Welfare

Have you ever had assistance from the government? Do you know people who have been on welfare or gotten assistance from the government? Has your family ever had assistance of any kind? Well I know people who are on welfare or get assistance from the government. This does not make them bad people or different from any one else in this class, but it does mean we are helping these people out if we want to or not. Tax money is getting used every second to help people out, some are good people who just need help, and some are troubled people with some problems; then there are some people who just might be in a rock and a hard place and cannot afford medical coverage. But they get rejected because they are married and make too much money according to the state which is crap. My paper is about Welfare and whether or not people should be drug tested if they are on assistance, or get any kind of government aid. I strongly agree with some states like Arkansas, who is trying to get this bill passed. Why should we support someone else’s habit or addiction? If you are not doing drugs then this should not be a problem. If you have a job then more than likely you have to take a drug test anyways, so should the people who do not have a job and getting assistance or welfare.

Welfare is most of the time temporary, or supposed to be temporary. It is used to help people out pretty much when they are down or just need help. I actually get assistance to help pay for my daughters daycare while I am in college, because daycare costs way too much money for a single mom going to college. Welfare is meant to help people get back on their feet and then get off of it, it is not meant to be used forever. But it seems some people do not want to better themselves by getting off their butts and getting a job, which is sad if you ask me. The government makes it way to easy for someone to do nothing with their lives. The government is supposed to help make you a better person, not support someone’s habit or addiction. The government is always singling out people who have been convicted of a little crime and single mothers. I do not agree with this at all and that is why I think everyone should be drug tested if they get any kind of assistance. Why should only convicts get drug tested if they need help getting back on their feet, or single mothers trying to go to school to get a degree like me?
There are all sorts of government aid people can get. There is food stamps, aid for people who can’t afford daycare, programs to help you get a job, and also to get your G.E.D, programs to get your CNA or CMA licenses, healthcare assistance, cash assistance to help you get to your job or school, and HUD which helps someone pay their rent and utilities; it has to be inspected and approved by the housing authorities, and assistance to get your child support every month and get your car insurance paid for, or even your car worked on. Then there are school loans and grants from your college, and even scholarships. All of these programs are great for helping people to better themselves, and I am sure you would agree. But what about the people who all of this help and abuse, how is this fare to us the tax payers? I get help and I do not think this is fare, and this is why we should all be for drug testing at random if you get assistance. To help find out who is abusing the government. Why should we support someone else’s problem, why they sit and do nothing while we all work are tails off for what we have? I am a single mother who gets some assistance, but I am tired of going into the welfare office and seeing these people complain and treat the workers like crap because they do not get what they want, because they sit on their butt and always wants more. While people who are married but need a little help get turned away. It isn’t fair to anyone, and they need to get help and I personally think drug testing will help, it will make them get up and get a job and maybe not always depend on the government. Why should I work my tail off and pay taxes for someone sitting on their butt in an apartment they are not paying for, smoking crack or snorting a pill up their nose.

What happens to the people who fail the drug tests? According to the Northwest Arkansas News, “Those who failed a drug test would have to complete a one-year drug treatment program approved by the state department of human services and remain drug free during the program. Those who fail to complete or stay drug shall be discontinued.” But they give you chances, they know this is hard and are willing to help. What is so wrong with this? If you fail drug tests now you have to do the same thing, or you get fired from your job on the spot, at least the government is giving a shot and paying for your treatment to get better. I do not think your job will be so forgiving, or pay for your treatment. Why should it be different if you are on welfare or government aid?

This brings me to my next topic, the children. Why should we drug test? For the children in the homes of people who are on illegal drugs. There is nothing worse than turning on the news and seeing where a child has died from a drug overdose, from someone who has left their drugs out on the table. Or a child was burned alive when a meth lab caught on fire in the children’s room, which happened back home more than once. By us just giving people aid, we are aiding their addictions and not helping the children who need help. These children need clean parents, a good environment, and good homes. Not saying they all are not in good homes or all have bad parents, but if you are big enough to have a child then you should be big enough to kick your habits. Most people care more about their addiction than what really matters. That is their children who see them and look up to them. If your son sees you beating his mother than more than likely he is going to grow up to beat his wife. And if your child sees you doing drugs then more than likely, your child is going to grow up to try to be like you, therefore doing drugs. Somewhere down the line we all need to stop and think of ways to try to stop this. Someone asked me if the people can get back on welfare or get assistants once they have failed the one year program, and the answer is yes but they have to stay clean and try to complete the program again.

Which states are trying to in force drug testing? Well Michigan makes you take a drug test if you are sixty-five or under. There the government goes singling out people again, but one step at a time, drug testing first. Those who fail have to get treatment, or they will not get assistance. So if you refuse to get treatment or help, then you do not get assistance of any kind. According to Robyn Meredith from the New York Times, “Michigan’s case load has dropped sixty percent.” And they are also going to start enforcing fingerprint sign in to stop fraud cases. South Carolina and Wisconsin make their people with felony drug convictions take random drug tests, which is not totally fare because people change and should not be singled out to have to take drug tests everyone should. New York, Maryland, and Florida all do drug testing and questionnaires to determine if people need to have a drug test to qualify. And Arkansas is working to get this planned passed to start drug testing their applicants for government assistance.

Welfare offices are so overloaded, this will help determine who is clean and needs assistance, like me. Or if you have a problem and need assistance, and if you are clean you have nothing to worry about. If you have a problem or a drug addiction then they will help you get a help and you can still get assistance as long as you stay clean. This way people who need one type of assistance, can get it temporarily instead of someone who will be on it forever. We cannot single out single moms, convicts, or married people who can’t afford insurance. This is not why I pay taxes; I pay taxes because I have too and because some people need a little help sometimes. We all pay for this, so are opinion should matter, just not the governments.