Florida Legislation Requires Drug Tests for Welfare Benefits - Polidicks

[QUOTE=Boba_Fett;30273499]I think this issue is less about winning the "War on Drugs" and more about regulating welfare, which has grown from providing only for those who are in dire need of aid to a system where any unemployed person can walk in and obtain free money and other assets from the government and spend it on things that aren't exactly necessary to survive.[/QUOTE] i think the issue is really the ongoing anti-poor narrative that republicans have been perpetuating since Reagan

[QUOTE=Boba_Fett;30273499]I think this issue is less about winning the "War on Drugs" and more about regulating welfare, which has grown from providing only for those who are in dire need of aid to a system where any unemployed person can walk in and obtain free money and other assets from the government and spend it on things that aren't exactly necessary to survive.[/QUOTE] I don't think you have much of an idea how the process of receiving welfare works...

[QUOTE=Lazor;30273564]i think the issue is really the ongoing anti-poor narrative that republicans have been perpetuating since Reagan[/QUOTE] don't you remember that all welfare recipients are drug addicts? I love my tax dollars going towards the $600+ billion annual military budget but god forbid my hard earned tax dollars go towards some low life drug addict welfare recipient who is nothing but a leech to society

What they should really do now is force monthly check-ups for people on disability because there are so many people abusing the system where I live.

I fully support this, if you are going to burn money on drugs then you don't deserve benefits. Simple as that.

[QUOTE=BANNED USER;30273608]I fully support this, if you are going to burn money on drugs then you don't deserve benefits. Simple as that.[/QUOTE] well i guess caffeine is also out then

[QUOTE=Led Zeppelin;30273595]I don't think you have much of an idea how the process of receiving welfare works...[/QUOTE] True, I certainly made it sound a lot easier than it is, but it certain serves less of a role than it was originally supposed to play. If you receive money from the government, I think it should be put to good use.

[QUOTE=BANNED USER;30273608]I fully support this, if you are going to burn money on drugs then you don't deserve benefits. Simple as that.[/QUOTE] Why point the finger at drugs then? Should you deserve welfare if you burn it on video games or porn? [editline]5th June 2011[/editline] Not to mention not everyone who fails a drug test is a drug addict like you all seem to think.

[QUOTE=JDK721;30273553]uhh, you have to qualify for welfare. not just any unemployed person can get it. and what kind of things are they buying? god forbid they have any type of entertainment[/QUOTE] Welfare is supposed to support those who cannot support themselves. It should cover necessities, not luxuries.

[QUOTE=Boba_Fett;30273710]True, I certainly made it sound a lot easier than it is, but it certain serves less of a role than it was originally supposed to play. If you receive money from the government, I think it should be put to good use.[/QUOTE] define "good use"

[QUOTE=Boba_Fett;30273737]Welfare is supposed to support those who cannot support themselves. It should cover necessities, not luxuries.[/QUOTE] why draw the line at drugs, then?

[QUOTE=SgtCr4zyAlt;30273717]Why point the finger at drugs then? Should you deserve welfare if you burn it on video games or porn? [editline]5th June 2011[/editline] Not to mention not everyone who fails a drug test is a drug addict like you all seem to think.[/QUOTE] If you drink a cup of alcohol, you can't get a liver transplant. There are rules and those who follow them are rewarded. If you do drugs and try to get welfare, you lose your welfare. The good people who lay off the drugs get their money. I don't see what the big problem is here.

[QUOTE=BANNED USER;30273608]I fully support this, if you are going to burn money on drugs then you don't deserve benefits. Simple as that.[/QUOTE] Read the thread, you'll see that it's not as simple as 'Handouts being given to druggies'

[QUOTE=BANNED USER;30273608]I fully support this, if you are going to burn money on drugs then you don't deserve benefits. Simple as that.[/QUOTE] you didn't read the thread at all did you

[QUOTE=JDK721;30273776]define "good use"[/QUOTE] Food, shelter, clothes, heat, electricity, running water, ect..

