Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients free essay sample

Welfare programs are now trying to put into place a new qualification where any possible recipients of welfare are required to take a drug test. For the most part, welfare recipients respect the requirements of their contract with the agency. The drug testing will just be used to eliminate any persons taking advantage of the welfare program for inappropriate use and to ensure that the welfare will go to the people who are actually in need of it. While many are more than willing to take the drug tests, there are also quite a few who are very reluctant toward this new qualification. In order to decide whether or not drug testing is a logical and fair requirement, all the pros and cons need to be laid out on the table. As for the pros of the required drug testing, there are quite a few to take into consideration. The first pro to consider is that it’s not fair to the tax payers to have to pay for others’ drug addictions. It will be difficult to avoid logical fallicies on this topic. Because I am coming down on one side of this discussion and want to persuade my audience, I will want to use comments and information from those that view it as I do. Using statistics that are deemed factual will help in showing that these are not just biased opinions from politicians that are simply looking for another vote. If I were to begin to persuade a city council meeting or write a letter to my local government representatives about the importance of mandatory drug testing for welfare recipients, I would begin by saying: Welfare is not an entitlement! It was never intended to be as such. When President Roosevelt enacted the Social Security Act in 1935, it was during the great depression, when 25% of Americans were unemployed. Since then welfare has generously extended its hand to millions of Americans (2012). When someone is benefitting from these programs, and is not deemed disabled, it should be viewed as a â€Å"hand up† not a â€Å"hand out†. It is an issue all over the country that welfare is being abused by its benefactors. Cards are being used for ATM withdrawals, to purchase liquor, buying cigarettes, and even gambling in casinos. Food stamps are being openly traded for drugs (Camden, 2011). Not to mention the deception that is occurring about how many dependents a recipient is responsible for. To be subjected to a simple urine test to receive money and benefits from the U. S, government is not too much to bear. It is no different than obliging to mandatory drug testing for a job. Florida state governor Rick Scott has stated that in his state alone they will save 9 million dollars a year because of benefits being cut due to mandatory drug testing. With these kinds of cuts in spending nationwide, it is sure to reduce government spending a great deal. Not to mention the effect it will have on drug abusers. Florida state governor Rick Scott has implemented drug counseling on a volunteer basis for those benefactors that test positive (Delaney, 2011). Cuts in spending, responsible distribution of benefits and reductions in drug abuse, this sounds like a win-win scenario for us all. References Author Unknown, (2012), The History of Welfare, Retrieved from: http://www. elfareinfo. org/history/ Delaney, A. , (2011, November 27). Rick Scott Backs Drug Tests for Welfare Beneficiaries, Public Worker, and Himself, Retrieved from: http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2011/09/27drug-testing-welfare-_n_983235-. html/ Camden, J. , (2011, February 04). The Spokesman-Review, Abuse of Welfare Electronic Benefits Transfer Cards Targeted, Retrieved from: http://www. spokesman. com/stories/2011/feb/04/abuse-of-welfare-electronic-benefits-transfer/