Democrat and Republican liberals alike often excoriate those who think that welfare programs should not be parceled out indiscriminately, but should require something from the recipients. Back when Bill Clinton was fighting impeachment, he actually signed on to a welfare for work program, and amazingly, the welfare roles shrank!
It turns out that if people can get stuff for free, without having to do anything for it, they will. That should not be a surprise. The other thing liberals will have us believe is that welfare recipients have no responsibility for their situation. While that is certainly true in some cases, there are many more that result from poor decisions and behavior.
Starting late last year, North Carolina began requiring drug testing of new applicants for a state welfare program. A number of politicians decried the requirement as unfair, saying that it was too costly, and that it was onerous to those who would be required to take the test. The test was not universal and applied only to one program, but the results were quite surprising.
See test results on page 2:
Every state should
Nathan
IM LOVING IT, GOOD START
DEPORT ALL ILLEGALS, AND SAVE TAXPAYERS $ MILLIONS
Great!
About time
I believe that all the people on welfare should be tested for drugs
Illegal drugs or if they don’t show up for the test. All the welfare checks should stop immediately!
Agree
Cyndi Berger Koehn I agree it should be a cut off point not for life
Kevin A. Michael I’m all for treatment plans, helping individuals kick the habit is an important thing. But if you think getting tested for welfare is punitive, then you must think getting tested randomly at work is punitive too? Our judicial system IS totally messed up, it’s all purely punitive, there is absolutely no hiding the fact that rehabilitation is just a happy word that people toss around but actually it’s about punishment. Now I believe in justice, but we’re on the same page with punishment. I however feel entirely differently about having welfare as a job, there should be some type of expectation for these people should there not? That they are actually attempting to find work, and these people are actually ready to work when the opportunity comes about? Maybe we should go to the model of the Justice system where when sentenced with certain crimes people are required to do urinalysis testing, and pay for it themselves? What is the answer? Just to continue to let people receive welfare, buy their illicit drugs and live life that way? You mention treatment, I agree that is a good solution, but would most of the positive tested people have stepped forward without these tests, on their own and request treatment? No.