Mandatory Public Assistance Programs

Is it fair that in order to obtain a job, some people go through drug testing while drug and alcohol abusers receive free, no strings attached, financial assistance (see appendix A)? Food stamps and Medicaid are provided to low and no income Americans who would otherwise do without. According to heritage.org, a majority of the illegal drug use in American adults is tied to unemployed citizens. While there are many people who disagree with testing welfare recipients, the truth is that the pros greatly outweigh the cons. The long term improvements that drug testing will have on the country are substantial. The wellbeing and stability of America’s children, unemployment, fairness across the board for all Americans and the economy; all play

Drug Testing Welfare Recipients To test or not to test has been has been the question at hand for many states that are dealing with whether or not to pass the law that welfare recipients should or should not be drug tested in order to receive assistance from the government. Florida was the first state to mandate the law in 2011 and thereafter twenty four other states in the last year have also passed this law in our own state of Oklahoma being one of them. Although alcohol is legal it is abused far more than marijuana or hard core drugs, According to the 1996 study by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism the differences between the proportion of welfare and non-welfare recipients using illegal drugs are statistically insignificant. Although some states have decided to pass the law for welfare recipients in order receive government assistance, I believe it’s ineffective to drug test these welfare recipients in order to receive their benefits. Welfare in the United States commonly refers to the federal government welfare programs that have been put in place to assist the unemployed or underemployed. Help is extended to the poor through a variety of government welfare programs that include the Women, Infants, and Children Program, which is referred to as WIC, Medicaid, and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families commonly known as TANF and Aid to Families with Dependent Children. Drug testing welfare recipients is negative because drug tests performed on welfare

The welfare system is designed to support those that are in need. The welfare system should not be abused or misused and failure to comply will be grounds for termination. Drug testing welfare recipients, is it an infringement of rights and should it be mandatory for everyone that receiving or will receive assistance? This subject is up for debate as to whether or not it violates welfare recipient’s constitutional rights. If it should be implemented, would it help saving tax dollars and government spending and stop welfare

In today’s America, government aid is highly depended on. The US government has spent $498 billion dollars this year on welfare alone. The state of Tennessee has an average of 250,000 residents on welfare and has $3 billion dollars this year alone. To help cut costs and help tax payers, 36 states, including Tennessee, have proposed a bill to drug test all welfare recipients. Since the beginning of the year, the welfare rate has jumped 7 percent while at the same time, the welfare funds are drying up. Tennessee funds have dropped 17.5 percent, which comes out to be about $215.3 million dollars this year. State lawmakers have proposed that if drug users on welfare are

The United States has many welfare programs, such a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), that provide social welfare payments to those in need. Welfare recipients statistically have a higher potential to use illicit drugs, making it more difficult to secure a job. Often, these benefits are abused by drug users those who lack the ability or motivation to find employment and become self-sufficient. Incorporating drug testing into the welfare systems allows the government to provide those with drug addictions the needed treatment and suspend the benefits from those who continue to use drug and test positive after treatment. In the long run, there will be a costs savings

“If you have enough money to be able to buy drugs, then you don't need public assistance.” Said by Jerry Sonnenberg. For years now many people have wonder why the government doesn't do drug testing when applying for welfare. Many say it's not worth spending government money on, however if the government did do drug testing it could save the government money. I believe that drug testing welfare recipients would benefit our state in different ways. I feel that if the state was to make drug testing mandatory then it would help to prevent welfare fraud. Also it could possibly save the state money in paying out welfare payments. It could possibly weed out the people that

Although some people do not believe that people should get drugs tested for welfare. There is some people who think that drug testing welfare recipients could lead to efficiency. A survey found that 53% believe all welfare applicants should be drug tested before receiving benefits (Covert and Israel) . Welfares should check client's record. If welfare has a client that had used any type of drug before should be

Welfare is a public assistance program that is designed to help families who do not have enough money to support themselves. Welfare was developed to improve the quality of life and living standards for the poor and underprivileged. This program started because of the hardships people faced during the Great Depression of the 1930s. In 1935, public assistance for the poor became the government’s responsibility. The money comes from the taxes that are deducted from the working class. Testing welfare recipients for drug abuse stereotypes the poor, is unconstitutional, and has become a big burden.

There has been an ongoing controversy as to whether welfare recipients should have to have drug testing done. Drug testing will ensure that recipients will not abuse the money they’re given by the government. Having people on welfare take drug test is advantageous because it could save the system money, it would help social workers identify children who are around drug abuse, and it would deter people from purchasing and using illegal drugs; however, it does have a downside such as people who are on prescription medication will show false positives, it can be an invasion of privacy and drug testing can take hundreds and even thousands of dollars to administer.

Although testing for welfare often receives backlash there is information that it would decrease drug abuse, that people deserve to know where their money is going, and it would ultimately save money.

With 35.4% of Americans on welfare, and the U.S spending over 131 billion on welfare annually, not including food stamps. People have been looking for a way to cut the costs of welfare for many years. And then Welfare drug testing was proposed. At initial thought it seemed like a grand idea and a great way to cut costs and to eliminate all the drug users in the system, and because of that welfare drug testing has been put into action in 13 states. But, welfare drug testing is completely ineffective. Welfare drug testing should not be allowed because it violates the rights of the welfare recipients, it is stereotyping and discriminating against people on welfare, and it is expensive and ineffective . For all these reasons mandatory

109,631,000 Americans receive benefits from one or more federal funded programs. Throughout this project, I will be talking about different subjects related to government assistance. I will be referring to the new subject being recently talked about here in Wisconsin, drug testing welfare recipients. I also will be talking about the good and bad in government assistance, that relates back to government assistance abuse. When talking about abuse in government assistance, additionally will be talking about better monitoring in certain situations. Many thoughts go through everyday taxpayers on why they should be the ones paying for others to get help, especially when individuals do not have an idea about getting a job to get back on their feet.

Imagine taking the money you rightfully earned through hard work and countless hours spent at work and throwing it all away, using it on items that are essentially a waste of your money and time. Suppose I told you that this very problem is present in our very own state, city, and county. Currently welfare recipients are given your tax paying money for their own pleasure, pleasure meaning drugs rather than resources and ways to improve their lives and their means of living. In efforts to help this issue we must begin testing individuals who receive welfare for drugs. Welfare recipients should be required to be drug tested because it could lower the crime rate, lowering the use of drugs overall, and create efficient government spending.

Welfare is a system of assistance that needs certain procedures put into place that will be beneficial to those people that use the program. Drug testing users of the welfare program can be seen as a violation of a person’s rights, can be costly and cause a burden on a family that uses the system mostly involving children, but some people feel is necessary to ensure that the government’s money is being used productively.

The welfare system is a program that has provided assistance to unfortunate or disabled individuals and families. It provides things such as healthcare, food stamps, unemployment, housing assistance and child care assistance. People believe that it should be reserved for emergency situation, because of drug addicts “playing” the system. According to one woman, named Renee, who was a recipient of the welfare program believes drug testing should be mandatory. I remember having no heat or electricity and being so hungry it was painful. My siblings and I would fight for food. Her mom would trade her food stamps for various things like cash, cigarettes, and an occasional joint (Renee 190). Renee’s mother is just one prime example of how