Oklahoma lawmaker wants welfare drug testing

[Midtowner]

Even better: Make cigarettes illegal--->test for them for welfare--->save billions in medical costs every year

Oh yes, prohibition of an addictive substance.

What could possibly go wrong?

[stick47]

Drug test everyone that's working for the government I say. There's gotta be a reason we're in such a mess!

[Soonerman]

^ ding ding ding we have a winner folks.

[Bunty]

Drug test everyone that's working for the government I say. There's gotta be a reason we're in such a mess!

But it's not a good way to detect for alcoholics as quickly as alcohol leaves the body.

[Larry OKC]

Oh yes, prohibition of an addictive substance.

What could possibly go wrong?

Someone needs to post the clip from Westworld where the lines goes "...nothing can go wrong, go wrong, go wrong".

[Roadhawg]

I see it this way,If my hard earned tax Dollars are going to a population of Welfare receipiants who inturn use that money for drugs then YES I am all for this Drug testing,but Drug addicts almost always relapse so I think a 3 strikes type deal would be better or a reduction of benifits.Some people out there really need Welfare(Mentally disabled etc..)but some truly take advantage of tax payers and do nothing but burden us and the communities in wich they live in and inturn The Government is acting as enablers too this population!

I agree with you but I wouldn't want to see the children suffer because of their parents drug usage, any more than they are suffering already. I also believe there should be a time limit on being on welfare and slowly reduce benefits when they get closer to the cut off time. The cut off time needs to be tied to the unemployment rate, which is low in Oklahoma. I also think if you're on Welfare you don't get additional benefits if you have another kid. If you can't afford the ones you have now then we're not paying for more.

[ljbab728]

Someone needs to post the clip from Westworld where the lines goes "...nothing can go wrong, go wrong, go wrong".

[Larry OKC]

Thanks!

[betts]

Of course, you could make drugs legal and then tax the heck out of them. As far as I'm concerned, we should double the taxes on cigarettes and alcohol and make those who use them pay for their added health care costs. If I could figure out a way for us to tax fattening foods I'd suggest the same. Over half the health problems in this country are caused by abuse of alcohol, tobacco, drugs and food. The people who don't abuse these substances subsidize those who do, and that's a form of welfare as well.

[BBatesokc]

Of course, you could make drugs legal and then tax the heck out of them. As far as I'm concerned, we should double the taxes on cigarettes and alcohol and make those who use them pay for their added health care costs. If I could figure out a way for us to tax fattening foods I'd suggest the same. Over half the health problems in this country are caused by abuse of alcohol, tobacco, drugs and food. The people who don't abuse these substances subsidize those who do, and that's a form of welfare as well.

Amen - except for legalizing and taxing drugs. Pot, fine. Meth, no way.

[icemncmth]

Requiring drug testing proves how the war on drugs has failed the people. Mandatory drug testing also goes against the 4th Amendment, unless one is supposed to believe that someone wanting to be on welfare is a sign of being on drugs.

I would agree but a lot of companies have mandatory drug testing...so if you are getting money to live on from the government I would think it shouldn't be a problem. The welfare problem in this country is out of control. Pull up to the Buy F Less on Penn and Hefner and watch the people getting out of 40,000 vehicles and then going in and using their OK card. We all know it happens but why do our politicians let it happen?

[icemncmth]

Of course, you could make drugs legal and then tax the heck out of them. As far as I'm concerned, we should double the taxes on cigarettes and alcohol and make those who use them pay for their added health care costs. If I could figure out a way for us to tax fattening foods I'd suggest the same. Over half the health problems in this country are caused by abuse of alcohol, tobacco, drugs and food. The people who don't abuse these substances subsidize those who do, and that's a form of welfare as well.

I would agree to some of your statements but fattening foods. Define fattening foods? Is lard fattening or the over usage of it? How about all natural peanut butter?

Our founding forefathers knew that keeping the government out of our daily lives was a good thing. Remember there have been governments that have controlled what their citizens eat, drink,,,how many children they have, what they wear.

There a a ton of laws on the books that we don't enforce why put more. It is harder to remove laws off of the books than put them on.

I don't want the government telling me I can't eat bacon.

[betts]

That's why I said, "If I could figure out a way....." Obviously it's not possible to make a determination about which foods would need to be taxed and which wouldn't. And, the government wouldn't be telling you you couldn't eat bacon. It would simply charge you a tax that would supplement the Medicare charges for your coronary artery bypass a few years later, which the non-bacon eaters will also have to pay for under our current plan.

[Thunder]

Pull up to the Buy F Less on Penn and Hefner and watch the people getting out of 40,000 vehicles and then going in and using their OK card.

Be very careful when judging people. They could have gotten it thru an auction or somewhere lucky. Also, they could have inherited the vehicle from a dead family member or it was a given gift.

[Achilleslastand]

These scenarios are possible but not very likely. Dont tell me your that gullable.

[rcjunkie]

Be very careful when judging people. They could have gotten it thru an auction or somewhere lucky. Also, they could have inherited the vehicle from a dead family member or it was a given gift.

And it could snow in Hati, and monkeys could fly out of my_______.

[Bunty]

I would agree but a lot of companies have mandatory drug testing...so if you are getting money to live on from the government I would think it shouldn't be a problem. The welfare problem in this country is out of control. Pull up to the Buy F Less on Penn and Hefner and watch the people getting out of 40,000 vehicles and then going in and using their OK card. We all know it happens but why do our politicians let it happen?

Wow, $40,000 is how much a Chrysler 300C costs.

[Larry OKC]

Car prices are unreal, saw recently a little Ford Ranger MSRP was something like $23K

[Bunty]

Oh, well, maybe people who hate welfare well be less offended when they see the tax consumers driving $23,000 vehicles.

[rcjunkie]

Oh, well, maybe people who hate welfare well be less offended when they see the tax consumers driving $23,000 vehicles.

WTH is a tax consumer ?

[BBatesokc]

Car prices are unreal, saw recently a little Ford Ranger MSRP was something like $23K

You're not kidding. I rode to lunch in a friend's $68,000 Hyundai today. I didn't see where all the value was. That's more than I paid for my house! (albeit a small old house in the ghetto).

[rcjunkie]

You're not kidding. I rode to lunch in a friend's $68,000 Hyundai today. I didn't see where all the value was. That's more than I paid for my house! (albeit a small old house in the ghetto).

Just bought a new Suburban last week, was able to negotiate what I think is a very good price, but still way more than I wanted to spend. I didn't require financing, but salesman told me that probably 75% of new car customers finance for at least 72 and several for 84 months.

[BBatesokc]

Just bought a new Suburban last week, was able to negotiate what I think is a very good price, but still way more than I wanted to spend. I didn't require financing, but salesman told me that probably 75% of new car customers finance for at least 72 and several for 84 months.

That is just crazy. I leased for a bit because there were some tax advantages for me, but my mileage allowance was always too low for my needs (25-35,000 miles per year is my requirement). If I can't pay cash, or pay it off in 36 months, then I don't need it.

[OKCJosh]

Amen - except for legalizing and taxing drugs. Pot, fine. Meth, no way.

I have spent considerable time in Holland. The legalization of SOME drugs, restriction of their possession with stiffer penalties, zoning of allowable areas for sale and distribution is an entirely safe way to go about saving money on the war on drugs, the street violence the drug trade brings with it and boosting tax revenue. Legalization of meth is never going to happen nor should it. Other drugs, specifically marijuana and cocaine which attribute billions of dollars spent on our failing war on drugs and contribute the lions share of revenue in the drug trade could easily be legalized and controlled. Wheres the mexican and columbian cartel and street gang violence when their product is suddenly not wanted anymore?
The religious and moral overtones of our society is whats stopping logical solutions to these problems. I have many friends are who right-wing Christians who abhor the idea of legalized prostitution and drugs in this country as a moral failure. But readily admit (those that have lived overseas in places like Holland) that is does work and would work better than what we are currently doing. The real basis of this argument is should our government legislate morality? I say it should not, but it better make darn sure that allowing people their vices does not interfere with family values.

[BBatesokc]

Like I said, wanna legalize pot - go for it. Personally I deal with meth heads and some heroin addicts, so legalizing of cocaine or pot isn't really a concern of mine. Addicts will always simply want the drug that isn't legal and organized crime will be there to provide it.

Back to the topic, I still see no reason not to require testing for welfare recipients.