First - I'd like to thank everybody for keeping this discussion as civil as possible. I think that says a lot about the people in the discussion and I'm sure Walker appreciates a civil discussion where he doesn't have to monitor the sandbox for bad behavior.
Couple of things that I want to discuss, some aimed at my previous posts and others that came up. First, I do take my right to privacy and unreasonable search and seizure seriously. However,I just cannot wrap my mind around the idea that I would both ask for assistance, but simultaneously say "stay out of my business". I happily guard my privacy when it is prudent and appropriate, but understand that in order for me to gain something, I have to give something up. The audacity in my opinion exists in the "want my cake and eat it too" mentality.
Rustbelt - I overlooked the whole "food stamps haven't existed in 10 years" post at the beginning of this thread, but now you've said it twice and I have to weigh in. It came off as condescending the first time and it didn't get better the second time you said it. The common name for food purchase assistance is food stamps. Nobody anxiously awaits their "Electronic Benefit Transfer" cards to be recharged. They wait for their food stamps to come in. Trust me - I listen to my sister (who is on food stamps) call it that. And if I know bureaucracies, they probably tried re-brand "food stamps" as EBT to try and remove the perceived social stigma around food stamps. It is what is is.
If people don't think that fraud happens in all government programs; it sure as hell does. But this conversation isn't about other programs, this is about drug testing Ohio welfare recipients. Let's keep it on that. My dad investigated welfare and food stamp fraud for years when he worked for the state. He's told me all the games. And while the transfer from paper stamps to plastic EBT cards have saved the state money in terms of getting the benefit to the recipient, the fraud still does happen on a regular and consistent basis. I digress; this isn't a conversation about welfare fraud, but the point-counterpoint in testing welfare recipients for drugs.
Back on topic: I agree with Rus from Local Champions point about how do they calculate the % of people who are on benefits that commit fraud. The same question exists in how do we calculate the number of people on benefits who also use illegal drugs. There is no way to extrapolate that data without doing some type of testing and the only way to test is to have people who receive benefits. If we do nothing, then the social perception continues about the correlation between welfare and drug use. If we do test, then my cohorts on the further left complain of invasion of privacy, class warfare and stigmatization. Wherein lies the compromise? Is the status quo really the best that we can do?
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