Welfare drug testing pilot program signed into law by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder

[quaker bill]

9. Been tried - doesn't work

In FL the program was universal, meaning all applicants were tested. It is currently shut down as an unconstitutional search, pending appeals. They are attempting to skirt the constitution by requiring testing only for those "suspected" here.

However, in FL the plan ran about a year until a lawsuit matured and the program was found to be an unconstitutional search.

Bottom line, of all applicants less that 2% were found to test positive. The cost of the testing vastly exceeded the "savings" from denied benefits.

The program was a farce.

If you actually work with the very poor and homeless, you will find that many have substance abuse problems, but if you are actually paying attention, you will also find virtually none of these folks receive government benefits of any type, most panhandle or do day labor. Most of these folks could not even produce ID to apply for benefits. Drug addicts do not apply for government benefits, they tend to stay away from government offices because drug use is "criminal behavior" and they prefer not getting arrested.

It is a right wing fantasy that those receiving government checks are drug addicts, or "failures" in some other easily dismissed way. It is actually more likely that most receiving benefits are clean and sober, working, and go to church regularly