Florida governor signs welfare drug-screen measure

Florida governor signs welfare drug-screen measure

www.cnn.com

Under the law, which takes effect on July 1, the Florida Department of Children and Family Services will be required to conduct the drug tests on adults applying to the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. The aid recipients would be responsible for the cost of the screening, which they would recoup in their assistance if they qualify. Those who fail the required drug testing may designate another individual to receive the benefits on behalf of their children.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Lord Voldemort strikes again.
This is something my state already does for TANF. Not food stamps, but cash assistance.
Previously states have tried to get local community leaders and churches to accept assistance on behalf of dysfunctional families. but it failed miserably, and created much more paperwork then already swamps the system.
I am personally on the fence about this issue and have never made up my mind. But I also understand the opposition's statement:
"If Governor Scott wants to drug test recipients of TANF benefits, where does he draw the line? Are families receiving Medicaid, state emergency relief, or educational grants and loans next?"


www.cnn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

the best part of this little deal for Rick Scott..
is his wife runs the company in charge of doing the Testing
gotta love the Kick Back

reply to post by nixie_nox


I think that this will gain traction across the US. People want to know where their taxes go. All of the pork projects, welfare fraud, the collapse of Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, etc, etc. have people freaking out.

And I do mean freaking out as some want to cut this, others want to cut that, no one can agree. This is a fairly easy target for people to get behind.

I would rather see my money go in the hands of a drug dealer then most companies, at least the drug dealer will put the money back in the system one way or the other.

Anyway, the main reason for this is for Rick Scott's wife to make money.

There are people who take welfare checks and buy drugs, we all know this
but this begs the question... what about alcohol abuse?

buying drugs with welfare money is bad but alcohol is okay?

I did not know that about his wife. So he is Lord Voldemort.

Is that even legal?

reply to post by User8911


Ahhh, there is always more to the story. Can anyone say ethical conflict. If her company is to make money off this, she should be taken out of the equation by resigning her position. Smacks of insider trading to me.

It vexes me to no end that we feel the need to trample the rights of the poor to qualify for peanuts and then , with absolutely no accountability we give trillions to the rich who just fleeced us. Start testing the wall street bankers who can afford the lavish coc aine and hooker parties and leave nickle bag homie alone.If you really don't want your money spent on drugs then look uphill not down. Where do you think the money comes from and goes that fuels the drug trade in homie town?Some rich welfare queen?LOL it is going to the same people getting government bailouts.
People need to get that many of the poor are recently created by the rich and while the rich continue to receive perks galore the poor are increasingly demonized as the cause of the problems and not the result. So yeah test from the top down and we may weed out some real crap causing a lot of problems the poor have not a damn thing to do with.
P.S. Ya'll for the most part a only a couple missed paychecks from poverty yourselves,eh?
seed

Does anyone know if this bill includes food stamp recipients? Doesn't seem fair that someone who cannot afford food has to pay out of pocket to one of Scott's former companies that is now owned by his wife to make a few people happy and help out Solantic's bottom line.

Scott needs to be impeached! Not so much for this bill, but all the other crap he has planned for Florida. If he gets his way all the wetlands will be replaced with condos.

I completely support this measure. If you test positive for drugs kiss your free money goodbye. I also believe you shouldn't be allowed to buy alcohol or smokes with the free money that you get paid. That money comes from people like me out in the real world who work for a living trying to make ends meet.

FINALLY A SMART FREAKING IDEA!!! I don't want my hard earned money going to taxes to pay for some drug dealing junkie to buy stuff for free!! ABOUT TIME SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING GOOD!!!!!

Good to see we have a forum full of anti-freedom loving Americans. This measure would have been fine if they tested all the CEOs and executives who got the massive bailouts. I foresee this bill costing tax payers more in the long run because tax payers have to reimburse the applicant for their drug test and there will be many lawsuits after the fact.

If you think drug testing a person is okay then you are against individual rights!

I have to agree with this because it seems like a no brainer. If it loses in court all work drug testing will soon fall by the side too. I'm tired of drug testing because i have long hair it seems every new boss sends me for a drug test. Nice part is I can't work till the test goes through and I pass so I usually get the nurse to put it through the systen SLOW and i get 3-4 paid days off then a bunch of OT to get caught up

Maybe this sounds good, but in reality I don't think it accomplishes anything.

So if you cut off people on drugs for assistance, what are they going to do for money - most likely steal, and continue doing drugs. Well housing someone in prison costs more than giving them welfare and if the crime rate rises then you need more police as well. These people will still be a drag on society, it is not a fix to the problem, in fact it most likely makes the problem worse.

This policy might actually very well increase costs for the taxpayer, not reduce them, but most people don't ever think beyond the headline.

reply to post by jjkenobi


What my state does is allows the person a chance to become clean and enroll them in a rehab program. I think it is only fair that they do that. And then people who normally wouldn't have access to rehab treatments can get them.
Cash assistance is for the children. You can't get cash assistance, or TANF, without having kids. To simply not give it to someone isn't fair for them. TANF is used to pay bills, buy food, etc.

I think having an appointee to handle the money for the addict is fair. It still makes sure the kids receive.

And to answer the previous poster's question: no this doesnt apply to food stamps, only TANF or cash assitance. With food stamps you get a debit card, that can only be used in certain places.

No one is making a great life out of welfare. As others of have said, corporatios steal far more from taxpayers then welfare or welfare fraud.

Here is a great example of tax fraud, and this is only from one particular sect, imagine how much this happens across all of them:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

I've posted in other threads of this topic that this isn't the first time Florida has passed this Bill. Just like the other one it will either be found unconstitutional or even worst a waste of time.

All you cheering this...use your mind for a minute and just realize if there are recipients who use the money for dope, the only thing they'll do is obtain piss from their friend or relative. So like I said...A waste of time.

The govenor did this to get fist pumps from just the type at this site who have fallen for the billion dollar propaganda waged by wealthy who wish to have trailer trash warring against ghetto hoods, while they laugh in their mansions.

If you really want to do something, everytime a politician wage a war on the poor inform them you don't want to hear about Piss-Poor Peter, you want to watch the money of Millionaire Mikey.

I still want to know how this is even legal if it is a direct personal conflict. And can the governor be impeached for it?

Originally posted by spoonbender
the best part of this little deal for Rick Scott..
is his wife runs the company in charge of doing the Testing
gotta love the Kick Back

Not true at all. Rick Scott sold all family holdings of Solantic on April 13th.

reply to post by nixie_nox

"If Governor Scott wants to drug test recipients of TANF benefits, where does he draw the line? Are families receiving Medicaid, state emergency relief, or educational grants and loans next?"

Yes.

There is already Federal legislation making you ineligible for student loans and grants if you have any drug convictions. Yes, Gov. Scott is also planning to test all state employees.

The only things not affected are Social Security and Emergency relief, because Social Security benefits are earned through your own contributions, and emergency relief is administered by executive orders following a catastrophe, there is no need to drug test.

This law is one of the good ones.