Looks like Kentucky is gonna start drug testing welfare bums

[Voltaire 5,491]

I'd like to see the link but props to Kentucky and I hope the plan succeeds.

[kilroy69 1,268]

 

 

If you have money to buy weed, your kid shouldn't get free lunch. I know it isn't the kids fault that their parents suck, but when you show a kid that you can get money for nothing, then spend it on ridiculous things and drugs, and people will STILL give you free food and housing, nothing ever gets any better. So no, while weed isn't a 'crime' in my opinion, it sure as hell isn't something you should condone the usage of by people who are being GIVEN money.

Who says they are paying for it? Kentucky is good for growing weed and its FREE if you grow it. By not testing for it they are not condoning it. Should they have an alcohol hair test too? How about a tobacco test? Cause if they don't have the money they shouldn't be smoking tobacco or drinking either right?

 

I think its really easy to pick on the people at the lowest rung of the social ladder and say look what these people do. Well WTF do you think YOU would do with your spare time if you were in their situation? Not to mention that this is just going to cause these people to move to something that cant be traced....huffing paint, gas, snorting bath salts who knows. But people from a shitty life are going to do things like this to escape it. Its just a fact of life. Instead of spending ###### millions of dollars on trying to catch them why not spend that helping the ones that actually need the help in ways that are proven to actually help. Treatment centers..re education centers that are going to help them get a job. Instead they are gonna waste ###### money on a program that the people will eventually find a way of beating anyway. gimme a break. shortsighted and weak.

[Me_2006 14]

Who says they are paying for it? Kentucky is good for growing weed and its FREE if you grow it. By not testing for it they are not condoning it. Should they have an alcohol hair test too? How about a tobacco test? Cause if they don't have the money they shouldn't be smoking tobacco or drinking either right?

 

I think its really easy to pick on the people at the lowest rung of the social ladder and say look what these people do. Well WTF do you think YOU would do with your spare time if you were in their situation? Not to mention that this is just going to cause these people to move to something that cant be traced....huffing paint, gas, snorting bath salts who knows. But people from a shitty life are going to do things like this to escape it. Its just a fact of life. Instead of spending ###### millions of dollars on trying to catch them why not spend that helping the ones that actually need the help in ways that are proven to actually help. Treatment centers..re education centers that are going to help them get a job. Instead they are gonna waste ###### money on a program that the people will eventually find a way of beating anyway. gimme a break. shortsighted and weak.

 

 

You honestly think there are people who do drugs that don't know it's bad for them at this point?

 

 

And the difference between the alcohol/tobacco and drugs argument is that one is still illegal while the other is not. You can't as easily restrict someone from doing something that is legal.

 

 

As for what I'd do with my spare time, I'd get a focking job. Not smoke weed. Not grow weed. Hell, at least SELL weed and get the fock off of government assistance if you're gonna use drugs to break the law. Besides, people always eventually find some ways around laws and rules. Should we get rid of laws altogether if people are just gonna break them and beat them? Where does that stop?

 

As a general statement, I don't care if people smoke weed. I really don't care if people do cocaine or whatever else they want to use. But I think it should be in their own home, no children or pets should be in the household or that person's responsibility, and they damn sure shouldn't be living off of taxpayer dollars to do so.

 

Plus, with as much money as government spends, at least this will be on something positive and with good intentions. Even if it costs slightly more than it saves, it'll be an attempt at cleaning up a problem. And trust me, it's a problem. That imagine you all probably have of "Kentuckians" are the weed and meth, welfare check, cousin fockers. They're real. It's not just some random stereotype. There are really TONS of those people here, and the more measures we can put in place to slow that down and regulate that segment of the population, the better this state will be.

 

I'm as laissez-faire as they come most of the time, but these ###### are worthless drains on society and I'm tired of the people who actually work and contribute all being lumped in with that trashy persona while their money is being used to perpetuate it. If you wanna get your ish together and earn your keep, you can buy and smoke whatever you wanna smoke until it affects others. But when you're getting money for nothing, you sacrifice that freedom in my book.