I can't believe you support this. Any of you. Seriously? You're basically supporting the right of the government to deny you any sort of aid, from food stamps to medical welfare to food-based aid for students to senior living financing...because someone chooses to use an illegal substance... Really? Seriously? This forum, which is mostly in support of legalizing marijuana, if not most drugs? Is choosing to side with a Tea Partier to take away the right to good health and financial well being from people because they either made a bad choice, or choose to use recreational drugs. A personal choice, in my mind an obvious personal liberty, and you say it's okay to just up and deny the ability to live at a decent level to them? Or a goddam addiction they can't shake? Just, just fucking drop them and leave them? For THAT? God damn. I am just going to make this clear- this still will screw with children. Designating another individual to receive welfare benefits for a child of a family doesn't help that much. It's not like the person can be responsible for everything the family does or needs. I mean, are they going to go and get food using stamps for just the child? Or the whole family? Because if they only get benefits for the child, then that leaves just the children fed, while the rest of the family has less access to food, and unless you're going to clearly state, "Well, this food was bought with the benefits given to me for the child specifically, you legally can't have any," I guarantee that it's not going to work out that the child is going to get the entire benefits only they receive. Stuff like this is unenforceable. Welfare should be placed on a family basis, and looked at on a case-by-case basis, and not just lump them into "good guys who deserve the money and bad guys who don't", because the good and bad guys are living as the same unit, using the same shelter and resources, and interact. This won't work. This is NOT how we should go about this. What we should do is evaluate on a case-by-case, as a family unit, the necessity and worthiness of welfare benefits. But you know what, let's just fuck errybody in the ass instead, because that's what we need, god damned drug addicts who can't afford to feed themselves, let alone get help if they need it, and their children who are getting just as fucked because their goddam help-less addict parent(s) are controlling the resources that the children got with their benefits. [editline]6th June 2011[/editline] I mean don't get me wrong, some people don't deserve it, and those people are the ones who do use their welfare benefits to feed their addiction, but most drug users aren't that. This good-guys bad-guys stuff is just going to fuck with family units and fuck over those who are seeking help, who don't use their benefits to feed their drug habits or addictions, and who really don't leech off the system, but still use occasionally. This is absolute crap. This is stomping on the liberty or people, firstly, and then rubbing their face int he ground and letting them die because they can't even survive off of jack shit and can't get help if they need it.

[QUOTE=JDK721;30273813]you didn't read the thread at all did you[/QUOTE] So since he doesn't agree with you he didn't read obviously. [editline]6th June 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Detective P;30273945]I can't believe you support this. You're basically supporting the right of the government to deny you any sort of aid, from food stamps to medical welfare to food-based aid for students to senior living financing...because someone chooses to use an illegal substance... *text wall*[/QUOTE] Yes, I support the right of the government to deny you Welfare, which is in no way a Constitutional right, if you break the law. Radical, i'm aware.

[QUOTE=Canesfan;30274196] Yes, I support the right of the government to deny you Welfare, which is in no way a Constitutional right, if you break the law. Radical, i'm aware.[/QUOTE] Way to read the whole thing bro.

[QUOTE=Detective P;30274236]Way to read the whole thing bro.[/QUOTE] I read it. But that first paragraph I quoted and the fact that you brought "Tea Partier" into the mix, (which is completely irrelevant to the discussion and comes off as an attempt to gather bandwagoners against a view) sort of discounts any argument. And I seriously doubt it would be possible to examine every welfare case individually.

[QUOTE=BANNED USER;30273608]I fully support this, if you are going to burn money on drugs then you don't deserve benefits. Simple as that.[/QUOTE] yeah, lets stop them from buying anything except bare essentials because if they're gonna burn money on alcohol, smokes, tv, video games or anything like that they don't deserve benefits! lazy bastards get a job if you want luxuries [editline]6th June 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Canesfan;30274196]So since he doesn't agree with you he didn't read obviously. [editline]6th June 2011[/editline] Yes, I support the right of the government to deny you Welfare, which is in no way a Constitutional right, if you break the law. Radical, i'm aware.[/QUOTE] the government has the right to deny welfare to it's citizens... ? [editline]6th June 2011[/editline] and here i was thinking the purpose of the government was to protect and provide for it's citizens!

