23536
Bluelight Crew
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2010
- Messages
- 7,725
Asked by an Atlanta reporter about mandatory drug tests for welfare recipients, Mitt Romney announced his enthusiastic support. (Thanks to James Carter for the tip.)
He's not the only one on the right who thinks so. Republican officials in several states have become fans of expanded drug testing, and in perhaps the most notorious instance, Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) pushed through an ambitious drug-testing program, only to see it fail miserably.
It's not just the states, either, with Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) pushed in the last Congress for mandatory drug tests for those seeking unemployment benefits.
Romney probably sees this as a way to pander just a little more to his party's base, but there are some pretty dramatic flaws with this policy. For one thing, there are constitutional concerns about the government forcing Americans to give up bodily fluid in order to qualify for benefits to which they're entitled. Is this what the right now considers "limited government"?
For another, administering these drug tests isn't free. In Florida, Rick Scott said the policy would save taxpayer money, but the tests ended up doing the exact opposite.
more http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/09/10365798-romney-backs-welfare-drug-testing
[M]y own view it's a great idea. People who are receiving welfare benefits, government benefits, we should make sure they are not using the money for drugs. I think it's an excellent idea.
He's not the only one on the right who thinks so. Republican officials in several states have become fans of expanded drug testing, and in perhaps the most notorious instance, Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) pushed through an ambitious drug-testing program, only to see it fail miserably.
It's not just the states, either, with Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) pushed in the last Congress for mandatory drug tests for those seeking unemployment benefits.
Romney probably sees this as a way to pander just a little more to his party's base, but there are some pretty dramatic flaws with this policy. For one thing, there are constitutional concerns about the government forcing Americans to give up bodily fluid in order to qualify for benefits to which they're entitled. Is this what the right now considers "limited government"?
For another, administering these drug tests isn't free. In Florida, Rick Scott said the policy would save taxpayer money, but the tests ended up doing the exact opposite.
more http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/09/10365798-romney-backs-welfare-drug-testing
Last edited: