The Gross National Debt

Monday, April 16, 2012

Mandatory drug testing


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Blog sort of by request.

I was recently asked to defend my position on mandatory substance abuse testing for people who receive tax-payer supplied living assistance.
Now in 23 states!

To simplify - If you get food stamps, you should be tested periodically for drugs. This applies to the other social welfare programs as well.


It's my opinion that if I am forced to support you, then you will adhere to the decorum rules I lay down. In other words if I have to pay to keep you alive, you are going to behave the way I tell you to.

Someone is going to now say I'm not being forced to support people who get public assistance. These people do not understand taxes. I pay taxes because I have to. The government takes the money from me. The government in turn uses part of this to support people who cannot or will not support themselves.

Give responsibly.
I am forced, against my will in many cases, to support these people.

When I give to charity, I make sure my money will be used as I want it used. If the person or group uses the money for things I don't agree with, I don't contribute again.

A homeless shelter in a neighboring county has a substance abuse policy. If you live there, you adhere to the rules. Violate the rules (show up drunk), you are kicked out. I just don't have a problem with that.

Why should forced charity (taxes) be any different?

The people whom wanted me to explain my views pointed out other venues which tax dollars support. Should people who use these things be tested? Roads, they point out, are built with tax dollars.

Indeed. Dunno about where you live, but in Georgia a driver's license carries with it the requirement to be checked for substance abuse if a law enforcement officer suspects the driver is under the influence. Mandatory testing, in other words.

What about other tax-supported endeavors? I favor drug testings for teachers and student-athletes. I favor testing for government employees.

Once you get past the current spending on social services and the military at the federal level, there's very little left in government spending which I support. At the state level, I support public safety, education and very little else.

Cut the programs I object to and my drug testing requirements are also cut.

My opinion on drugs is on record. The fact remains recreation drug use is illegal. The current president intends to keep it that way, in case you wondered. His remarks from Latin America say he opposes legalization.

Furthermore, Georgia has a program called Drugs Don't Work. Companies that sign up for this program get a sharp discount on their workman's comp insurance premiums. At the same time, these companies see increased worker productivity, decreased absenteeism and increased profits, well above the cost of the program.

But to sum this all up into one thought: I support substance abuse testing for people who benefit from my tax dollars. I should have the right to decide how my tax dollars are spent. If you object to that, quit taking my money.

2 comments:

  1. quoted part begins
    Indeed. Dunno about where you live, but in Georgia a driver's license carries with it the requirement to be checked for substance abuse if a law enforcement officer suspects the driver is under the influence. Mandatory testing, in other words.
    quoted part ends

    In that case, it's at the officer's discretion whether to test for substance abuse - in other words, only if he (or she) feels the person is under the influence. Not quite the same as a blanket testing of all members of a group.

    I feel this is going to be an area where we will disagree but I do respect your viewpoint. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I was talking to my sister about this. I view drug testing for Welfare similar to GPA requirements for the HOPE scholarship in Ga. You have to meet a certain number of requirements in order to receive governmental aid. The same makes sense for Welfare. If you don't want to have a 3.0 GPA, don't try to obtain HOPE (same goes for Welfare- If you want Welfare, don't do drugs). It's that simple. Yes, I understand they have to pay for the test up-front, but they do get reimbursed if they are clean.

    I don't view it as a violation of a person's rights. But I am open to hear other opinions.

    ReplyDelete

Hi. I welcome lively debate. Attack the argument. Go after a person in the thread, your comments will not be posted.