Drug tests for welfare? Snyder's office says it's too early to tell

[dmr]

- snip -

Requiring a clean drug test as a condition for receiving cash assistance would have support within the Republican-led state Legislature. But supporters said they want to make sure the plan would survive a legal challenge, unlike a Michigan plan from more than a decade ago that federal courts derailed.

- snip -

The Michigan Department of Human Services, under orders from the Legislature, recently prepared a memo related to possible drug testing of welfare applicants and recipients. The department said the testing would be "feasible" and could include a possible pilot program for suspicion-based drug testing of welfare cash assistance applicants and recipients.

Suspicion would be based on the results of drug screening, which could range from questions on welfare applications to "professional screening tools."

- snip -

Missouri enacted a law that requires the state's social services agency to develop a program for screening welfare applicants and recipients, and then test those for whom there is reasonable cause to suspect illegal drug use. People who refuse to be checked and those who test positive and do not complete a program, will be ineligible for benefits for three years. While participating in a substance abuse program, people could keep their benefits.

- more at link -
http://www.freep.com/article/20120105/NEWS06/201050424/Drug-tests-for-welfare-Snyder-s-office-says-it-s-too-early-to-tell?odyssey=mod

Who would pay for this? This will create a new industry that will cost the state money. An industry that would make a wealthy, well-connected political donor even more wealthy/powerful.

Maybe we should have a citizen's brigade to randomly test the urine & breath of the Governor, State Legislators, judges, & the staffs of all these agencies. I would modify and apply this sentence to their outcome: "People who refuse to be checked and those who test positive and do not complete a program, will be ineligible for benefits for three years."

[MichiganVote]

1. Who will pay for this? The middle class that's who.

Not to mention the time involved. Our state labs don't even keep up with the labs needed for crimes--real important crimes.

When are these legislators going to get to work? I am sick and tired of them beating on people instead of doing something to enhance our state, seek jobs, study problems in place of religiously designating the wealthy as Gods.

They are not working--let alone for the middle class, the dumb bastards.