Welfare, jobs, and money; all things an increasing number of people are desperate for in this unforgiving economy. When jobs are growing scarce and money is getting tight, it is social understanding to turn to the government. The government is supposed to help right? No matter who asks, the government is supposed to help right? Some state governments are saying wrong. Those states are now requiring a drug test be issued to any recipient of welfare. Florida, Missouri, Arizona, and Indiana are some of the states proposing such controversial requirements. The controversy is present; however, the requirements could be a good thing. When asking the question if drug users should be included in the welfare program, one must ask themselves if it is logical to be spending such valuable tax dollars on illegal drugs to feed such a demanding habit. Once realization comes into play, many people are outraged at the thought of having their hard earned money to benefit some junkies’ habit. State mandating drug tests for welfare recipients could actually be a really good thing, if done the right way. Florida has seemed to establish an effective means of dealing with such a situation. Recipients are ordered to pay for their own drug tests and those who passed are reimbursed for their expenses and those who fail not only have to pay for their test, but are disqualified from the program from six months to a year, depending on if the failing recipients get help from a program or not. However, all plans are not perfect and can easily be improved. Washington, a state that hasn’t yet made any legislation regarding the preceding topic, has programs in place to prevent welfare fraud. In an informational document distributed by the Alliance for Equal Justice, it is shown that welfare case workers have a sub unit at their disposal. They are aided by FRED unit or the Fraud Early Detection unit. FRED workers commonly go to the recipient’s home to question the recipient or their neighbors if an unusual or questionable action is noted in a person’s file. Many opposing activists to this sort of legislation are questioning its legitimacy and constitutional standing due to “unreasonable” search and seizure; however, a country struggling to make it through tough times can’t be feeding money into drug dealers’ pockets.
