Drug tests for Public Assistance Recipients?? Vote Yes!!

One of the raging questions in today's society is should we drug test people that are applying for public assistance programs?? Should we then also randomly drug test those people receiving aid?? What happens if they cannot pass a drug test? Should we offer a drug or alcohol program, and require a clean test before they can receive aid with monthly tests after that, or should we just deny them, permanently?

There has been a lot of attention to this topic on Facebook, and other social networking websites. It seems to be the general consensus that, yes people that are applying for public assistance programs do need to be drug tested. I myself tend to agree.

Why should I pay to provide room and board to people that spend all their time taking drugs, or drinking?? I don't do any of those things, unless you count caffeine and nicotine, which some people do, but I'm not on any government assistance either.

I know some people truly do suffer from an addiction, and this can be a very hard thing to break(I'm a smoker, I can understand an addiction). Even though I understand an addiction, I don't really want to pay for someone else's. I know there is someone right now shopping in Wal-Mart, Kroger, Food Lion, where ever selling their public aid benefits to get drugs or alcohol or both!! Probably one in every city across the country!!

What do we do as a nation, with an applicant when they fail a drug test? I personally realize there are some people out there that are seriously addicted to drugs, but I also know there are some people that truly want to quit and clean up their act.

Do we just deny those people public aid forever, or do we allow them to enter a rehab program and attempt to make themselves a better person. Wouldn't it be possible to require them to enter a support program for people trying to break an addiction? After they enter and can provide a clean drug test, couldn't we test them monthly on a random day and they would have to keep themselves clean in order to receive their benefits? Everyone makes mistakes right? I know I'm not perfect believe me!

That would make sense to me, if they stay clean they can have assistance, and if they don't stay clean, there is no second chance. Their first chance was already their second chance. You screw up on me once, shame on you, but if you screw up on me twice shame on me right?

The government today would tell you that they don't provide public aid to those that have drug related crimes in their criminal past, which is true, but they still offer aid to their families. Do you really mean to tell me that the government is actually dumb enough to believe that those people don't get any benefits from that assistance at all!! Come on...Let's be real!!

While I was growing up my parents instilled some values in me, values that not everyone seems to have, but none the less I hold myself to them while living life. Help those who help themselves. That might sound really harsh, but why should I spend my $$$ supporting someone that has no desire to do anything to earn it!! Whether it is, breaking an addiction to drugs or some kind of "work" doesn't really matter does it?

Granted, some people, cannot do the same things I do and for some people it would be impossible and I understand that. All I want to know is why can't someone that is able to work, and needing some assistance can't do SOMETHING to earn it. Community service hours, doing things like reading to senior citizens, picking up litter during decent weather, volunteering to a big brother/sister type charity. Any of those things would be acceptable.

I also would love to see the job search program ENFORCED. I know several states, if not all of them require public aid recipients to actively hunt for work. I would love to see that program enforced. Did you know that if an aid recipient calls an establishment and asks them if they are hiring, and they say no that counts as one HOUR of job search time??????? Is this really realistic? AN HOUR??? I could see that being maybe a quarter of an hours credit, because lets be real, breaking 24 hours of job search time into every minute would be a pain.

Oh yeah, I would also like to see people that don't have children be able to get some assistance for medical insurance!(Yes we are back to this one again) Anyone can receive food stamps if they don't have any or a high enough income, with or without children. I think if the government opened up this kind of program many people would take part in it. If someone has an income charge them 10% of their income for their health insurance. For example a person working forty hours a week, at minimum wage, would have a premium of about $125. They take child support out of a parents pay check before it is even in their hands why couldn't they do the same with a health benefit plan? I understand that some people would want a family plan, then they could pay an additional 5% for a spouse, and an additional 2.5% per child. A family of 4 on one minimum wage paycheck would then pay about $250 a month for insurance coverage. Some people would say that is a lot of money on one minimum wage paycheck, but if you have children or develop some medical issues I think that would be a reasonable amount.

Based on what the doctors charge here just to get an appointment($135), it would pay for itself with just two doctors visits every month. Let's face it everyone, if you do have children that is easily attainable in todays society for many reasons.

Not to mention the impact it would have on our governments budget with all those already on public health insurance with an income! It could have a positive influence on our nations budget, I really don't see where it would make it any worse, but I'm not an expert!

Well I have ranted and raved here enough. I hope again I didn't babble your ear off or bore you to death, I look forward to seeing everyone else's thoughts and opinions on this matter. Feel free to use the comment section below for such a discussion!

Crys

Healthcare

I consider myself to be an average american. Someone that works for a living, and makes enough to get by as long as something doesn't go wrong. More and more these days it is becoming the situation here in America.

I was looking at a friend's status message and reading and making comments throughout the day. It was a comment on socialized health care and how they think it might be best for those that want to take advantage of the program pay the extra taxes, while leaving the taxes of those that have private health care where they stand now. I can see how that might be an opinion of alot of different people, from all walks of life. (I myself really don't want to pay extra taxes either!)

But rather than making an obscenely long comment on my friends status I decided to put my thoughts on another forum, where those that want to continue the discussion may do so, as they see fit.

I live in Tennessee in an area which I can honestly say is not wealthy in many ways. There aren't many jobs here and the ones that are available only pay minimum wage. Many companies have been forced to lay off people that have worked for them with much dedication, merely because they have no other choice.

I have been seeing this even in the company I work for, and unfortunately since I work for a non for profit organization that gets all their money from federal and state run programs, I fear the situation will get worse, instead of better. This is another issue I feel strongly on and I plan on addressing that in another blog post all together. This one is for healthcare.

This post is going to get rather personal on my end, but I think that maybe some people don't understand how the finances break down for many americans.

A Break down

My husband and I work for the same company and have the same benefits provided to us, and not long ago was our annual enrollment date for our benefits so the numbers are still really fresh in my head.

These are the numbers for local health care, in our town.

Our medical insurance costs 575 per month for a single person, and 1250 a month for a family. If my husband and I were to get insurance from our employer, most people would think that it would be more cost effective for us to get two single plans rather than one family plan. Looking at just those numbers I would think that myself.

After paying those premiums every month we would then need to pay for our deductible. The deductible for a single person is $2000. The deductible for a family is only $3000. That would be a savings of $1000 if we chose the family plan and actually met the deductible. (Most in my company rarely do, I have asked around.) We then have to pay those HUGE deductibles, and for families like ours, that rarely see the doctor, because we are in good health would probably never even come close to paying those huge fees.

I can think of only two years in my life where this system would have actually been beneficial to me.

Healthcare in their network, an hour a more away.

Instead of being $575 a month it now goes down to $475 a month for a single person, and $1100 a month for a family. Your deductibles stay the same. Now instead of driving maybe 10 minutes, you are driving an hour each way at the minimum. I don't know about the rest of you but me, if I'm not feeling good, there is no way I want to travel that far just to see a doctor.

My finances and how they weigh in.

My husband and I net about $2100 a month. If we both get the single plan, (which would be a tad cheaper from the paycheck) our insurance costs would leave us at about $900. Out of that $900 we have to pay our rent of $400, which would leave $500, our car payment $200, which would leave $300, our car insurance of $50, balances out at $250, and doesn't even take our electricity, water, phone, or food into consideration.

My electric bill for this last month was $133, because our place is all electric and it's winter, you do the math.

Do I believe in socialist health care??

I'm not sure that I want a socialist healthcare system, I have visited Canada, and I do have some friends living there, so I know that their system still leaves much to be desired.

For example, my friend needed surgeries on his knees, but because he was a younger gentleman, and in no danger of dying from his painful affliction he waited over a year to be able to have that surgery.

And yes here in the states we do have programs for those that can't afford health insurance, or the insurance just isn't cost effective. There is just one large problem with this, because I have checked into it in the past couple months because my husband has been having problems with his blood sugar just dropping out from under him, and having those tests done, even though they are extremely routine, are costly.

When I went to our local office that handles such things I was turned away, not because I make too much money because there is a program where you can get health insurance but you have a premium you pay, just like if you were getting insurance from an employer.

The reason I was turned away is because my husband and I don't have any children living at home. We as a nation, take care of families with children, but if you have none you are pretty much SOL.

My standpoint is there has to be a better way, so every american can have access to health care that is cost effective. Do I want everyone to pay higher taxes so I can see a doctor when I need to? Not really, I would have no problem paying an insurance premium, but maybe one that was on a sliding scale to my household income, a certain percentage. They do this with child support and take it directly out of your paycheck before you even get it in your hands. Why couldn't they do something like this with healthcare?

Then maybe the taxes wouldn't have to go up so much, because part of the financial burden would then be on the individual using the insurance not not solely on the tax revenue of the american people. If this was the case whether your premium was $5 or $500 the program would be close to self sufficient.

I could easily pay three or four hundred dollars for a premium, I wouldn't have much extra, but if something did happen where I NEEDED to have surgery or just plain got really sick I would be able to see a doctor.

Again, I'm no expert, and these are just my thoughts, but I thought maybe it would help some people understand where a large portion of Americans stand. My family, all of us, fit into this bracket. My parents, my siblings, my husbands parents, and his siblings as well. Most of our friends as well. I know a lot of people actually live from paycheck to paycheck, hoping and praying every day that nothing goes wrong and throws a wrench in the whole works.

Hopefully I didn't babble your ear off, and you find this interesting to read, I did find it interesting to write and I think I will keep putting more topics in my blog. Feel free to comment and discuss in the comments section. I look forward to reading your thoughts as well.

Sincerely,

Crys