[Saint Elistan 106]

Under normal circumstances, Unemployment is paid for entirely by an unemployment tax levied from businesses that is to only be used for Unemployment. Stop discussing it as if the money is somehow a drain on other State Funds.

The Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA), with state unemployment systems, provides for payments of unemployment compensation to workers who have lost their jobs. Most employers pay both a Federal and a state unemployment tax. Only the employer pays FUTA tax; it is not deducted from the employee's wages.

If you have a job, your employer is paying an unemployment tax on your position in the event that you are laid off.

 

On topic? Meh, don't particularly care...as long as it doesn't set in motion a chain of events that leads to criminal charges on those found to have dosed. (Such as giving the authorities a warrant to search your property)

[kilroy69 1,268]

You honestly think there are people who do drugs that don't know it's bad for them at this point?

 

 

And the difference between the alcohol/tobacco and drugs argument is that one is still illegal while the other is not. You can't as easily restrict someone from doing something that is legal.

 

 

As for what I'd do with my spare time, I'd get a focking job. Not smoke weed. Not grow weed. Hell, at least SELL weed and get the fock off of government assistance if you're gonna use drugs to break the law. Besides, people always eventually find some ways around laws and rules. Should we get rid of laws altogether if people are just gonna break them and beat them? Where does that stop?

 

As a general statement, I don't care if people smoke weed. I really don't care if people do cocaine or whatever else they want to use. But I think it should be in their own home, no children or pets should be in the household or that person's responsibility, and they damn sure shouldn't be living off of taxpayer dollars to do so.

 

Plus, with as much money as government spends, at least this will be on something positive and with good intentions. Even if it costs slightly more than it saves, it'll be an attempt at cleaning up a problem. And trust me, it's a problem. That imagine you all probably have of "Kentuckians" are the weed and meth, welfare check, cousin fockers. They're real. It's not just some random stereotype. There are really TONS of those people here, and the more measures we can put in place to slow that down and regulate that segment of the population, the better this state will be.

 

I'm as laissez-faire as they come most of the time, but these ###### are worthless drains on society and I'm tired of the people who actually work and contribute all being lumped in with that trashy persona while their money is being used to perpetuate it. If you wanna get your ish together and earn your keep, you can buy and smoke whatever you wanna smoke until it affects others. But when you're getting money for nothing, you sacrifice that freedom in my book.

Nowhere did I say anything about people not knowing drugs are bad for them.

 

The argument is that if they have money they shouldn't be spending it on things like drugs. Legal or not alcohol and tobacco would fall into the realm of things that these people shouldn't spend money on then by following that logic. There was a case here in michigan were some people were fired for smoking tobacco.....even though its legal. So its not like it couldnt be done.

 

As for getting a job yea i agree. Maybe instead of using money to start a program to test them. How about you either A. start a program to re train and place them in jobs or 2.fund it better if there is one. The testing is not going to send a message. Its just going to cost money.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

Didn't the OP say "welfare", not "unemployment"?

[MDC 7,887]

Our stance on weed is the same, but we both know that the scenario that exists for you is not the norm.

 

 

I live here. The kind of people here who are on welfare, from my experiences, are the type who blame their problems on someone else, spend money irresponsibly, and are generally lazy. I know that sounds stereotypical, but I can't name a half dozen people that I know who receive welfare (or disability, it's honestly worse. I know soooo many meth heads with 'bad backs' that I can't count them all) that actually need and use the system correctly.

 

 

The pot smoking welfare crowd that I've seen from my experience doesn't just smoke 3-4 a year while at a party. It's that many a day. They're the kind of people who put black out window tint and wal-mart sound systems in their 88 Honda Accord with no exhaust pipe. They're the people I went to high school with that were smoking in the alley outside the movie theatre and had 2 babies before junior year and then dropped out after the 35 year old babydaddy shacked up with someone else.

 

If you have money to buy weed, your kid shouldn't get free lunch. I know it isn't the kids fault that their parents suck, but when you show a kid that you can get money for nothing, then spend it on ridiculous things and drugs, and people will STILL give you free food and housing, nothing ever gets any better. So no, while weed isn't a 'crime' in my opinion, it sure as hell isn't something you should condone the usage of by people who are being GIVEN money.

 

I hear what you're saying and generally support the plan they're talking about in this thread and you're probably right. The neighborhood I live in is mixed: half young professionals who are renovating old rowhomes and treating it like an investment and half old heads. Some of them are great people but some obviously inheritted the house from family, had a bunch of kids and don't want to work. I see kids who can't be older than 20 with kids of their own buying groceries at the corner store on their Access card (welfare) along with Philly blunts and it sticks in my craw.

 

I guess my only two issues are 1) where do you draw the line? If you're collecting welfare you shouldn't have cable TV or designer clothes either but we can't police the entire lifestyle of people on public assistance. Outright criminals shouldn't be collecting public assistance but inforcing these kinds of random drug checks seems more expensive than it's worth and mainly it's a money suck designed to harrass people who may or may not actually need welfare and be doing the right thing. 2) Much as I hate people who abuse the system a lot of them have kids who are innocent and I wish there was a way to throw undeserving people off the welfare rolls without punishing their children.

 

We have a lot of poor people in this country and there aren't a lot of easy answers. I'm all on board with some kind of mandatory public service for people on welfare OR unemployment though, that's a good start. And welfare reform was overwhelmingly a good thing.

[gocolts 300]

I am all for:

 

- Drug testing anyone getting public dollars [welfare, unemployment, section-8 housing, food stamps, WIC, etc]. Random and regular tests are the way to go.

 

You forgot politicians. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, should have to take random drug tests until the folks who make decisions for the ENTIRE country go first. It's ass backwards and OUTRAGEOUS that Joe Blow the laborer has to take a drug test but the sh!tbirds that run the country get a free pass to do whatever the fock they want.

[SUXBNME 1,594]

Stoners

[IGotWorms 4,063]

I hesitate to mention this because I know everyone hates welfare recipients and will jump down my throat for taking their side in any way, but...isn't this a civil rights violation? The government can't just randomly go around drug testing people. Private businesses typically can and that's why you see workplace drug tests, but the government is subject to a different set of rules. I'd think you would need some sort of individualized suspicion before you could demand a drug test in exchange for welfare benefits.

[Saint Elistan 106]

I hesitate to mention this because I know everyone hates welfare recipients and will jump down my throat for taking their side in any way, but...isn't this a civil rights violation? You can't just randomly go around drug testing people. I'd think you would need some sort of individualized suspicion before you could demand a drug test in exchange for welfare benefits.

 

Indeed. I guess I can support it overall because I support the removal of welfare entirely. I don't really have a problem with people losing welfare for drug use. I do have a problem if the tests inadvertently cause these same people to be prosecuted for their "crimes".

[Mungwater 601]

I get drug tested by the government about twice a year due to my reserve commitment, I think if you include that into a condition of payment it shouldn't be a civil rights issue.

[IGotWorms 4,063]

I get drug tested by the government about twice a year due to my reserve commitment, I think if you include that into a condition of payment it shouldn't be a civil rights issue.

 

Yeah but they have a good reason for that. They don't want you out there in the battlefield with other people's lives on the line if you're too focking high to figure out wh is your friend and who is your enemy. Not the same case with welfare recipients.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

Yeah but they have a good reason for that. They don't want you out there in the battlefield with other people's lives on the line if you're too focking high to figure out wh is your friend and who is your enemy. Not the same case with welfare recipients.

 

So you have no problem with the Govt forcing some people to give their hard-earned money to people who refuse to get a job, and who take that money to buy drugs.

 

I can't wait until you get into the real world.