Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:16 pmTo get down to the heart of the matter though, if the gov required piss testing to get welfare it wouldn't change much... There are ways around piss testing, various formulas designed to fool tests, and also the possibility of samples taken being the urine of somoene else. I don't think it'd really prevent too many people from using their welfare money for drugs....
I really do wonder though how many welfare recipients are actually using their money for drugs? IT's a cop out to brand all / most welfare recipients as lazy bums / addicts... I think if anything it's more likely a reflection of society in general... When the economy goes bad more people will be on welfare... When the economy is good less will be on welfare. Just like the working population a percentage of welfare recipients may be drug users, but is that percentage higher than the working population?
Also being on welfare isn't something I think a lot of people choose or desire to do... I think that for most it's out of necessity... I imagine there are much more people using it for what it's designed for as opposed to abusing it which is more than likely a small percentage... And lets face it if you're poor you're more likely to be depressed, and more likely to turn to drugs to escape your existance...
And where does it stop? Should they test recipients for tabacco use, alcohol use, prescription drug or over the counter drug abuse? All these substances while completely legal cause just as many if not more social economic problems as illegal drugs...
I personally believe that most people on welfare are on there due to various hardships and use it as a means for temporary support until they're able to find gainful employment. Sure you'll have people abusing the system, but people abuse every facet of the system so why should the welfare system be a suprise?
BEsides adding more regulations will cost more to run the welfare program and won't necessarily eliminate or reduce the problem, it'll just force people who are addicts to come up with different ways around them.... Or even worse if these people aren't given welfare cheques to support their habits, it's not like they'll quit using drugs, they'll just break into peoples house or cars, or even worse assault people to do whatever they need for their fix... In the end your tax dollars pay for addiction regardless if it's through healthcare, welfare, insurance, or through the prison system... If I Had the choice between a junkie using welfare to get high or leading a life of crime to get high I'd choose welfare...
I really do wonder though how many welfare recipients are actually using their money for drugs? IT's a cop out to brand all / most welfare recipients as lazy bums / addicts... I think if anything it's more likely a reflection of society in general... When the economy goes bad more people will be on welfare... When the economy is good less will be on welfare. Just like the working population a percentage of welfare recipients may be drug users, but is that percentage higher than the working population?
Also being on welfare isn't something I think a lot of people choose or desire to do... I think that for most it's out of necessity... I imagine there are much more people using it for what it's designed for as opposed to abusing it which is more than likely a small percentage... And lets face it if you're poor you're more likely to be depressed, and more likely to turn to drugs to escape your existance...
And where does it stop? Should they test recipients for tabacco use, alcohol use, prescription drug or over the counter drug abuse? All these substances while completely legal cause just as many if not more social economic problems as illegal drugs...
I personally believe that most people on welfare are on there due to various hardships and use it as a means for temporary support until they're able to find gainful employment. Sure you'll have people abusing the system, but people abuse every facet of the system so why should the welfare system be a suprise?
BEsides adding more regulations will cost more to run the welfare program and won't necessarily eliminate or reduce the problem, it'll just force people who are addicts to come up with different ways around them.... Or even worse if these people aren't given welfare cheques to support their habits, it's not like they'll quit using drugs, they'll just break into peoples house or cars, or even worse assault people to do whatever they need for their fix... In the end your tax dollars pay for addiction regardless if it's through healthcare, welfare, insurance, or through the prison system... If I Had the choice between a junkie using welfare to get high or leading a life of crime to get high I'd choose welfare...
