Florida’s draconian new law requiring welfare applicants to undergo drug testing at their own expense went into effect on July 1st. On the surface, this bill sounds good, right? No one wants tax dollars to be spent on drugs. Florida’s welfare program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), is intended to help families pay for food, housing, clothing, medical and other basic living expenses.
It should go without saying that TANF funds should not be used to buy drugs but for whatever reason, Florida’s Republican governor Rick Scott felt the need to really drive this home at last month’s bill-signing:
“It’s the right thing for taxpayers,” Scott said after signing the measure. “It’s the right thing for citizens of this state that need public assistance. We don’t want to waste tax dollars. And also, we want to give people an incentive to not use drugs.”
Not to be outdone, Facebook users agree with Scott. This little ditty, which has apparently gone viral, appeared on my FB feed last week:
Le sigh. Where do I start?Florida is the first State that will require drug testing when applying for welfare (effective July 1st)! Some people are crying this is unconstitutional. How is this unconstitutional? It’s OK to drug test the people who work for their money but not those who don’t? Re-post if you want all states to have this rule….. This is the best idea I’ve heard in a long time!!
First, I’m not a constitutional lawyer so I have no idea as to it’s constitutionality. However, I am extremely curious why this doesn’t violate our constitutional right to privacy? Any barristers out there who can answer that?
But here’s the main point: There is a difference, dear Facebookers, between an employer requiring a drug test as a condition of employment and the state of Florida demanding welfare applicants submit to a drug test prior to TANF enrollment. Employers simply want to ensure they have healthy, reliable workers. The state of Florida is assuming two things:
- Anyone who is poor enough to need TANF assistance could possibly have a substance abuse problem.
- Anyone who is poor enough to need TANF assistance cannot be trusted to spend their money wisely whether or not substance abuse is an issue. Therefore, drug users must be rooted out.
Just because someone is poor does not mean they will spend their welfare checks on drugs.
This is discrimination against poor people. This is class warfare, pitting the working class, like those who are posting and re-posting this awful Facebook meme, against the poorest of the poor who, for whatever reason, need a helping hand from the government for a while.
I hope this law is challenged and overturned. Soon.
A few more reasons:
-False positives. They do occur. No one (in charge) seems to care. This is a huge matter.
-Adverse effect on medical marijuana patients (not federally protected even if state protected).
-Poor people sometimes use others’ medicines from desperation, lack of access to care. Illegal, yes, but when there’s no $, there’s no $.
-Adverse effect on finances where every penny matters, when more $ is needed for food, rent, utilities, gas or transportation, etc.
Great points. I hadn’t thought of these. -Danine
Danine, I think you’re full of poop. I, too have worked in the adults with disability field as a job coach for years. It’s about time we swing back to the right and stop the insane waste and spending in those program. Having clients “spend down” when their bank accounts get too high and have them buy cemetary plots and new expensive furniture when the old ones are still in great shape, (better than mine and others I know) is insane!
I first have to say why does everyone seem to think this is an attack on the poor.
It is a direct result of collecting money from the government.
I work for the government and fight for my country for nearly 20 years.
I have to take drug tests every couple of months. Why… not because I’m poor or rich but if I’m collecting a check from the government, no matter big or small, earned or not earned. I should have to show I’m drug free.
Why are things always, Rich/Poor, Black/White, Liberal/Conservative.
It should be logical or illogical.
In this case, if you take a government check… you take a test. If you are not doing drugs, you have nothing to fear. Guess what this law even gives you the money back for the drug test when it is negative.
How is this not fair.
I respect your concern but fail to follow your logic.
I am a conservative but I do not agree with this law, this is probably the worst attack on a group of Americans in history. The story get’s little attention about this governor owning facilities that will actually profit from this, I know he signed the businesses over to his wife, well that should raise a few eyebrows.
This is politics at it’s very worst, it’s just sad that this nation has now become a bunch of mob mongers just as they were in Germany and Europe throughout the 30′s.
If you truly want to save money stop sending our nation’s treasure to every country in the world, dump 2/3rds of that over paid government who cause all these problems to begin with. Feeding poor people is the right thing to do, and I really hope our supreme court has enough courage to stop this Hitler ism in it’s tracks, this governor would not get my vote, conservative or not. I am an American Patriot and a War Veteran and this is not the direction this nation should be going.