[QUOTE=Lachz0r;30274303]yeah, lets stop them from buying anything except bare essentials because if they're gonna burn money on alcohol, smokes, tv, video games or anything like that they don't deserve benefits! lazy bastards get a job if you want luxuries [editline]6th June 2011[/editline] the government has the right to deny welfare to it's citizens... ?[/QUOTE] The government does not pay people to buy things they WANT. And uh yeah, it better have the right, why are you going to keep paying someone who's wasting the money you're giving them? Welfare is intended to pay for essentials until someone can find a job and make a living for themself. If it's obvious that you're not making any effort to do that, aka spending the money on drugs, then there's no reason you should keep getting paid.

[QUOTE=Canesfan;30274299]I read it. But that first paragraph I quoted and the fact that you brought "Tea Partier" into the mix, (which is completely irrelevant to the discussion and comes off as an attempt to gather bandwagoners against a view) sort of discounts any argument. And I seriously doubt it would be possible to examine every welfare case individually.[/QUOTE] Yea, I guess it kinda was. Because generally, when you agree with someone that you oppose on everything else, you generally tend to reconsider something. But having that as a discount an argument is incredibly stupid. Ignoring a series of argument because of a tactic (which wasn't planned, but I'm agreeing with you that's what I did). And actually it is totally possible. We actually do it with most things. Social workers. Government social workers have the job to do just that. Most states do just that. It is completely possible, and it works.

[QUOTE=Lachz0r;30274303] and here i was thinking the purpose of the government was to protect and provide for it's citizens![/QUOTE] Boohoo, the government won't support someone's drug habit. It provides for the safety and welfare, not provide money for a drug habit.

This is just fucking retarded. Why should whether or not someone takes drugs affect whether they can get welfare? Roll on, Florida, and know the rest of America is crying.

[QUOTE=Canesfan;30274368]The government does not pay people to buy things they WANT. And uh yeah, it better have the right, why are you going to keep paying someone who's wasting the money you're giving them? Welfare is intended to pay for essentials until someone can find a job and make a living for themself. If it's obvious that you're not making any effort to do that, aka spending the money on drugs, then there's no reason you should keep getting paid.[/QUOTE] Actually, you're talking JUST unemployment. Which is not the case. Welfare as a whole, and as is relevant to this, includes: -retirement benefits -elderly financial aid -food stamps -regular student financial aid -student food aid -unemployment benefits -state sponsored child care aid -business starting loans and aid -medicare programs -financial assistance to poverty-level families -immigrant financial assistance -immigrant education assistance and a few other things I know I'm forgetting. And you also assume that every drug user who is on a welfare program uses their welfare income on drugs, which is completely faulty. Again, family or individual-based screening (if any), not total elimination based on a single aspect.

I don't see why peeing in a cup is such a big deal. Boohoo you can't break the law if you want free money, who knew?

[QUOTE=Canesfan;30274387]Boohoo, the government won't support someone's drug habit. It provides for the safety and welfare, not provide money for a drug habit.[/QUOTE] How about people who don't use their welfare money for drug use? How about people who are addicted but can't afford medical treatment? How about people who use medical marijuana? How about people on a medically-assisted weaning from an illegal drug? How about someone on a methadone treatment? How about someone on a methadone treatment in a state that does not condone methadone? How about someone who has a manageable drug habit that is not a problem, and that they don't spend welfare money on, but still need welfare? What if someone was on drugs and then got laid off, should they receive unemployment benefits if they quit once they were laid off? If the minor does drugs, should they receive benefits? Just some questions I would like to see your opinion on. Because under this, all but two of those actually will not allow a family to receive welfare benefits.

[QUOTE=Detective P;30274487] [b]How about people who use medical marijuana?[/b] [/QUOTE] This law was passed in Florida. Where marijuana is illegal, even for medicinal use.

Further proof that Florida has some stupid policies.

[QUOTE=Bryanrocks0;30274512]This law was passed in Florida. Where marijuana is illegal, even for medicinal use.[/QUOTE] Right, but apply this method to the whole nation. This exact same law is being pushed in several other states, including Michigan, where I am and where medical is legal.