks, knowing damn well you will never see social security or and type of 401k. You are throwing your money into a pit that promises no return, would you like an additional fee tacked onto the end of your paystub...
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...Drug Testing Welfare Recipients: A Wise Choice Robert Denson ENG1420 Mr. A. Hewlett 10 February 2015 The national welfare system was created in 1935 to provide federal aid to the elderly, disabled and qualifying single mothers during the Great Depression (Costly, 2015). Public housing assistance, the Food Stamp Program and Medicare are examples of state programs available to assist families in need. Welfare, undoubtedly, is an essential source of assistance for many under privileged families. In recent years, some states have enacted drug testing for welfare recipients. This action has raised the question if it’s unfair search and seizure, other words, unconstitutional (Fourth Amendment to The United States Constitution, n.d.), or does it really discourage suspected drug abuse Many Americans agree there needs to be a reformation to the Welfare act and how the assistance should be utilized by its recipients. Opponents argue that the children will bear the brunt of the drug testing policy and it will cost more than it saves (Drug-Testing & The TANF Program, n.d.). The children depend on the adults to receive the benefits on their behalf, but when those benefits are being traded for drugs and/or cash to purchase drugs, there is no benefit. Discontinuing benefits to individuals who test positive for illegal substances would allow those funds to be returned to the state and federal budgets. In return, those unused funds will aid in balancing the state’s budget and...
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...Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients "I'm not downing the welfare system; I just believe that it should be reserved for emergency situations, like people losing their jobs because of the economy and the disabled." Ranee brings up a point that many Americans agree with. The modern welfare system began during the great depression and has grown ever since. Many Americans have become concerned that the welfare system is hugely abused and a majority of the money goes to drugs and alcohol, and that welfare recipients should be drug tested in order to receive benefits. While this seems like a logical idea, many argue that testing them would cost more and can be unconstitutional to the welfare user. Drug testing should be required of welfare users. Primarily, Ranee...
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...Drug testing for welfare recipients: Con By Austin Keller / In Blogs, Politics / January 17, 2014 See the opposing argument here. When one first hears about the idea of testing welfare recipients to make sure that they are not using drugs, the idea seems to be sound. Of course we do not want welfare money going toward the purchase of drugs when it should be going only to necessary and useful things. As with almost any political idea, however, these policies need to be executed. Political intentions are not realized in an ideal world. With welfare testing, the cold reality is that the costs and barriers of following through on the policy trump the benefits. One of the main reasons for this is the sheer cost of it. Right now, in American politics, money is obviously quite tight—and welfare testing is incredibly expensive. It involves overseeing every individual who participates in the welfare system. It also involves synchronizing this with other large systems of government data, such as crime history, type of welfare received, etc. A governmental entity then has to come up with an effective means of testing people. And finally, the most difficult part is the actual execution of this testing. It is certainly not easy to come up with an effective way to test so many welfare recipients in the state—especially when many welfare recipients come from rural backgrounds. Expense, however, is not the only problem with the idea of testing welfare recipients. It also adds an extra obstacle...
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...Drug Testing Welfare Applicants Whitney Robinson Ivy Tech Community College Jill Kelly-Koren Abstract This paper will explore online articles and websites that have information about welfare benefits. The websites will cover how much money people receive in benefits each year, how many states already passed a bill to drug test, and other states trying to start drug testing. All the positive and negative things of drug testing welfare recipients will be listed and given proper reasons. It will include why it is a good thing that each person starts getting drug tested and some of the faults of drug testing. The audience will learn how welfare assistance works and help them decide their opinion on the topic. Drug Testing Welfare Applicants There was a saying during the Great Depression that “It used to be when a man was down on his luck, he went west. Now, he goes on welfare (Besonen).” In the 1930’s there were programs created to give the masses suffering from a protracted economic collapse some form of relief (Besonen). These programs were intended to be temporary relief for a person without a job. These programs included Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, unemployment relief, and more. Since then there have been many medical advances in the world and people live a lot longer than they used to because they can get the help that they need. More than 40 million people in the United States are receiving Welfare Benefits as of this year. These benefits include food stamps...
