Who thinks that there should be mandatory drug testing for anyone receiving Welfare?

It would bring a little more fairness to the system, that's for sure, but it would not solve the problem of what happens to the irresponsible, mentally ill drug abusers out there who have never had any concept of cause and effect, and thus haven't ever really made a smart decision in their lives.

Some people have had brain damage as children. No joke. Either their mothers consumed alcohol or did other drugs during pregnancy, or they had a traumatic brain injury, or they have other mental problems that simply prevent them from making a single thoughtful decision.

If they can't get welfare, it might seem more fair to responsible people like you and me, but it leaves other questions to answer, and other problems to solve. What do you do? Round them up and exterminate them? Throw them all in prison? Inhumanity aside, those options are Orwellian and would incur costs to ordinary taxpayers that would far surpass the costs of giving them welfare checks. That's the dilemma. Not suggesting I have the answer. There is no "right" answer.

My personal opinion, however, is that welfare in general should be very rare. Some people would struggle immensely without welfare and it would seem terribly unfair to them, but life is unfair. In nature, those who cannot cope must face harsh realities. That is how evolution works.

A lot of people who know nothing about welfare. You have the fantasy that everybody on welfare is a druggie, rather than that the great majority of them are women who have children to support with no other income.

Then there's the question about what you are going to do once a test is positive. Are you going to cut off welfare? What will you do then to provide for the children? Massive state orphanages? Forced foster care? Or do you just leave them begging in the streets?

People don't get welfare just because they don't want to work. They have to have dependent children. Try going to a welfare office and meeting some of them.

The problem is welfare, period. Nobody should be living off other people's taxes (well except the President, the VP, Congress, Senate, State and Local legislators... umm where was I going with this?)

Oh yeah ... get rid of the welfare program.

i think of Matt's answer factors sturdy reasoning. i'm no longer on welfare nor do I do drugs, although actually fairly much all and sundry i understand smokes marijuana ( I stay in California :) ). God forbid some mom be denied help by using fact she smokes...for sure she probable could enable that habit pass if it consequences her little ones, yet my ingredient is that we could desire to constantly no longer make life greater durable on harmless little ones with imperfect mom and dad.

Absolutely. Everyone in government should take them, if the citizens are required to. Police, Dogcatcher, Governor, everyone. Al Franken did coke with John Belushi, for heaven's sake. I wish he was governor of my state. Al Franken rocks. What was the question again?

I agree. This would help two problems in the housing projects: asthma in kids and drug dealing. Housing projects are then ONLY government owned buildings where you can freely smoke. We not only pay for the building, we pay for the medical treatment from 2nd hand smoke, and security for chasing away the drug dealers.

Who's going to pay for it? Who will administer the tests? What about the ideal of less government intervention? Couldn't this also be used to keep tabs 'Big-Brother' style?

mommanuke - It's rare to see such a reasonable argument here. Bravo!

I agree 100% they should be tested we get tested for making the money they also should get tested to proof that they are not spending it for other than intended.

of course...duh....but with The Obama in office,backed by a majority Liberal/Socialist Congress do you think this is likely to happen?

Most are (law breaking) drug users.