Victoly and justice!

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

Judge puts the kaibosh on drug testing TANF recipients. (TANF= Torture and Abuse of Needy Families)

“The governor and the Legislature sent their lawyers into court to advance a very startling proposition. They argued that some Floridians, namely poor families with children who qualify for temporary public assistance, are not protected by the Constitution of the United States,” stated ACLU of Florida Executive Director Howard Simon. “This extreme position – that if the state provides assistance to someone it can conduct a privacy-invading physical search – is especially startling coming from a Governor who campaigned to stop government from trampling on the rights of the people.”

Who knows how this will turn out if there is some endless appeal process or what-not. Or until some judge with an open palm gets the case. But for now, at least there is some modicum of sanity left in this country.

Comments

[strivingtoohard.livejournal.com]

Sanity, my foot. I had to pass a drug test before I was eligible to get my job and EARN my paycheck. I pay my taxes to keep those on TANF from being broke. Is it too much to ask they pass a drug test? Apparently it is but I still say that's bs.

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that Navy vet going to college sure is a lazy-fuck.

Live by the political sword; die by the political sword.

[montecristo.livejournal.com]

Once we start making exceptions there's just no telling where we'll end up, is there.

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

And you pay taxes? Really? My god, all my life I never thought I would meet such a hero among men. Hey guys!

Hey guys, this guy pays taxes!

Hey, hey man, I salute you. You're the only one. Here, have a cookie. No, a medal even. A goddamn tax medal. I'll make it out of bronze... no, gold, I'm going to give you a gold medal. Because you're that special.

[mrbogey.livejournal.com]

You sound like a gov't worker.

[curseangel.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it is too much to ask, if only because the demand for a drug test to get TANF is coming from the government, while by and large (with some exceptions, obviously, for government jobs), the demand for a drug test to gain employment is coming from private companies and corporations. There's kind of a huge difference there. If you want to take issue with the drug test requirements by private corporations -- well, you can either take it up with them or lobby the government to restrict how much of your private life corporations are allowed to dive into before giving you a job. But they probably won't do anything, considering that they're also allowed to look at your credit report, your Facebook, and anything else you've ever done, anywhere, online or off if they can obtain the information.

Also there's the fact that TANF is meant to feed and house poor, needy people, and people who happen to use drugs? Are still people. They still need and deserve a roof over their heads and food to eat. Anyone who honestly thinks people who test positive for drugs should be unable to obtain TANF aid either thinks drug addicts aren't human (which is disgusting), or thinks drug addicts deserve to be starved (also disgusting).

P.S. People on TANF often pay taxes as well. Even if they don't pay income taxes because they don't make enough money or are unemployed -- like a whole fucking lot of people these days -- they pay sales tax. So stop acting like the ten cents out of your paycheck that goes to funding TANF makes you entitled to demand things of people on the program, or makes you a saint or something. jfc.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

You pay your taxes? Point for you. It's like a parent saying "I care about my kids." It's too basic to note for most people.

[xforge.livejournal.com]

The taxpayer-funded drug testing program ended up costing the taxpayer more than it would have to just give the money to the people who tested positive. Which is consistent with the statistics that show that an insignificantly tiny number of people on public assistance are drug users. Most people on public assistance are at least as pragmatic as you or I - if it's Tuesday and my next $300 doesn't get here 'til a week from Friday, and I have just enough to eat and pay this week's rent, then FUCK drugs.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

There was a proposal to require Florida lawmakers and the governor pass drug tests, being on the public dole and such.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Rick Scott really doesn't care about re-election at this rate. Perhaps he, too, has some inexplicable definition of fiscal conservatism that involves religious fanaticism and targeting the poor.

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

As Katt Williams once said, "If you don't have a job and you're not smoking weed, I don't know what the fuck you're doing with your life."

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

Clearly this has set a precedent meaning that it is ok to buy drugs with your food stamps.

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

Um, dude-bro, it's already illegal to buy illegal drugs with money or welfare or whatever.

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

I'd like to note that food stamps are stupid. Just give people money. It's the exact same thing without the social stigma of being on welfare.

If anyone replies to me saying 'but then it'll be easier for them to buy drugs/molest children/blow up world trade center' try to understand that your mentality is rooted deeply in the idea that all poor people are criminals and only got on welfare because they were in jail or something.

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

All evidence on record indicates that people buy food with welfare money. Shocking, I know.

[blue-mangos.livejournal.com]

I agree. This is what we do in Canada and there's no shame involved when they go to the grocery store. However, what I do like about the US food stamp system is that (as I understand it) low income earners can still receive them. Here there is only a very small amount in income you are able to earn while on welfare before it comes out of your cheque.

[onefatmusicnerd.livejournal.com]

Food stamps are also about subsidizing certain [American] farm products, as is WIC.

[eracerhead.livejournal.com]

We should test all government welfare recipients. Especially those who wear Armani Suits and make millions.

[montecristo.livejournal.com]

Shh, people like us have been asserted not to exist! It upsets some people's comfortable fantasy worldviews.

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

TANJ