Do you think that people should have to pass a drug test every month before they are allowed to receive welfare, food stamps, and other government assistance? Does it seem right to you that in Illinois you have to pass drug tests in order to be employed but you aren’t required to pass a drug test as you sit at home and collect the working people’s tax money all day? Some parents are blowing the money they are given for their families on drugs and alcohol instead of making sure their children get fed and have the things they need. How do you feel about the people who use your money for drugs and alcohol instead of everyday necessities? Because the state cannot monitor everything that people spend their money on, do you think that there is any way to address this issue? Do you have any other thoughts or opinions on welfare and other government assistance programs?
Elizabeth
17 comments:
I do think that people receiving welfare should be drug tested. In a sense the state in penalizing those that want to make something of themselves and rewarding those that are lazy(this is not always the case). I do realize that some people need the assistance but they need to be constantly working towards improving their situation. Welfare in not a permanent paycheck and those that are using the funds to buy drugs and alcohol are treating it as such. I think anyone that receives taxpayer funding needs to have regular meetings to ensure that the funds are being used properly. Rebecca spellmeyer
Yes, people should be drug tested before receiving welfare. I know that it may offend the some people who are just struggling to survive and have never done any drugs in their lives, and other people who don't consume them, but it does filter out the drug-addicted people need towards becoming drug-free. And if the government, or the police find out about parents using welfare money on drugs instead of their children, DCFS should take the children out of the home until the parents get clean because they should not have to see the harmful side-effects, and the like, that drugs can bring on.
Lauren Smith
Welfare money being spent frivolously is obviously not a good thing, but it is a hard problem to address. Anyone spending a large sum of the money they've been granted on alcohol, for example, would never be caught. A lot of hard drugs, too, (i.e. cocaine) are in your system for very short periods of time as well. There also comes the matter of the cost of the drug tests. Who pays for these? They're not free. Drug testing is really the only solution I've heard for this issue, and there are many holes in it.
As far as being drug tested for employment goes, though? This is called being oppressed. It's an invasion of freedom, privacy, and human rights. The entire idea of it is absolutely disgusting. When at work, the quality of the work you do and attendance are what matter.
Addison
Drug testing for welfare assistance should be permitted.For years SNAP benefits have been abused. Other methods have been used but have not worked. So if drug testing for welfare assistance works (which it does according to Florida) this method should be used. Besides, I believe welfare has a crippling affect. When individuals receive SNAP benefits they tend to remain on welfare for the simple fact of not learning how to maintain with out it.SNAP benefits were supposed to be temporary assistance. However time and time again they become handicapped because the welfare has always been there to assist you.
Missolo
Drug testing for any type of government assistance is a great idea. These programs are not a right it is a handout or charity. Our welfare system today is out of control, particularly involving food stamps, and things like earned income credit (which ironically is a reward for not having much income at all).
One out of every seven Americans today receives food stamps and the programs budget has increased 135% over the last 4 years, this in a one of the fattest countries in the world. Ironically again the obesity rate is much higher for people with lower incomes. People always argue that it is because they cannot afford nutritional foods. Sounds like some bullshit to me.
Schnitzel
This topic is kind of controversial, because not very one do drugs and it is hard for the state government to monitor such things. However, drug testing for welfare services should be and must be permitted. Government must ensure that the tax-earned money should be given to those that will spend on necessary stuff like food, rather alcohol or drugs. There is also one more benefit about drug test, government can get to the roots of drug sellers or drug lord through these people.
-Nilay
I think it would be a great idea for the state to issue drug tests for people applying and receiving monthly welfare. I think that those tests should be random so that more people will be caught doing drugs, and more people will be weeded out of the system. I think that the state is doing a really great thing for people who need and deserve it, but those people shouldn’t take advantage of it by blowing the money on drugs and alcohol—especially if they have children to take care of. I still think it makes sense to randomly drug test employees because employers don’t want to employ losers. I mean, it is one thing for people to get jobs and waste their money on drugs and alcohol, but it still makes a company look bad if they have people who do drugs and drink all the time working for them. Personally, I don’t like the idea that my tax dollars go to people who waste it on drugs and alcohol when they could use it to feed their children or themselves. I work really hard every week, thankfully, and I hate to think that there are people who aren’t doing anything but do drugs and drink, while I pay for it. I don’t think it’s right.
Chelsey
Obviously, people receiving welfare from the government should be tested for usage of illegal substances. This is a fact, this is not debatable because only people that are eligible should be granted money from the government. If a drug addict/alcoholic/smoker/etc. spent all their money on junk, why should the government give them money? There are people who truly need it, people that are trying to raise their family and scraping up every penny for the future. If the rich decide to buy such junk, then so be it. The rich earn money to do what they want; the impoverished people don’t have money because they don’t earn money. I am not sure why you are asking such a simple question. What’s wrong with a drug test? The government is basically saying “If you take a drug test, we will give you money. We just want to see if you are eligible for receiving the money” and then the person receiving welfare starts crying because they are a drug addict. “How do you feel about the people who use your money for drugs and alcohol instead of everyday necessities?” Well, it appears to me that you are writing about the wealthy people, but I hope you mean the poor people. I would be infuriated if my money went to an alcoholic that didn’t take care of their family. And it’s not that there is no way to monitor them, they just need to be tested for anything. If they truly are wasting money, the community should take responsibility and either report them to the government or try to change their habit.
By the way, great quote by Lincoln, the rich earned their money and can do what they want, others could and should go out and earn money too.
-Charlie
I do believe people that are being considered for receiving money from the government should be drug tested. If it's a thing that the government is giving people money than the people receiving the money should live by the governments rules. As far as I know drugs are still illegal. For the idea that people who receive government money and are spending it on alcohol, those people should be able to stop all of their extras in order to get the money. Those extras being alcohol, drugs, nicotine, and anything else that would possible be considered an extra like eating fast food all the time. There is a lot of food from stores that are cheaper than eating out all the time. I personally believe if anyone feels the need to have more money they should have some type of budget training before they get the money just to see if they really need it.
John
I ABSOLUTELY believe that people should have to take drug tests before they are allowed welfare. I understand that their are people in the world that are struggling, and there is no shame in that, but if you are on welfare and food stamps there is no reason for you to be buying drugs and alcohol. Welfare is there to buy food and other necessities. If you buy alcohol and drugs with that money it's just a slap in the face to people who are trying to help you get on your feet. So disrespectful. It isn't fair that you have to be drug tested to be employed but you don't have to be to get welfare. I honestly don't care if people use drugs and alcohol if they don't let it effect their work, or show up to work drunk or something. But to have money handed to you without any evidence of a non-drug related past? I just don't understand it.
^ Andi
I do believe that the state should administer drug test for recipients of state or government assistance. That money should only go to the people that need it, for example that struggling mother or parents that are working but are able to produce the necessary fund for the household, Should be able to receive assistance that will help the children in their future endeavors. People tend to forget that state and government assistance are for the children not for the parents to spend at will. I feel that if you can spend all you time drinking and using drug that you should get a job to feed those bad habits that you have. Let those people that really need it prosper and grow as parents and as people. This type of behavior is a trickle down effect causing the kids to see the actions of their parents as the way of life. I think that bi weekly test should be administered to receive benefits not just monthly. If you can sit at home and receive benefits you should do a little work that will show you are making some effort in you growing process of making your life better.
-Christopher Hodges
If Illinois started drug testing for the granting of government aid, I'm sure that the percentage of aid would drop tremendously within the first week or month of the new procedure. Either that or it would drive more people to get their butt in gear and drive themselves to do better which might end up with them actually getting a job and not having to be supported by the government any longer. It would definitely be a win-win situation, in my mind, and to my knowledge, a lot of people would be pleased to know that there is some monitoring that has been added to welfare.
-Cherie
Why not, right? I mean a lot of people are tired of seeing their tax dollars wasted on Welfare that only go to "drugies." I'm not sure drug testing is the right option, though. Money would then have to go into a test for each person rather than towards something that needs it. Plus there are ways to flush toxins out of your system. If the person really needs Welfare, they'll make sure to past the test and then what?
There are several problems with this, but nonetheless it should be eventually done. There are other solutions too like constant meetings with a Welfare agent or something of the sort. If you want your money, you have to have documentation on what you've been spending it on, if you can't then no more Welfare.
In these situations, one seemingly good solution will not solve it.
Katherine Stack
I grew up in a family that asking for help was just something we didn't do. Yes we would occasionally get help from family member but if not, we just had to work in order to get what we wanted. We weren’t poor but we had enough to scrape by. I’m not saying that asking for help is not okay. It’s when people miss use that help, is what really aggravates me. I think it’s okay for employers to drug test those that are seeking jobs, it’s just assuring the employers that this individual can be counted on being a responsible employee. As for drugging those that receive welfare, I’m not sure about that matter. There’s a couple of pros and cons to why or why not to drug those individuals. I agree on both sides that drugging those that need help and aren’t attempting to get a job and just rely on welfare to get by is wrong. Or those that use that welfare for drugs instead of helping their family is also a reason why we should drug them. In all retrospect drugging those that need help is also in a way inhuman. Why should we judge what they do with their, but really our, money? Just like they don’t judge those who have money, when we spend stuff on expensive cars or things that we really don’t need but yet we want. In all outcome we should be blessed to be able to help individuals, even if there misusing the help.
Josue
Josue
I do belive in order to recieve food stamps you should have to take a drug test. If everyone out here in the world was drug-free, I bet there wouldn't be so many people on welfare in the first place...
-Samantha
While holding people accountable through drug testing might seem like a good idea in theory, I am not in support of drug testing for those who receive government assistance. This practice has been occurring in various states and has not proven cost effective or beneficial. Instead, it promotes a stereotype that poor people do drugs. In states where this has been done, few people actually tested positive. This practice is also unconstitutional as it invades people’s privacy without proof that it’s necessary. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s disgusting when someone wastes the taxpayers’ well earned money on illegal drugs instead of providing for their families. When providing for a family, your personal needs should be put aside for the greater good of your family. Considering we can’t monitor everything everyone buys, I don’t think this is a problem that can be eve fully dealt without crossing the line of what is deemed constitutional.
-Sam
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