Sorry Lily, I didn't see the change from company to cash assistance when you asked about the funding. You are right that it is the companies choice to charge the new employee and the new employee has to sign an agreement to it. At least that is how it has operated the two times I was charged.

As far as welfare goes though, if you are on cash assistance then it is a safe guess that you are on medicaid as well. Although not perfect, that is one viable route for paying for the testing. And again if you prove positive you could be charged the cost of the testing. And personally if you tested positive, you should be required to pay back the cash assistance you received; at least a certain amount of it, maybe the amount given between your last negative test and the new hot one?

Again this isn't perfect, nothing is, but it is an option.

Ok, well where is Medicaid getting the funding for it, there are millions of people on and off assistance yearly,

And if someone on assistance fails, where are they getting the money for the tests, they are going to be denied assistance.

As I see it, this is not an option, not because it is not a valid point, but financially it is an impossibility.

The money would be brought in from taxes like it is already.
I am not saying it is perfect, hell no. Perfect would be not needing to discuss it in the first place

So you would raise taxes to weed (no pun intended) out the ones who abuse it? I don't think anyone wants to raise taxes for that...I don't.

I think initially there will be a cost, but over time the money saved from eliminating assistance to the abusers will cover the cost.

Welfare is a government program, which is paid for by taxes generated by most of us on this site. I am not an expert on this, but I know that to receive certain government subsidies, one cannot have a criminal record and has to be drug free.

In that connection, my feeling is that welfare recipients have done nothing to lower their expectation of privacy. They are no different than virtually every member of the general population who chooses to make use of some form of governmental benefits, including any type pf welfare programs, tax credits, medical insurance, and scholarships. Consequently, I agree that there should be random urine testing for those on welfare.

4th amendment

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue,

but upon probable cause,

supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

You are right, a person has the right to not have their house, their vehicle or their body searched without due cause upholdable by a court of law. Nor may anything be taken away from those three areas without due cause.

HOWEVER, welfare, social service, whatever you want to call it, is not something you own, nor is it a RIGHT for you to receive it. A right by definition is something that can not legally be taken away from you. However, a priviledge can be denied if you do not meet certain criteria.

It is my opinion that one of the deciding criteria should be to have to undergo random drug testing, or forfeit your benefits. You could legally decline to give your urine when asked, but that would put an immediate end to your case, and you would have to start all over again (which most places means a 30 to fourty five day wait for benefits to start), and have to take a urinalyses in order for them to begin any way. And if this happens more than once, then you have a one year black from assistance.

As far as children involved, the law is the law. If someone pisses hot they almost always go to jail, at least initially, and if they have children the state is capable of coming in and removing them from the home due to drug use. The same would still hold true if you pissed hot for welfare. And I would go so far as to suggest tat if you chose to have your case closed instead of giving urine, it would automatically have to be reported to the child welfare department (just like a doctor is required to report certain injuries and such), and investigated.

Why does everyone always want to **** with the poor? i work and get rent subsidie and i'll be damned if any of you citizen police are going to tell me I can't have a beer .I am so sick of people worried about welfare recipiets but will spend tax dollars helping Africa without a blink of an eye.

Urine tests are not given to see if you take drugs so they won't give you a job, they are given because it lowers the companies Workman's Comp. Insurance. That is the only reason companies give drug test.

Do I think people on welfare should take drugs....NO.

But the context of his statement is sckewed.