• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Drug testing surprise

Dittohead not!

Dittohead not!

master political analyst
DP Veteran
Joined
Dec 3, 2009
Messages
52,009
Reaction score
33,943
Location
The Golden State
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Independent
Fla. welfare applicants less likely to use drugs

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Preliminary figures on a new Florida law requiring drug tests for welfare applicants show that they are less likely than other people to use drugs, not more. One famous Floridian suggests that it's the people who came up with the law who should be submitting specimens.

Columnist and best-selling author Carl Hiaasen offered to pay for drug testing for all 160 members of the Florida Legislature in what he called "a patriotic whiz-fest." Several of the law's supporters say they're on board.
Click to expand...

Time for a "patriotic whiz-fest" in Washington, too?
 
I do hope they make random drug screening part of receiving benefits - and it wouldn't hurt to screen every federal employee including elected officials in the same random manner.
 
Drug testing through urinalysis is easy to pass...you can buy masking agents at headshops for $15-100 (depending on quality), and there's always fake urine/using somebody else's urine (for marijuana). Urinalysis doesn't typically test for the drug found in "magic mushrooms" or for MDMA. Cocaine/crack, heroin, and most pill-form narcotics are only detectable in urine for 3 days...so it's all about timing.

Random testing is really the only way to get an honest sample of who is/isn't using, and even then it's tricky. I had one employer who issued random tests. You had to go to the test clinic immediate upon receiving the random test notice and only had a 15-20 minute window for check-in (most maskers take an hour to be effective). They were serious about catching people using.
 
Just another government invasion of privacy. Be a government stooge and go along with it...then watch them whittle away at some other right like the moronic governor of North Carolina who believes we should suspend the next election.
 
coolwalker said:
Just another government invasion of privacy. Be a government stooge and go along with it...then watch them whittle away at some other right like the moronic governor of North Carolina who believes we should suspend the next election.
Click to expand...

I believe your right to privacy ends at the point at which you are breaking the law. Even though I may disagree with the law to some extent, drug use is illegal. I don't really see random testing as a qualifier for employment or receipt of government money for personal subsistence as a violation of any right. It's a mandatory obligation for a voluntary process.
 
I certainly support drug testing corporations who receive(d) welfare.
 
tessaesque said:
I believe your right to privacy ends at the point at which you are breaking the law.
Click to expand...

It does not though. People do not have to prove their innocence under our judicial system. Drug testing falls into a weird gray area though.
 
coolwalker said:
Just another government invasion of privacy. Be a government stooge and go along with it...then watch them whittle away at some other right like the moronic governor of North Carolina who believes we should suspend the next election.
Click to expand...

Too bad assistance nor employment are rights. Maybe if you were fiscally responsible for something, you'd support any measure meant to not throw money away.

Maaaaaaaaan...
 
tessaesque said:
I believe your right to privacy ends at the point at which you are breaking the law. Even though I may disagree with the law to some extent, drug use is illegal. I don't really see random testing as a qualifier for employment or receipt of government money for personal subsistence as a violation of any right. It's a mandatory obligation for a voluntary process.
Click to expand...

Speeding is breaking the law. If I see you speeding should I be allowed to report you and you then pay a fine? The right to privacy should never end that's why it's called privacy.
 
tessaesque said:
I believe your right to privacy ends at the point at which you are breaking the law. Even though I may disagree with the law to some extent, drug use is illegal. I don't really see random testing as a qualifier for employment or receipt of government money for personal subsistence as a violation of any right. It's a mandatory obligation for a voluntary process.
Click to expand...

So those who receive subsidies, tax breaks, etc. too? It's all forms of government money. I think we've just covered essentially everyone in America. Everyone gets randomly drug tested by the government. Afterall, this is not an invasion of privacy because drug use is against the law.
 
Dittohead not! said:
Fla. welfare applicants less likely to use drugs
Click to expand...

Anyone can pass a drug test if you are given advance notice.All it takes is a small bottle and friends who do not use illegal drugs because most piss test places have you go into a small bathroom and close the door to urinate into a bottle. So the article only proves that their testing measures are flawed. If they were smart they would have someone watch you fill the cup up or at least have security pat you down to make sure that you do not have any bottles on you.


Time for a "patriotic whiz-fest" in Washington, too?
Click to expand...

I would like for them to take a test on the constitution where the answers have to be hand written by them and no multiple choice.
 
coolwalker said:
Speeding is breaking the law. If I see you speeding should I be allowed to report you and you then pay a fine? The right to privacy should never end that's why it's called privacy.
Click to expand...

You are allowed to report me for speeding. If a cop then observes what you've reported I will be ticketed. You've never called the cops because of a reckless driver?
 
Risky Thicket said:
I certainly support drug testing corporations who receive(d) welfare.
Click to expand...

How exactly do you test a coporation? Do you test only the CEO, board of directors, rank and file.... If you find someone who tested positive do you punish just him or the entire corporation? So, you test some Corporate Officers of Company A, they test positive, subsidy taken away, corporation loses business because they lost their leaders and corporation lost its reputation, company goes under, more people unemployed and on welfare, then the testing cycle starts again.
 
Ikari said:
So those who receive subsidies, tax breaks, etc. too? It's all forms of government money. I think we've just covered essentially everyone in America. Everyone gets randomly drug tested by the government. Afterall, this is not an invasion of privacy because drug use is against the law.
Click to expand...

Maybe I'm just channeling my inner Orwell, but I firmly believe that the reason this is not so is because of cost, not desire.

Man, I gotta stop watching V for Vendetta before bed.
 
tessaesque said:
You are allowed to report me for speeding. If a cop then observes what you've reported I will be ticketed. You've never called the cops because of a reckless driver?
Click to expand...

No. But these days it seems that the cop doesn't have to observe ****. Aggressive driver laws and blah blah blah, you just need to report people and they get tickets. Makes getting revenge on jerks easy.
 
Gipper said:
Maybe I'm just channeling my inner Orwell, but I firmly believe that the reason this is not so is because of cost, not desire.
Click to expand...

You are correct. I think it possible, they'd love to do it. And how many people would champion such a thing? Sickening really.
 
tessaesque said:
You are allowed to report me for speeding. If a cop then observes what you've reported I will be ticketed. You've never called the cops because of a reckless driver?
Click to expand...

No, I would not be that big of a jerk. Live and let live.
 
tessaesque said:
I believe your right to privacy ends at the point at which you are breaking the law. Even though I may disagree with the law to some extent, drug use is illegal. I don't really see random testing as a qualifier for employment or receipt of government money for personal subsistence as a violation of any right. It's a mandatory obligation for a voluntary process.
Click to expand...

But you see, the rub is employers want to pay you for eight hours a day and tell you what to do for 24.

I don't work for companies that drug test until one comes along that's willing to pay me for 24 hours a day.

Not saying it wouldn't be okay for them to test to see if I'm high AT WORK, but the tests don't work that way. And random testing for welfare etc is acceptable.

It is kind of funny that marijuana, arguably the least harmful of all the recreational drugs, stays in ones system FAR longer than the actually more dangerous ones.

Its even funnier that we went along with the whole "pay you for eight hours, dictate your behavior for 24" crap in the first place.
 
coolwalker said:
Just another government invasion of privacy. Be a government stooge and go along with it...then watch them whittle away at some other right like the moronic governor of North Carolina who believes we should suspend the next election.
Click to expand...

It is not an invasion of privacy when these people live entirely off of public money. Being that public is the direct opposite as private, you would think this would be obvious.
 
coolwalker said:
No, I would not be that big of a jerk. Live and let live.
Click to expand...

I think the "let live" part of this statement was not part of the reckless driver's thought process..... Holding an idiot who is not being considerate of everyone around them accountable does not make you a jerk. Not holding somebody accountable for actions that affect people around them is the new ***** American way that solves nothing and only enables the problems to worsen.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom