Should Welfare Recipients Be Drug Tested?

I would have a problem if you were a drug user but most of the drug users on the dole is also a registered drug user and can be tested based on the record of use. I draw the line drug testing in a witch hunt manor legal terms "fishing for a crime" (what ever happened to probable cause??) It turns out many of the worse drugs leave the body very quickly like cocaine. so the drug testing would be useless unless done every single day.

quote: "PDS charges $48.00 per completed test. That includes our full services. NOTE: That is based upon taking a test at an approved collection site. If a site outside of our system is used, then the price of the collection site is charged. However, it is unusual that an outside collection site would be needed." http://www.employmentdrugtest...

365 days a year = $17520 a year to drug test a person for 1 year.

226$ times 12 months = $2711 benefits that person is getting about.

you can't random test a poor person. Most poor are trying to survive day to day. To have to go get tested frequently on a random basis they would have to drop what they are doing and waste a 1/2 to a full day just to get to the collection site.. Testing them once doesn't work because many drugs don't stay in their system that long, which , lets most drug users avoid being toxic those days. So is paying $17,520 per person really worth stopping an extreme minority of the poor who are using drugs who is only getting about $2711 a year???

I was touching several points not rolling them all in one military only came up due to the fact you mentioned it I was in the recruiting office talking to a marine recruiter wondering if I would qualify they were considering allowing as long as I wore hearing-aids to get my hearing as close to normal as possible, unfortunately within a month or two after talking to him I had closed heart surgery due to food additive poisoning, which officially failed me for qualifications.

this all occurred well before 9-11 so my decision had nothing to do with a reaction to an attack but related to the strong drive to protect the constitution and bill of rights. freedom is achieved with blood by defending from those that wish to take it away from our citizens.

screw you, I am disabled and i am straight as they come(even gone as far as turning other people in for crimes they committed.) I have enough of my constitutional and civil rights violated every fracking day I will not tolerate this kind of crap from anyone that says i have to give up even more of my rights to satisfy your convenience! I also earned my RSDI I WORKED FOR IT THE HARD WAY. RSDI IS AN INSURANCE NOT A WELFARE. Several ways you paid in to this 1. birth taxes 2. death taxes and 3. taxes collected during the time you were working. IT IS NOT A HAND OUT! you can not even get any of it if you had not worked enough quarters and you can not get any of it if you fail to prove your disabled to the SSA using their extremely strict selection process within 5 years of becoming disabled. It is so strict that i wound up being homeless for 3 months from January to a early April in Minnesota. waiting for a confirmation.

just because one is disabled, doesn't make them a drug addict and in many cases they never would because they are already on medications if mixed with illegal drugs would kill them STOP BEING SO SHALLOW AND PUT SOME REAL THOUGHT IN TO YOUR COMMENTS BEFORE RESPONDING.

forcing people to give up civil and constitutional rights to satisfy other people conveniences is immoral to the extreme. you might as well round them up and shoot them.(trying to get you to realize making shallow and half thought out decision on behalf of another person who just happen to get short stick in life has severe consequences on that person for potentially the rest of their life. Making a miserable life totally unbearable by treating them as a criminal on top of the discrimination for their disabilities.)

you drug test only those that have a history of drug abuse it is in the governmental database and thus not violation of that persons rights. AND IT IS ESPECIALLY NOT VIOLATING INNOCENT PEOPLES RIGHTS BASED ON INCOME!

What happened to being innocent till proven guilty??? this is a case of being guilty and having to prove your innocent which its self is another violation of our constitutional rights.

give up all your constitutional rights and get abused by your peers for decades, then you can demand testing specific classes of people.

sorry rsdi is SSDI
SSI and SSDI are federal programs not state.

Quote from you" I believe that should also be the case for SSI and social security disability payments as well." meaning drug testing us.

you said drug test disability ssi which is RSDI. it is separate from SSI standard SSI is based purely on how much a person worked/ earned and only for (retiring and disabled) http://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-e...

****its a supplemental retirement.**** NOT WELFARE.

this is the KEY
Quote from above link: Anyone who is:

aged (age 65 or older);
blind; or
disabled.

I checked in to that as well when i talked to them SSI when filing for RSDI

SSI total would have come out to about $123 - $223. If this is more than what you get in 60 hours then there is something wrong your employer breaking federal law minimum wage.

RSDI was based on total quarters I worked and the average pay I received over that time and was reduced from that average by a certain percentage. RSDI does not pay same level as the average. Those that go RSDI are the ones that become disabled before reaching 65.
SSA also has a calculation to punish greedy people. If you try to apply for both programs the total you get is less than what you would have gotten for SSI, meaning I would have gotten $90 or less. Most people would have assumed that you get the two combined YOU DO NOT!.

I get less than 1/2 national poverty, which puts you way ahead of me and I have to pick and choose what necessities I will have to go without! I don't have a car, I don't have a cell phone, this computer was paid with by selling things That I owned before becoming disabled NOT WITH DISABILITY CASH. no money for pass-time activities like going to movies or bowling.

Anyone that gets more than you on RSDI(sorry correct lettering is SSDI) has earned it based on there prior work before becoming disabled. they earned way more than you did to begin with. They paid more taxes as well.

A major factor your not taking in to account in regards of disabled is if they are taking illegal drugs its to escape the pain of their disability, not to just get high. I still stand Firm that disabled to begin with are on meds to control the symptoms of disability and illegal drugs would kill them..

SSI is a pay forward program you pay for those on it now when you become disabled or 65 then those working at that time pay yours. Its a safety net based on constitutional right to live and pursuit of happiness.

First 2 years a person is disabled they are on the state medical program then they are forced to either get medicaid or medicare based on criteria. They do not get this on a whim without it they die from the illness they would need to be seen for and is totally treatable. thus unconstitutional to let them die just because they can't pay.

reason its unconstitutional is that them medical care is based on income not equality!

our nation is based on the foundation that all men and women created and treated equal.

so if you don't want medicare and Medicaid, you need to dismantle the constitution/ bill of rights/ civil rights. also if your middle income you would have to move out because the services like roads and schools and other services you take for granted was subsidized which is rich mans welfare that is greater than the poor and disabled ever got!.

poor pay a greater total percentage of their money to taxes than you do, that is not fair either.
Get the numbers in to perspective and realize the programs your bashing is there for you too you never know when or if you will become disabled and everyone at some point does either by illness, or old age, or injury.

disabled and seniors have difficulty getting around, drug testing is an extreme burden on them just for that reason alone. Not to mention the money involved. Most of us do not have that kind of money laying around because either we are buying food or medication or health care related cost not covered by medicaid or medicare. Example cab for disabled is $50 in our area that ssa or medicare or medicaid WILL NOT PAY. IT adds up fast and can exceed their money allotment for the month on that alone. So many don't even use paid transport and is home bound There is no way for them to get to the collection agency for drug test.

We aren't in pursuit of happiness, which is constitutional right, we are in pursuit of survival. the vast majority of us are miserable with no way out mainly because of rules stacked against us and income due to not being able to earn it ourselves. Many of us are ashamed that we have to rely on other to just survive, much-less pursuit of happiness. We are already in a prison of living hell (that is not of our choosing). Stop making it worse for us by violating more of our constitutional rights in this case 4th amendment which the ACLU has one on behalf of poor class.

leave us law abiding disabled citizens alone, we get enough crap for our disabilities as is. Want us disabled to be self sufficient then change societies rules to include us, we been and are excluded. Also make medical costs fair as well the cost of medical care is not based on service rendered it is based on how much relief you will be relieved from. example: Hearing aids I wear are over 1000$ and are 1/5th the size of a cell phone over all, yet the cell phone costs 80-100 dollars and does way more than hearing aid ever does the tech is pretty much the same. Not the disabled fault that we have to pay so much its normal people exploiting our illnesses and injuries!!!!! Put the blame where it belongs!
Demand from those that, caused all the high cost fees, to fix the problems you don't want to pay for, after all they are the ones making you pay not us!

Oh by the way a battery for same said hearing aid cost 2 dollars or more for a average week of power. that adds up quickly. especially if your wearing 2.

If you had to live a month in our shoes and jump the same hoops we do, you would go certifiably insane.

We don't demand anything unreasonable or unconstitutional from you for the services you get that your unaware of, that is worth far more than anything we are getting and your getting it when it is not a necessity for you.

we still pay taxes like everyone else, even though we get our source of income in a different manor. I still pay property taxes, I still pay all sales taxes, which are disproportionately unfair based on total % of income having to be paid in.
Every dollar I spend goes right back in to the local economy and 100% of my money source is returned to the economy. Can you say the same for Ford, GMC, exon/mobile(exon mobile did not pay taxes at all! they owe over 9million in taxes, if I were you I would be more concerned about getting exxon/mobile to pay up, because their tax evasion (compliments of Bush)for one year is more than all of us disabled combined.) Hell I pay more taxes than EXXON/mobile!!!!

Here, SSI is primarily a state program with some fed funding. 896/month tax free, with medi-cal and housing substidies. When you count up free medical [mine's over 2k a month] and only paying 25% of your income for rent [worth over a grand a month in my housing market....] + food & transportation substidies-The total adds up fast. [that's the amount I was speaking of]
Yes, SSDI is federal-and you have to work about 7 years to get benefits. It also usually pays more than SSI. If it pays less, based on earnings when the person worked [in my area anyway] people convert to SSI.

Re: both programs-this is what I see on a daily basis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?...

There are a lot of people who know how to game the system and do end up getting benefits. I in no way mean to besmirch people who deserve disability payments for whatever reason. I just know what I see on a daily basis. I'm also very familiar with people recieving payments because they're too addicted to various substances to work.
It makes me angry that people game the system and use resources that should go to people, who, IMHO are more deserving. The people who game the system also clog the works for the truly deserving, delaying claims. I can't think of any other way to winnow out the non-deserving. It's a start anyway. Do you have any ideas? I'm open to suggestions.
My personal experience: my ex was dying and on a transplant list. He was finally approved after he died, almost 3 years later.

I agree about the gaming the system. I know from personal experience that those that game the system causes disabled folks like myself to get dropped from services saying there isn't enough funds to go around. Example section 8 is not taking any new clients only those that are already on the system. This causes problems for me in that I live in a subsidized tower that the section 8 is attached too and if I move I loose section 8 the rent average here is 4/5ths or more of what I get. I would starve to death. So I am stuck here and if I loose this housing I am screwed and going to find myself homeless.

Also in the mental health they are keeping drug addicts and alcoholics on but dropped my case as a disabled with the claim I am too high functioning. It doesn't matter how high functioning I am, without resources I can succumb to the same problems as the drunks and addicts. Only difference is they made themselves messed up I did not choose to be disabled.

I have enough crap on my plate struggling day to day with no peace of mind in sight.

I just detest being treated as a criminal because of my status as a straight and narrow disabled poor citizen. I strongly detest being drug tested which is in violation of my 4th amendment. I AM INNOCENT TILL PROVEN GUILTY.

drug testing me just so you can drug test the "druggies gaming the system" is and always be intolerable. Once we go down that path we cease being the USA, might as well burn the bill of rights and constitution that made America what it is.

I will say it again only drug test those that have a history of drug abuse maximizing our dollars being used to keep those off that shouldn't be on the system.

I never wanted to be disabled to the point of unable to provide for myself. you have to give up a lot as is, just to get the services. lost my self respect and dignity which is one of the few things you have when you get that low in society. Hard to get people to take you seriously. Many normals are under the assumption that we chose this way of life. When in fact the rules society puts in place is the main cause for us being in situations like this.

Ask yourself how many employers would tolerate having a employee that needs to take frequent random breaks that can sometimes last for hours to deal with atypical panic attacks triggering underlying health problems?? My experience is ZERO.

