06 Jun 11
http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/06/05/florida.welfare.drug.testing/index.html
"Governor Scott's new drug testing law is not only an affront to families in need
and detrimental to our nation's ongoing economic recovery, it is downright
unconstitutional," said Rep. Alcee Hastings. "If Governor Scott wants to drug test
recipients of TANF benefits, where does he draw the line? Are families receiving
Medicaid, state emergency relief, or educational grants and loans next?"
___
I personally still have mixed feelings about this, but I would ask others who might
be highly supportive of such a measure: why is this kind of government intervention
acceptable while "enhanced" TSA screenings are not? Or are they?
06 Jun 11
1 edit
Originally posted by wittywonkaToday's "conservatives" are not interested in small government, they're interested in using government as a weapon against those whom they despise. This thing Scott is pushing through is Huge, Enormous, Stalin-Sized Government. It'll cost Florida gobs of money to enforce and administer these drug tests (which are predicated on the time-honored conservative principle of "guilty until proven innocent" ). No money for teachers, but all the money in the world for this. A slithering fascist is what Scott is. The lowest of the low, except possibly for the governor of Wisconsin.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/06/05/florida.welfare.drug.testing/index.html
"Governor Scott's new drug testing law is not only an affront to families in need
and detrimental to our nation's ongoing economic recovery, it is downright
unconstitutional," said Rep. Alcee Hastings. "If Governor Scott wants to drug test
recipients of TANF benefits, whe vernment intervention
acceptable while "enhanced" TSA screenings are not? Or are they?
06 Jun 11
Originally posted by wittywonkaJust the natural outcome of collectivist philosophy, expect to see more of it.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/06/05/florida.welfare.drug.testing/index.html
"Governor Scott's new drug testing law is not only an affront to families in need
and detrimental to our nation's ongoing economic recovery, it is downright
unconstitutional," said Rep. Alcee Hastings. "If Governor Scott wants to drug test
recipients of TANF benefits, whe ...[text shortened]... vernment intervention
acceptable while "enhanced" TSA screenings are not? Or are they?
06 Jun 11
2 edits
Originally posted by wittywonkaYeah, I heard about that too -- it just makes the whole thing even more of a sham. It's indefensible. There's all this talk about unemployment "benefits," but they're not "benefits," they're properly called unemployment insurance. People pay into it like any other insurance policy, only they do it by letting the state take cuts in their paycheck, and an insurance company cannot deny a policy holder's claim simply because they smoke pot once in awhile. Not unless, possibly, the act of smoking pot actually caused the situation that made the claim necessary (like driving while stoned). But that sort of exception clause is already built into unemployment insurance policies anyway: if you lose your job on account of gross negligence or committing a crime, you aren't eligible to collect unemployment payments. This is Republican authoritarianism and moral policing come home to roost again. Guilty until proven innocent. WE own your body. THE STATE IS MOTHER, THE STATE IS FATHER. YOU have to pay for the drug test and maybe you'll get your money back later if you're found to be "pure," and YOU won't get unemployment payments that YOU paid into if you are found to not be "pure." God help you if there's a false positive.
The link also talked about how Scott used to have some connection to companies that ran the drug tests, although he claims there is no conflict of interest...
I hate authoritarian scum. Then again, Scott, like so many other freshman Republican officeholders in the nation, is facing an electorate suffering from agonizing buyer's remorse. Wisconsin ought to be pretty interesting come July.
(EDIT: I'm just addressing the push to mandate drug testing to get unemployment payments, and haven't even gotten into the welfare assistance issue, much less the issue of forcing public employees to undergo drug testing.)
08 Jun 11
The crickets here should be noted for the record. None of the Tea Bagger "Git gubmint outta my life!" types on this forum or in the state of Florida are making a peep about a blatantly Big Brother totalitarian measure enacted by a Republican governor. The rank hypocrisy of American "conservatives" is enough to make me gag.
09 Jun 11
Originally posted by wittywonkaPersonally, I'm in favor of the government mandating that they place a web cam on all our foreheads to monitor everything we say and do. After all, what do you all have to hide? 😲
http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/06/05/florida.welfare.drug.testing/index.html
"Governor Scott's new drug testing law is not only an affront to families in need
and detrimental to our nation's ongoing economic recovery, it is downright
unconstitutional," said Rep. Alcee Hastings. "If Governor Scott wants to drug test
recipients of TANF benefits, whe ...[text shortened]... vernment intervention
acceptable while "enhanced" TSA screenings are not? Or are they?