Preview

should welfare recipiants be tested?

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1233 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
should welfare recipiants be tested?
Drug Testing To Receive Welfare Welfare is a tax payer sponsored program that gives financial benefits to underprivileged families. With a sizable number of families using the government issued money to fuel their substance abuse, naturally this would spark an outrage from the tax payers and politicians. Drug testing recipients of welfare is currently the only reasonable solution to pacify the controversy at hand. The idea of drug testing welfare recipients before and during their receiving of welfare could potentially have economic and domestic benefits, therefore should be federally enforced throughout the entirety of the United States. The United States welfare system has been full of flaws since it was created. Some presidents such as Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton have pushed for some kind of welfare reform. In Regan’s “Welfare Reform” speech he called for a “reshape of our welfare system so that it can be judged by how many how many Americans it makes independent off welfare.” (President Ronald Reagan speaks on welfare reform). From when he started running for office, he was not a firm believer in the welfare system the United States was running. Reagan also believed that if changed were not made it would create “a permanent culture of poverty as inescapable as any chain or bond” (President Ronald Reagan speaks on welfare reform). Even liberals, such as former President Bill Clinton, believed a reform for welfare was necessary. His most known contribution to the welfare reform was the “passing of a sweeping reform bill in 1996” (The Clinton Presidency). Clinton came up with a welfare reformation bill which was considered his biggest contribution to welfare reform than any other president in the last decade of the twentieth century. The “Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act” that Clinton passed “ required welfare recipients to find jobs and aimed to move poor people off welfare and into the work place” (The Clinton Presidency). Attempts to

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Whether or not a drug test is required by recipients of welfare has been questioned time and time again by many states. In the article "No drug test, no welfare", Kimberly Yee expands upon on this question by explaining what her stand point is on the many advantages of drug testing for welfare. In this particular article, Ms. Yee does not sufficiently argue her position on the subject of welfare recipients taking drug test to receive benefits.…

    • 527 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The original idea of the United States Social Welfare System that was prompted in the 1930s due to the Great Depression, was that it would be a temporary program used to help those who recently became unemployed to get back on their feet. In a recent article by Hope yen of the Huffington Post, "Four out of 5 U.S. adults struggle with joblessness, near-poverty or reliance on welfare for at least parts of their lives, a sign of deteriorating economic security and an elusive American dream." If you look at it more closely 114.8 million families as of 2010 depend on welfare compared to 4.5 million families in 1996. The United States government should restructure the existing qualifications and regulations for any current and future dependents seeking assistance from government-funded programs due to the increasingly high rate of chemical dependency, financial instability, and fraud within the programs.…

    • 498 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In many people’s mind the welfare system is being abused in negative ways and instead of helping the ones in need it is being used for the wrong purpose. People are becoming lazy and are not motivated to work. This causes disagreements within society because there are people who work hard and pay their taxes to basically maintain the lazy people who take advantage of it and misuse it. On the other hand, many people find the welfare program to be helpful to those family who receive a lower income, families with a single parent and famiies who overall struggling…

    • 455 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Welfare is nothing new to the citizens of this country. It is a concept that arose over a century ago. Welfare was made famous by Bill Clinton, in 1996, and it has brought up much controversy. Arguments suggest the welfare system is highly abused by its members while others believe it is the answer to the nation’s poverty. Although the welfare system is state regulated, many people believe it is taken advantage of by underserving people. Often, people with nasty habits, sale their food stamp cards for extra cash, cigarettes, and drugs. Most of the time, these people have children that have to go without because their parent puts their government assistance towards unhealthy addictions.…

    • 1145 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    There is much debate regarding this issue. Supporters of requiring drug tests for welfare applicants believe that there will be many people deterred from applying due to knowing they will not pass. They also believe that some will fail the drug tests. These supporters believe this number of people will be so large that there will be a significant decrease in welfare spending. Other supporters have said “substance abuse is a prominent barrier preventing people from making the necessary transition from governmental dependence to self-reliance.”(Targeted News Service) Opponents have said this is a direct violation of our constitutional rights as American citizens. Some have even said it is not right to assume that just because people are poor, they drug users. Other opposers of welfare drug testing have argued that it will not save money at…

    • 1822 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Welfare Reform Act is better known as the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, this was created by former President Clinton. Clinton vowed to stop welfare, he wanted it to be someone’s right not just a privilege to receive aid. Clinton wanted to help the needy people who actually needed help, but many people were angry with the changes that it made. Clinton did not think that people’s reactions would be so negative, but they were. Medicaid did not change the way that they it provides coverage to members, but it changed how many people it covered. Clinton did not want to continue seeing his country become dependent on the assistance, he wanted to increase the employment rate. There were too many children that were living in poverty and Clinton seen a cycle that he knew he had to break.…

    • 850 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Does Welfare Feel Ashamed

    • 309 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Welfare was created in 1935 to provide for the families in need of food, clothing, and shelter, but today it has become a large, controversial topic. Some people argue that it is ridiculous that some people can’t take care of themselves and must rely on everyone else’s money to support them. Those people cause those on welfare to become ashamed of themselves. I believe people on welfare should not feel ashamed because some do hold a job if not multiple, but still cannot provide for themselves and others have certain disabilities that restrict them from getting a job and supporting themselves.…

    • 309 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    There are approximately 67,891,000 Americans receiving government assistance, that is roughly 21% of the American population using some form of welfare. (Statistic Brain) While situations may arise, and people need help, the welfare system is now being used as a crutch rather than a stepping stone to becoming independent. The government should place more conditions on the various welfare programs. People all across the country are now abusing a system that was put in place to help people survive in a time of need. Welfare was created in the 1930s following the Great Depression to provide people with some assistance while the economy was at a low…

    • 1363 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Drug testing welfare recipients has been a major topic across the United States for a few years now. Many argue that if working class people are subject to a test prior to hire or randomly during the length of employment, why should those that don’t have to work for money not have the same treatment? Invasion of privacy is a huge disadvantage on the government’s part, yes it is free money but that doesn’t entitle anyone, even government, to control every aspect of your life or hold it constantly over a person’s head until they feel guilt or just flat decline assistance. Let’s ask ourselves just one question; if you went to the bank for a car loan, being this is a necessity for everyday living to own, how would you feel if they asked you to take a drug test prior to lending you the money? I feel many peoples’ tune would change drastically.…

    • 1433 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The need for welfare among society today has become increasingly large. Although the need for welfare is rapidly increasing, so is the use of drugs. This is posing as a major problem for the welfare programs. Welfare programs are now trying to put into place a new qualification where any possible recipients of welfare are required to take a drug test. For the most part, welfare recipients respect the requirements of their contract with the agency. The drug testing will just be used to eliminate any persons taking advantage of the welfare program for inappropriate use and to ensure that the welfare will go to the people who are actually in need of it. While many are more than willing to take the drug tests, there are also quite a few who are very reluctant toward this new qualification. In order to decide whether or not drug testing is a logical and fair requirement, all the pros and cons need to be laid out on the table.…

    • 1226 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    There are many welfare programs available to the public that a lot of individuals depend upon. Without access to certain benefits some people may not survive. Such benefits include food stamps, medical assistance, cash assistance, day care vouchers and job placement assistance. Although some may argue that there are people who take advantage of the welfare programs, there are plenty of people who require and appreciate the benefits provided. Recently there has been talk of drug testing welfare recipients. Because the public is concerned with welfare recipients taking advantage of the system they want to keep drug addicts from receiving benefits. This is a major controversy right now is our society but once investigated it is clear that welfare programs should not require mandatory drug testing.…

    • 2044 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Did you know that as a tax payer, you are considered and employer? Tax payers are considered employers for all of the recipients of state and federal assistance. Welfare recipients are the employees the tax payers. So, let’s make sure as the employers that these funds are not abused by purchasing illegal drugs. Qualifying and receiving welfare is a privilege and NOT a privilege, right or entitlement for being a welfare recipient.…

    • 932 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The United States welfare system is corrupt. This problem is known by taxpayers all too well. Welfare is a very helpful system to those less fortunate; however, it has been directed away from what its original purpose was and is now available to most anyone. Too many individuals take the benefits given to them and unfairly use them. If certain regulations were to be set in place, many abusers of the system would stop taking advantage. Drug testing should be required in order to receive welfare benefits because drug testing would aid in stopping drug use, because able-bodied recipients would be pushed to look for jobs, and because most working citizens are required to take drug tests in order to work.…

    • 748 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    “With 4, 300,000 people, roughly 4.1% of the American population on welfare, the government annually spends about 132 billion dollars on welfare, which does not include either food stamps or unemployment insurance.” (DOHHS, 2012). Since the 1930s, many forms of welfare have been assisting the needy families and less fortunate of the society. However, within the past few years or so, there have been actions made to start drug testing recipients of welfare, potentially altering the whole concept of welfare. Although, only 3 states, as of now, have actually made it a law, “getting welfare and food stamps may become tougher as twenty three states around the country seek to adopt stricter laws that would require public aid recipients to take drug tests.” (Alcindor, 2012).…

    • 1751 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Welfare Drug Testing

    • 1502 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Should recipients of welfare be forced to take drug tests? States have been proposing this very thing since the federal welfare reform in 1996. Sentiments from many who are supportive of the legislation seem to be in agreement that they do not want tax dollars spent on drugs and that if you have enough money to buy drugs then you don’t need public assistance. One popular belief is that this will save wrongfully spent tax dollars and shift it to those who need it and are trying to do the right thing. They are attempting to get a job, an education or are actually caring for their families and children with the assistance. Proponents of drug testing recipients say that the people that are harmed are the tax payers and those who genuinely use this benefit for its intended purpose. While opponents of the measure, such as the ACLU, feel that such laws unjustly punish families and that it takes money away from children.…

    • 1502 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays