There is a rumor going around that Kentucky has now passed a law requiring adult welfare recipients to take a drug test. It really irritated me when I heard about it, but as it turns out, it is only a proposed law, HB208. An article on HB208 and the lawmaker that proposed it, Rep. Lonnie Napier (R-Lancaster), can be found at: http://www.kentucky.com/2011/01/17/1600950/kentucky-lawmaker-wants-random.html
This is not the first time I have written about the topic of welfare. Today’s welfare system is not the same as the welfare program of 40+ years past. And the Food Stamp program of the 1970s is very different from today's. Restrictions are much tighter making it much harder to scam the system. The majority of poor people receiving welfare today are families with both parents, and typically both parents work. Single parents are the second largest group of recipients.
In Kentucky, a qualified family may receive an average of $226.67 per month, $2720 a year, from Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). AFDC is the only government welfare program that gives cash payments. According to national statistics, only four in ten people in poverty receive cash welfare payments. This does not bring families out of poverty. Poor Kentucky families have incomes, on average, of $5,200 below the poverty threshold. Kentucky Welfare Statistics
So, besides the statistics that show how stupid this law is, here's another scenario of the flaw in that law:
Harry can be a worthless drunk who finds ways to get out of working full-time and THAT law won't prevent him from getting welfare.
Jerry, over the weekend, can do a bunch of speed and rip off people, but it will be out of his system by the time he has to take a drug test.
Tommy's a good guy. He and his wife work hard all day at mediocre jobs to support their family, and then Tommy likes to smoke a joint after work because it makes his back feel better. He doesn't drink alcohol or do other drugs, but Tommy is out of a job when he has to drug test. By the way, marijuana has become legal for medicinal purposes on a state level in several states, including Washington, D.C.
Single mother Sue, works all day to support her three kids and when she goes to bed at night she takes something the doctor gave her to sleep. She'll flunk the test, but once she submits her prescription and talks to her employer, she'll probably get to keep her job as long as she doesn't smoke pot too.
And then there's Johnny junkie. This law WILL prevent Johnny from getting any benefits which might force him into rehab. That's good though I guess. But how many heroin junkies do you know? I can promise you that there are far MORE alcoholics and meth heads out there than junkies.
This law is knee-jerk, redneck and flat out ignorant. The majority of families receiving food stamps, for instance, are married working families, with single working parents coming in second. Neither make enough money to support their families. Many of the single parents aren't getting any child support either. You can't get food stamps if you don't work .
Those people probably don't have anything to worry about when it comes to passing a drug test, unless they smoke pot or have severe allergies and take antihistamines. Some antihistamines show false positives. Oh, did I forget to mention the test isn't foolproof. Good luck defending your innocence.
Drug tests are expensive and as a taxpayer I don't want my tax dollars wasted on this type of test that doesn't affect the people I want it to. I want Harry the drunk off the couch and Jerry the meth head who ripped me off in jail.
I think psychological and character testing would be far more effective if you’re looking for a quality employee, than some outdated, ineffective method like drug testing. As far as cleaning up the druggies, if this lawmaker thinks that all the druggies are on welfare, then he is beyond ignorant and should not be re-elected when his time is up.
People have this image of welfare recipients as being a bunch of non-working drug addicts and it's just not true. These are the people that serve you at your favorite restaurant or fast food joint or clean your house. Granted, you have the scammers, but it’s getting harder and harder to scam the system with all of the requirements in place. Do the research. You have to work to get on welfare, and account for everything.
I can think of half a dozen working drunks on welfare right now that a drug test wouldn't affect. I’ve taken my fair share of drug tests, and passed, at jobs where it didn’t get rid of the abusive jerk I had for a boss or the guy with a mouthful of mints wearing a bottle of cologne trying to disguise the smell of alcohol who kept hitting on me.
This law is demeaning and demoralizing to an already demeaning and demoralizing situation for these people. Most of these people would rather not be on any kind of assistance. Yet, there are those who feel compelled to punish them. Personally, I don’t mind my tax dollars helping the people that really need it.
We need to re-think the entire concept of drug testing for employment and welfare. Just think about it.
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