Florida Gov. Rick Scott drug testing welfare recipients fail

[Riot]

Rick Scott’s Drug Law Isn’t Saving Florida Much Money

When Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) signed the law requiring welfare recipients to pass annual drug tests to collect benefits, he justified the likely unconstitutional law by saying it would save the state money by keeping drug users from using public money to subsidize their drug habits.

Drug use, Scott claimed, was higher among welfare recipients than among the rest of the population.

Preliminary results from the state’s first round of testing, however, has seemingly proven both of those claims false.

Only 2 percent of welfare recipients failed drug tests, meaning the state must reimburse the cost of the $30 drug tests to the 96 percent of recipients who passed drug tests (two percent did not take the tests).

Cost of the tests averages about $30. Assuming that 1,000 to 1,500 applicants take the test every month, the state will owe about $28,800-$43,200 monthly in reimbursements to those who test drug-free.

The state also has to pay for defense of the law.

The ACLU is still considering a lawsuit challenging the law’s constitutionality, Newton said. If the ACLU or anyone else were to challenge the law, the lawsuit would likely succeed.

As for Scott’s second claim, that drug use is higher among welfare recipients, the test results also show that to be false.

While only 2 percent of welfare recipients failed drug tests, a 2008 study by the Office of National Drug Control Policy found that approximately 8 percent of Floridians age 12 and up had used illegal drugs in the last month, and 9.69 percent had smoked marijuana in the last year.

From Think Progress

[Danzig]

might have been a good idea in theory...but unless its a random test, its not going to catch many. everyone is aware of how to defeat those tests...

[Riot]

Or these people applying for welfare just can't afford the drugs the regular population can.

Did you know that Gov. Scott owned (he put them in his wifes name when he was elected, she still owns them) a number of private walk-in clinics that does drug testing?

Good thing he got a law passed for thousand of new drug tests per year in Florida.

I think I agree with Gov. Scott, that our tax dollars should not be used to support drug use. So every elected official in Florida should be drug tested every three months.

The Republican Party 2011. Blaming it all on the "poors", and wasting money right and left with their reckless, stupid social engineering programs. Oh, yeah, pushed by ALEC.

[Danzig]

good idea, anyone receiving tax money in any fshion should be tested. cops, firemen, military already are.
and im not surprised about the labs, not when judges are affiliated with juvie facilities that they then sentence kids to as punishment.

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by Danzig

good idea, anyone receiving tax money in any fshion should be tested. cops, firemen, military already are.
.

only 2% of welfare recipients in Florida using drugs is about as likely as Super Trooper making the horse racing Hall of Fame.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

only 2% of welfare recipients in Florida using drugs is about as likely as Super Trooper making the horse racing Hall of Fame.

That's right. Don't let measured facts and reality get in the way of your assumptions

[Antitrust32]

Originally Posted by Riot

That's right. Don't let measured facts and reality get in the way of your assumptions

measured facts my ass.

If you think only 2% of welfare recipients in Florida are using drugs I have some great waterfront property to sell you.

Let me ask you, Miss knower of all things, do you realize how EASY it is to pass a urine drug test when you have advanced knowledge of when the test is taking place? Its called dont do drugs for one day, overload with water and pop some B-2 vitimins.

But hey, dont let reason get in the way of whatever fantasy is in your mind.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

measured facts my ass.

If you think only 2% of welfare recipients in Florida are using drugs I have some great waterfront property to sell you.

Let me ask you, Miss knower of all things, do you realize how EASY it is to pass a urine drug test when you have advanced knowledge of when the test is taking place? Its called dont do drugs for one day, overload with water and pop some B-2 vitimins.

But hey, dont let reason get in the way of whatever fantasy is in your mind.

LOL- you don't know as much as you think about all "drug tests". But nice to know that you know how to pass the one you are required to take.

[Dahoss]

Most drug tests nowadays, especially those in which you have to take for employment purposes are urine tests. They are extremely easy to pass, especially when you know the date in which you have to take them.

Lori mentioned urine tests, not all tests, so I'm not sure why the troll decided to pick apart that statement, but oh well.

I actually don't think this is the worst idea ever, but there are flaws to it, especially if you think marijuana should be legal. If you're using your welfare money to buy crack or meth...yeah that's a problem. But if you really do require assistance, use the assistance responsibly and take a puff or 2 off a joint at a party I don't see what the big deal is.

[clyde]

I must whizz.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

Most drug tests nowadays, especially those in which you have to take for employment purposes are urine tests. They are extremely easy to pass, especially when you know the date in which you have to take them.

Lori mentioned urine tests, not all tests, so I'm not sure why the troll decided to pick apart that statement, but oh well.

I actually don't think this is the worst idea ever, but there are flaws to it, especially if you think marijuana should be legal. If you're using your welfare money to buy crack or meth...yeah that's a problem. But if you really do require assistance, use the assistance responsibly and take a puff or 2 off a joint at a party I don't see what the big deal is.

Try passing a urine test for marijuana, meth, coke after "not doing drugs for 1 day".

As as factual aside - yeah, I'm just being a troll to mention "facts" - Florida requires hair and blood testing, too, aside from urine.

But hey, Lori knows best.

So it looks like it simply could be true that poor families are not major drug addicts as alleged by Scott, and even less of them than usual in the normal population are drug addicts because they, you know, can't afford to buy drugs when they have nothing and are applying for family welfare.

Radical idea to some here.

Or, it could be that 98% of welfare recipients are smart enough to beat a drug test, while only 91% of the general population are smart enough to figure that out.

Any way, no matter the drug test results, we all still know that welfare recipients use our tax money for drugs!

[clyde]

Originally Posted by Riot

Try passing a urine test for marijuana, meth, coke after "not doing drugs for 1 day".

As as factual aside - yeah, I'm just being a troll to mention "facts" - Florida requires hair and blood testing, too, aside from urine.

But hey, Lori knows best.

So it looks like it simply could be true that poor families are not major drug addicts as alleged by Scott, and even less of them than usual in the normal population are drug addicts because they, you know, can't afford to buy drugs when they have nothing and are applying for family welfare.

Radical idea to some here.

Listen lady...the Manson Family who lived next to me would destroy your curved space claim.



Get the thing that looks like a back scratcher.

You'll feel bettah.

[Dahoss]

Originally Posted by Riot

Try passing a urine test for marijuana, meth, coke after "not doing drugs for 1 day".

As as factual aside - yeah, I'm just being a troll to mention "facts" - Florida requires hair and blood testing, too, aside from urine.

Instead of deflecting, look at what was wrote. She said a urine test when you have advanced knowledge. Not ALL drug tests. She is right. You took what she said and included ALL, which is how you were trolling.

If you have advanced knowledge of when a urine test is they are absolutely beatable. I did it many moons ago (and I smoked weed the night before), so I actually speak from first hand experience, instead of what you are doing in this thread.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

Instead of deflecting, look at what was wrote. She said a urine test when you have advanced knowledge. Not ALL drug tests. She is right. You took what she said and included ALL, which is how you were trolling.

Lori supported her statement that welfare recipients have far more actual drug positives than what was measured by saying that they could beat a urine test by abstaining for only 24 hours, drinking lots of water and taking B vitamins - which is false; and by being ignorant of the fact that Florida uses blood and hair testing, too.

Which is why I said, "Try passing a urine test for marijuana, meth, coke after 'not doing drugs for 1 day'."

So unless welfare family applicants want to shave their heads and wait for 30 days to apply to get food, the measured results of actual testing on welfare recipients should stand until they are disproven.

And simply not wanting to "believe" the results isn't disproving.

If you have advanced knowledge of when a urine test is they are absolutely beatable.

Of course they are. But that's not what Lori said, she said 1 day - which is why I called it false. BTW, how many people earning $12,000 a year do you think are holding off on applying for welfare to do so? And "beating" the hair and blood tests?

And are obviously smarter about beating - by 8% ! - than the general public also getting the same drug tests in the same state.

I did it many moons ago (and I smoked weed the night before), so I actually speak from first hand experience, instead of what you are doing in this thread.

Yes, my "first hand experience" consists only of hiring drug companies to do drug testing on my own employees over a 10-year span, having a professional-level knowledge of drugs and their metabolites (because that is how we dose drugs, by knowing the mechanism of excretion and half-lives), and being able to read a current chart on drug withdrawal times in humans about to be drug tested.

Surely not as valid an experience as a story about beating a drug test for a little weed from "many moons ago".

The right-wing "welfare queen" meme is alive and well. I find it very sad that these dog whistles still work on so many people.

All those that worried so much about ACORN (which turned out to be faked video from an Andrew Breitbart employee), have no worry about ALEC.

All those that despair about Sharia Law and Muslim Kenyan non-citizens have no worry about the strong political dynamo that is the Republican Governors Association, that the "Tea Party" is a wholly-owned subsidiary of several Republican lobbyist organizations.

Or that GOP Gov. Rick Scott of Florida, whose was CEO of the private medical clinic company that recently was found guilty of billions in Medicare fraud; was still elected Gov. of Florida, divested that medical corporation to his wife and think that eliminates any "conflict of interest"; and then passes a law requiring thousands of new clients to be drug tested. What do his medical clinics do? Why, lots of drug testing!

Even though it's costing the state of Florida thousands of dollars a month. That his company is profiting from. And he was elected on being a "budget cutter" as Florida has such a bad budget deficit.

But - shiny object! - those Welfare Queens are Driving Cadillacs, And Our Tax Dollars Are Paying For It!

Yeah, I'm just trolling.

[Dahoss]

Originally Posted by Riot

Yeah, I'm just trolling.

I know you are. You aren't going to suck me into your world. I said what I had to say and I'm over it. You probably aren't (you never are) but you'll have to argue with yourself. Her words, as well as mine are right here in the thread to see. You can twist them, but it doesn't help your cause.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

I know you are. You aren't going to suck me into your world. I said what I had to say and I'm over it. You probably aren't (you never are) but you'll have to argue with yourself. Her words, as well as mine are right here in the thread to see. You can twist them, but it doesn't help your cause.

Yes, it's pretty clear you- and Lori - don't post in politics to discuss politics; and yes, the words are right there to see who is doing the "twisting".

[Dahoss]

You've driven most people out of this room. That's a fact, not an opinion.

I actually had an opinion on the subject and expressed it. Your behavior here reinforced why I, and most have no interest in "discussing" anything with you. It's a giant waste of time and energy.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

You've driven most people out of this room. That's a fact, not an opinion.

I actually had an opinion on the subject and expressed it. Your behavior here reinforced why I, and most have no interest in "discussing" anything with you. It's a giant waste of time and energy.

And you've personally driven many people off this web site by your arrogant haughtiness to others opinions in the Paddock over the years.

So your lecturing me from your presumption of your own self-wonderfulness is rather blatently falsely placed.

But you keep going with that

[herkhorse]

Holy mother of...
















thud

[Dahoss]

Originally Posted by Riot

And you've personally driven many people off this web site by your arrogant haughtiness to others opinions in the Paddock over the years.

So your lecturing me from your presumption of your own self-wonderfulness is rather blatently falsely placed.

But you keep going with that

You and Tom from Paceadvantage should hook up. Match made in heaven.