TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) – A state lawmaker is proposing a bill to drug test unemployed Floridians collecting unemployment benefits. “Let’s make sure it’s going to people who truly are ready, able, and willing to work. People who can’t pass a random drug test really probably shouldn’t be collecting our unemployment money,” said bill sponsor Senator Mike Bennett, a Republican from Sarasota.
Last month the state of Florida paid out $117-million in unemployment benefits.
Bennett’s bill calls for 10 percent of those who file an unemployment claim to undergo random testing. Also, 10 percent of people already receiving unemployment benefits would be tested. Mary Ann Aiken of Wesley Chapel is unemployed and unopposed to the proposal. “If they’re getting these benefits and let’s say for instance they are a substance abuser, then that money could be actually be going to support their habit.” “We’re taking everyone who happens to be in this situation of not having a job, which are a lot of people right now, and we’re treating them as if they are potential drug abusers,” said Courtenay Strickland with the ACLU.
Leaving the unemployment office, Dorothy Odie explained how these days “the unemployed” includes “the hard-working” and people who’ve worked their whole lives. “These people that’s coming here, they’re working people that have been on their jobs. One man I met today, he’d been on his job 30 years. So, you’re labeling people,” she said.
My suspicious nature tells me this just might be designed to avoid paying unemployment benefits.
31,
What’s the unemployment rate again in the US again? 15%?
And free? Sure. I guess so. Though you have to define “free”.
this is an email I recieved today makes a really good point
Urine Test — This guy has a point! This was written by a construction worker in Fort McMurray . Read on .. . .
I work, they pay me. I pay my taxes, and the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit. In order to earn that pay check, I work on a rig site for a Fort McMurray construction project. At any time I am required to pass a random urine test, with which I have no problem. HOWEVER, what I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don’t have to pass a urine test. Shouldn’t one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check because I have to pass one to earn it for them? Understand – I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet. I do on the other hand have a problem with helping someone sit on their ass, drink beer and smoke dope. Could you imagine how much money this country would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check? If you agree, please pass this along, or simply delete if you don’t. Hope you will pass it along though, because something has to change in this country.
#22 thinks we should throw out (5-$8 dollar-including manpower-depending on lab.)urinalysis because of legal challenges, social cost (not sure what that means) and interpretation?
Let’s just keep people on drugs and not try to help them.
Talking out of school for the sake of talking just comes off as naive.
FYI
#32, as of Feb. the jobless rate in US is about 8.1%. That’s the highest since Jan. 1984.
#34 – This isn’t proposing helping them. It is, in fact, proposing the exact opposite of *helping them*.
35,
Really?
http://bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t12.htm
Check out U6
wtf… “People who can’t pass a random drug test really probably shouldn’t be collecting our unemployment money,”
*OUR* money?? ‘xcuse me? you pay taxes to fund
the insurance…which many have never used in a lifetime..
fire him. he obviously is on drugs -while on the job.
i suppose nobody in the media reminded him of this either..
typical.
-s
I’ve got no problem with it whatsoever. When the public is paying your bills, which is exactly what’s happening when you’re getting any form of public assistance, the public has a say in how you spend the money. As our representatives, the government is the only group that can make that determination. By the same token, we shouldn’t permit people who are on welfare to blow the money on hookers, we shouldn’t allow mothers to blow their AFDC money on beer, etc. The whole point of public assistance is to help people to get back on their feet, somehow sticking a needle in their arm or snorting coke up their nose isn’t an effective way to do that.
If you don’t like it, get off public assistance and do it with your own money.
#18: My father’s collecting UI because he was involuntarily outsourced out of his job. Why?
#40. Because he thinks everyone has the luxury of retirement at 62. I think those days are long gone.
#8 – Not only is it insurance, but it’s _mandatory_ insurance. Which, of course, makes it something other than what we normally consider insurance to be, that is, voluntary investments to mitigate risk, but nevermind.
#42 Insurance not paid by the worker in most states…
Hi Buzz,
The courts have ruled that it is unconstitutional to require a politician to take a mandatory drug test.
Who’s checking the “lawmakers” for drugs?
Soooooo pointy headed geniuses, its ok for the unemployed to sit around drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes, but not other drugs? Why are you so-called libetarians so against drugs? Why do you hate the unemployed? In fact, why do you hate America?
#46, I am not against drugs at all. However, as soooooooo many people have pointed out, it is against the law.
If you are going to suck on the teat of the people, you need to ensure your braces are polished.
I don’t consider UI to be welfare, but it is government assistance. As such, there should be stricter guidelines.
#47 Stricter guidelines eh? More government intervention in the lives of Americans. Where’s the liberty in that?
If its a matter of legality, then I’m sure your all for mandatory testing for everyone, no?
Just what you want when you lose your job. Republican bully boys kicking you while your down.
I say random drug testing of bankers and wall street traders.
Those guys got more of our dough than the homeless do.
>> MikeN said,
>> A glimpse into the future with socialized medicine.
“Homeless, and many other Americans, suffer and die for lack of medical care.”
— the current reality of the conservative medial care “system.”
The really amazing part of this is where some ijits here actually support this idea.
#31 – Paddy-RAMBO
>>Successful & free?
Not everyone considers doing eight hard six days a week stocking shelves at Radio Shack to be “successful and free”, Señor Rambo.
All states that I know of require that if you are receiving UI you must be willing and able to accept a job. If you can’t pass a drug screen you are not able to to accept a job.
#54
It is up to the employer to require drug tests.
If you won’t pass it then the State should legally cut your UI benefits, thats all.
It is not up to the State to test you for drugs. Only if the State is the (potential) employer.
Some light on this:
the drug tests are provided by few different companies in my area, but with very little research I found that all of them but one had the same majority shareholder parent corporation.
This corporation have openly supports quite few big guys among our legislators, both rep and dems. Now make your own calculations 🙂
47,
So, how did the drug testing go of AIG et al? They’re sucking HARD at the public teat, and you’ve not said boo about it.
Typical corporatist. Give trillions to AIG for junkets (hey, it’s in the book! We can’t cancel now) and force unconstitutional mandatory drug tests to save, what? 1 million in 15 years?
All you people who oppose this idea are obviously proud to pay for other peoples failure. Why in the world would you want your tax money to go to some guy who buys a quarter pound of weed or maybe even a few grams of some cocaine. You go to any other country and the government does not pay for you to live! Oh yea, but silly me, I forgot that I live in America with a bunch of sorry pansies that don’t want to work. Hey if you get laid off, you find another job….crazy, isn’t it? Stop crying about the economy and suck it up! You still eat don’t you? Well then it’s obviously not too bad after all.
#56 Jen
I think your onto something there. A new Republican motto “Other People are Failures”. Kind says it all doesnt it.
#8 If you think you pay into unemployment taxes you are dead wrong. Only your employer is paying into the system. I think all those collecting should be randomly tested. Don’t want this money going to Mexico do we?
I want to see random drug testing of lawmakers.
59,
I don’t think they could handle that much cocaine and LSD.
#48, Stricter guidelines eh? More government intervention in the lives of Americans. Where’s the liberty in that?
Taken from my pocket.
If its a matter of legality, then I’m sure your all for mandatory testing for everyone, no?
Nope, just the ones on public assistance.
Just what you want when you lose your job. Republican bully boys kicking you while your down.
Think outside the square. I’m Libertarian (the other third party). Personally, I don’t think we should be forced to pay for UI, but since we are, we need to ensure it is actually helping people — and not helping them break the law.
#55, You obviously have just started reading this blog if you haven’t heard me griping about the bailout.
#58, The employer just writes the check. The employee pays in the form of a lower salary.