by Jacquline Singer

Created on: April 29, 2010

All welfare recipients should be tested for drugs. The intended purpose for the welfare system was to help people who were in between jobs, or suffering under the weight of health or medical issues. That is no longer the case. The welfare system has become the payroll of a large portion of this country.  With the number of welfare recipients in Louisiana, it is just a matter of time before Louisiana follows California into total economic collapse.

In order to draw unemployment, you must be job ready and actively seeking work. In order to be job ready and actively seeking work you must be clean and sober. That same standard should apply for welfare assistance. When you show up for an interview and can not pass a drug test, you will not get the job and you do not have the right to appeal. You are not entitled to the benefits of the job. You alone are responsible for your actions.

However, to require only 20% be tested is a little discriminating. Would it be fair to only test 20% of job seekers. How do you choose that 20%? Who is responsible for selecting who is tested and who isn't?

While I hope that this bill passes in the senate, I would like to see a some fine tuning in the steps taken upon failure of the test. The offer of rehabilitation should be a one time thing. If a recipient fails a drug test, and completes rehabilitation; they should be tested every time they apply for assistance in the future. A failed test at that point should result in them being red flagged as no longer eligible for any assistance provided by the government. As with every other government offer of assistance, "give them an inch and they will take a mile". If that revolving door is not closed before the bill passes, the taxpayer will not only be supporting the welfare system, they will be funding rehabilitation as well.

Rehabilitation should not require a posh, resort type atmosphere. It should rest on the recipient to find a support system, such as AA or NA and follow the program. There is no program or resort in the world that can clean you up until you have first seen yourself as an addict and accept the fact that you need help to make a conscious choice for change.

Pregnant women failing a drug test, should not only be required to go to rehabilitation, their children should become wards of the state, removed from the homes until such time as the mother can be proved fit. The sad thing is, the state could not handle the burden of such a bold move. However, it may be a catalyst for change. I personally do not believe this will ever happen,

If this bill does pass, other government agencies, such as food stamp, housing and social security disability, should follow suit. It might cost to run the test, but it would be cheaper than supporting a dead beat for the rest of their life. 

In the twelve step programs, one who assists an addict in continuing bad behaviour is called an enabler. In order to save the addict, the enabler has to stop what they are doing that supports or helps the addict.  Our government would do well to study the Twelve Steps and accept the fact that they are not helping a situation when they financially support addiction. 

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