There are several interesting things going on in the state of Florida right now. One is mandatory drug-testing for employees of the state and the other is mandatory drug testing for those seeking Welfare assistance. The American Civil Liberties Union has filed several suits against the State, declaring that this drug-testing is a violation of Constitutional Rights. The Wall Street Journal has an article discussing the suit in defense of state employees.
As anyone who works in health care can tell you, Hippa prevents anyone from disclosing personal information about a patient including their name without written consent of the patient. When it comes to employee drug-testing, the only thing the lab is allowed to disclose to the employer is whether the test was positive or negative. They cannot test for anything else without a doctor's order and disclosure of that information is a violation of Hippa and thus subject to disciplinary action.
As a health care worker, I not only am required to have random drug tests, I also have to submit to criminal background checks on a regular basis. This in no way is insulting to me because it means that those who have been negligent towards patients in the past, or who habitually behave irresponsibly with their own health, are not allowed to treat those who are dependent on the kindness of a stranger to care for them when they are vulnerable. The same standard should apply to those who are employed by the government. Since my hard-earned, drug tested dollars are going towards paying their salary why shouldn't I be assured that my vulnerable money is handled by those who are minimally honest and have a small measure of integrity?
In regards to the testing of welfare seekers, I agree that those who once again are going to be benefiting from my hard-earned, drug tested dollars should undergo the same testing procedures I had to endure in order to qualify for the job that pays the wages from which they benefit. There has to be accountability somewhere. This may not be the ideal solution, but dang it, it's a start.
There are Americans out there who have endured some hard times. My mother's family was one such example. But my grandmother only received assistance for her 5 children when she needed it. When she made enough money to support herself and them, she no longer sought assistance. This is the way the system was initially implemented. It was not put in place as a lifestyle choice, but as an insurance policy Americans could draw on IF the need ever presented itself. It has absolutely nothing to do with class or social position. No one can predict what can happen in a person's life and there are times when that assistance is necessary but not necessarily desirable.
Those who truly are in need of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families should be grateful that there are some measures being put into place to sift out those who are only there to abuse the system. I've seen generations of families do certain things and make specific choices just so they could qualify for assistance and not have to work at all in order to live a lifestyle that is beyond their personal financial means. In the non-politically correct world, this is called free-loading.
I don't know about the rest of the world, but personally I find laziness unattractive and unappealing. I have personally been in financial situations where I thought I would not be able to make it one more month. But I have also scrimped, saved, and worked to pay for an education so that I can be in a financial position to not need the government insurance policy I pay premiums on with every paycheck. It is possible to better your life and situation but you have to be willing to make sacrifices and work hard in order to achieve that better life. Those not abusing the system should be willing to understand that and should have no problems submitting to drug testing to ensure that a percentage of my wages are not going to feed someone else's addictions or perpetuate choices that do not benefit themselves or the society in which they live. Grow up, America.
Hear, hear!
ReplyDelete