Monday, November 11, 2013

Druggies on Welfare?

I recently found a post on facebook thanking Florida, Kentucky and Missouri for passing laws requiring people to take a drug test when applying for welfare. Such legislation is highly controversial, as many people claim it interferes with personal freedom or is unconstitutional. I don't believe such a test can be labeled unconstitutional, as it is simply the group collecting relevant information about the subject before entering into the relationship with them; an employer has the right to drug test before entering a contract with its employees, so why not the government?

Honestly, the only reason why I'd say I'm opposed to this is because it ends up being a loss of money; the money we save from not giving money to these people is far outweighed by the cost of administering these tests. Also, sometimes you have to get drug tested for a job due to physical requirements, such as handling money or operating machinery, but with someone on welfare that is not a relevant topic. I think it sucks if someone is getting their meth money from welfare, but drug testing is honestly a token gesture that doesn't help balance the budget or bring about justice for the average person.