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...Mandatory Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients Jason Hoops ENG325: Intermediate Composition Instructor: Ms. Heather Auger August 11, 2014 Mandatory Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients One of the most controversial issues surrounding the governmental welfare system today is the push for mandatory drug testing for its participants. With the present controversy surrounding it, several would pose the question as to whether or not the government should have the right to hold people who partake in the government entitlements accountable for illegal drug use or would this sort of action actually cross that boundary line of civil liberties into an invasion of one’s privacy? The state welfare system was established to financially assist those who are unable to meet the basic needs for everyday living; drugs are far from the basic human needs. If drug-using recipients receive the same benefits as those that are not parking in the illegal usage, they are much more likely to use their benefit check to obtain their next fix rather than to purchase the groceries needed to feed their families. Implementing mandatory drug testing for its recipients would decrease the amount of people abusing the system as it would require them to maintain a drug free status in order to receive their aid. In doing so, it would also reveal the recipients who are utilizing a portion of the governmental program for the wrong reasons; thus being a waste of tax payer’s governmental...
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...Drug Testing Welfare Recipients: Scandal or Solution Welfare programs as we know today were created in the 1930’s during the great depression to aid unemployed and under employed people in supporting their families. (“The”) It was not intended to be a government funded crutch for substance abusers. Often tax payers complain about tax monies being spent to support the habits of drug users who receive welfare. The fix to this problem is simple, drug testing. Drug test everyone on welfare and when the welfare recipient tests positive, take away the benefit. Problem solved. But is it? The consideration of testing welfare recipients for drug use has been debated since welfare reform in 1996. Subsequently, “at least eight states have passed legislation regarding drug testing or screening for public assistance applicants or recipients (Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah)”. (United, par. 2) Legislators in twenty other states have also proposed drug testing for people who receive welfare. (Prah) However, drug testing welfare recipients is an ineffective use of tax monies because drug abuse is not common in welfare recipients, it is expensive and unproductive, and it is a violation of personal rights. It is easy to believe that most people who receive welfare have some sort of drug abuse problem; nevertheless this could not be further from the truth. The reality is, of the 310 million people living in the United States in 2011, only 1.95 million...
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...abuse it by purchasing illegal drugs instead of using it for the intended purpose? Many states are clearing a path to require drug tests for anyone receiving welfare who wishes to use illegal drugs. In the event that we keep on allowing drug addicts to collect welfare benefits, this will just prove that we do not care if this behavior continues or not. There should be a way to make sure that welfare money is being used for what its true purpose. Drug testing people who depend on help from the government to live could be a positive step in the right direction. Honest hardworking people have to be drug tested for their jobs so why not test welfare recipients. If you are receiving welfare and not using drugs, you should not have any worries. On the other hand, if you are using drugs and test positive, then you will be taken...
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...Welfare Drug Testing: What is the Real Cost? DeeDee Reece English Composition II Professor Renee Reynolds February 28, 2012 DeeDee Reece Professor Renee Reynolds English Composition II February 28, 2012 Abstract In July 2011, Florida passed a law which required applicants seeking aid under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to take a drug test. If they pass the test they get benefits; if they fail – nothing! The law was developed to save the state taxpayers money. It was enacted on a biased foundation - without funds the poor can’t support their drug habits! It was mandated without any regard for the consequences of doing so. The problem isn’t taking the test; it’s what it stands for! It crosses the constitutional, social, moral, and ethical boundaries that society deems acceptable. The negative aspects outweighed the good! The testing has been placed on hold while the “real costs” are addressed. Welfare Drug Testing: What is the Real Cost? Being poor once meant you lacked funds or the means to support yourself. Today the meaning has been changed to define a person’s character. Florida law suggests the definition of poor is synonymous with drug user. Eligibility for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program now requires applicants to submit to drug testing to receive benefits. The problem isn’t with taking the test but the premise behind it. The law was enacted based on an...
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