Then normals assume that working for yourself is acceptable alternative and common place.
Reality disabled and poor do not have the capital to start a business when the rules currently in place forbid them from ever trying! Not to mention normals have a tendency to assume that because we are disabled and poor that we are dumb and less capable as the next person, therefore never really giving us a chance.

Our country was number 1 because of the services(welfare) we provided such as public educational system including the grant system for higher learning, science and technology research, parks and recreations, highway systems and many more services including the protections like EPA, food drug administration, all of this was provided by those forward thinking people from the 50s-70s.

most situations today were not made by forward thinking people, only those interested in lining their own pockets or those of big business. Using media and other methods to get normals to look at those that had nothing to do with how the situation today is in by "misdirection" and "smoke and mirrors" that paint us us poor and disabled as the villains.

its stuff like this that is the real cause of our dire problems today , not us poor and disabled who are following the current regulations and rules.

http://motherjones.com/mojo/2...

punish the guilty not the innocent, drug test those with a history of drug abuse only.

question is what do you do for work. and some times standing up for your rights can be painful. freedom is not cheap. Question is how much freedom protected by our constitution and bill of rights and civil liberties are you willing to give away before you say you had enough and do something about it?

Once you lost your legal rights It is extremely difficult to get it back. I know first hand for I been dealing with it for over 30 years, personally.

30 years of experience of having multiple rights stolen from you, you tend to get testy, when it comes to having even more protected constitutional rights stripped away. In this case its the 4th amendment.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

I added this second link because of the privacy link to the 4th and why you may be tested where its a violation to test poor because poor are usually at home and when decisions are made about services are usually done in the home now over the phone. There is no face to face meeting here anymore for services. its done from home entirely. I insisted on a face to face when I renew my food assistance and they refuse too now-days..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

to get food assistance here the interview is over the phone so your usually at home. In our home we do have a right to privacy then thus drug testing is violation of the 4th and also its discriminatory based on income.

If your going to require poor to get tested then those seeking loans from banks should be tested also in that they are getting a form of welfare because they can not pay for what ever out of their own pocket in full.

Also would need to drug test everyone using any kind of public assistance including all residences in closed community (walled in middle class and rich communities) because the roads and infrastructure is paid for by tax dollars.

you personally use many welfare services everyday and don't even realize it, for what it is, for you take it for granted. Paved roads is the biggest welfare you take for granted. public water works is another. public education system is another big one that is a welfare service. ER services another one. Public defender when you go to court is another one. Police department is another welfare service. public sidewalks, and trails are welfare service. And many more Do you drug test all the people who use these services?? NO.

Then give up your constitutional rights, I earned what I get as a disabled and the discrimination I have to suffer by ignorant prejudiced hateful people like you is wrong(I am not name calling I am describing you based on the comment you left). I was working class. I also suspect I worked much harder than you. I was able to perform all my tasks without supervision and had been recognized for those accomplishments time and again over normal people(like you). I was at a disadvantage to begin with!

So go sit on you imaginary high horse and gripe to your self . until you can recognize which individual people are causing the problem (and punish the guilty alone)and not include us law abiding (circumstance disadvantaged people) in your blanket requirements and expectations that have nothing to do with the individuals committing the crimes and just happen to use the same services as the misbehaving individuals.

depending the job the drug testing can be unconstitutional and you need to stand up for your rights, not our fault you subject yourself to it. If your not working in a position that if you make a mistake it could seriously injure or kill someone then drug testing is necessary to ensure you don't violate the next persons freedom, then challenge the drug test and call ACLU for help or one of the other organizations. Unless you challenge it then you have no-one but yourself to blame .
Your blaming everyone else for your own problems by demanding they be drug tested too and take away their constitutional rights to the 4th amendment related to search and seizure without probable cause..

no you even know what rights your entitled too under the constitution, bill of rights, and civil rights?????. people that don't have their rights trampled on multiple times a day don/t seam to know what rights they have because they have taken it for granted their entire lives

I can be discriminated against in excess of 10 times a day by people such as yourself. I am aware of what rights I have and i try to be vocal trying to teach ignorant hateful people like your self the realities of what is happening and the consequences it has on us to make blanket statements such as yours.