...Should Drug Testing be Mandatory to Receive Welfare Benefits? BCOM/275 Should Drug Testing be Mandatory to Receive Welfare Benefits? Thanks to our ancestors, America is a country built from a foundation of hard work and perseverance. This pioneering spirit has paved the way for many opportunities, as well as rules to be set along the way. This includes mandating laws and acts starting with the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. With these guidelines America humbly started as a nation where every citizen was entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These laws stressed the simplest of privileges which included freedom of religion, freedom of speech, protection against enemies, and restriction against monopolies (America's Freedom Documents, 1996-2011). These were all expressions of the American mindset long ago. Fast forward to current America and we find problems we must confront now that are more complicated. These problems have evolved through history that has now made our present day precedence in relation to laws and rules. We now have the freedom to vote, be active in our government, and have an opinion. Our opinions are shaped by the physical world around us and the controversy we have created as a people. However, The United States as an ideal presents a uniquely contradictory set of principles that is generally not openly discussed. This includes the tendency to accept government officials, network...
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...Should drug testing be mandatory to receive welfare? Americans face tough challenges in life, and some may have to apply for financial aid for federal or state funding through rough times such has lost of job or current job not providing enough money pay the bills. Those who do receive assistance, should they be drug tested? There are several Americans who will agree with the drug testing because they feel their tax dollars are being wasted on those who do not qualify for assistance. The welfare program is there to help those in need. The ones that are suffering due to lack of employment or lay off should be receiving the assistance. There are several families out there struggling but the parents are causing their struggle because of drugs. Many people decide that drugs are more important than their families because they are so addicted to the drug. If drug users can afford to pay for their drugs, than why can’t they also afford their own food? A person should put their own life and safety and as well as their family before they purchase any drugs. If they decide to buy drugs, than they are not in much need for TANF, food stamps, or any other federal or state assistance. If they take a drug test and fail the test, the state should have their own laws and take action for the safety of the family. This could mean more children in foster or shelters due to the parents lack of judgment of what is important. One in six Americans are relying on government anti-poverty programs...
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...Drug Testing: The Aid to Improving Our Welfare System By: Jennifer, Jacob, Kelsey, Mattie, and Devin Introduction Attention-getting remarks: Every single one of us in this class will one day have a job, and with that job we will be required to pay taxes. Have you ever thought about where the taxes we pay goes to and whether or not it’s going towards a helpful and productive cause? Thesis: Today we will break down the pros and cons of enforcing welfare recipients to be drug tested. Preview: Our group will inform you all about what welfare actually is, as well as reasons as to why some people believe it is a violation of their rights to be drug tested in order to receive welfare. More importantly, you will hear the opposing side of this issue, which is in favor of drug testing, along with reasons we believe it will benefit the welfare system. (First let’s get a better understanding of what welfare actually is.) Body I. Usually when one hears the word welfare, he thinks of public assistance. A. According to the welfare info website, welfare can also be characterized as a financial assistance to needy individuals, which is supplied through the taxes paid by the working society. (welfareinfo) 1. It also improves the quality of life and standards of living for the poor. II. Now that we all understand what welfare is, let’s look at the pros and cons of enforcing drug testing to receive this assistance. A. As said by Florida’s Governor Rick...
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...Drug Testing Welfare Recipients: A Wise Choice Robert Denson ENG1420 Mr. A. Hewlett 10 February 2015 The national welfare system was created in 1935 to provide federal aid to the elderly, disabled and qualifying single mothers during the Great Depression (Costly, 2015). Public housing assistance, the Food Stamp Program and Medicare are examples of state programs available to assist families in need. Welfare, undoubtedly, is an essential source of assistance for many under privileged families. In recent years, some states have enacted drug testing for welfare recipients. This action has raised the question if it’s unfair search and seizure, other words, unconstitutional (Fourth Amendment to The United States Constitution, n.d.), or does it really discourage suspected drug abuse Many Americans agree there needs to be a reformation to the Welfare act and how the assistance should be utilized by its recipients. Opponents argue that the children will bear the brunt of the drug testing policy and it will cost more than it saves (Drug-Testing & The TANF Program, n.d.). The children depend on the adults to receive the benefits on their behalf, but when those benefits are being traded for drugs and/or cash to purchase drugs, there is no benefit. Discontinuing benefits to individuals who test positive for illegal substances would allow those funds to be returned to the state and federal budgets. In return, those unused funds will aid in balancing the state’s budget and...
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...Drug Testing in School Youa Vang DeVry University Drug Testing in School Drug use has continued to increase within the past years. “An estimated 22.5 million Americans from the age of 12 or older had used an illicit drug or abused a psychotherapeutic medication in 2011. That is 8.7 percent of the US population (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2012).” Most people start taking drugs in their early teenage years because they get pressured easily. With drugs being one of the biggest pressures, it can happen anywhere outside of home. One usually gets talked into trying drugs because he either was stressed out, he wants to fit in, or he wants to look cool. Drug use can have a huge impact on one’s behavior and academic performances. It will make it difficult for a student to get along with others and to concentrate, not only at school, but, also, at home. By using drugs, one can experience sudden memory loss. Students entering junior high and beyond should receive drug test regularly and randomly to prevent drug abuse, help students stay in school and benefit their life long decision-making. Drug testing in school is not about catching students who use drugs. Rather, it is to prevent students from using it and to seek help for those that need it. Mandatory drug testing would be a way to ensure students’ safety and help them stay in school. By requiring drug testing, students will have a reason to say no when being offered any. When a student uses drugs and comes...
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...assistance be required to take drug tests? INTRODUCTION On August 22, 1996, President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act, also known as the Welfare Reform Bill, into effect ending welfare as it had been known for many years. “This law transformed the traditional entitlement to cash welfare under Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) into a transitional program, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), which requires most recipients to work after two years of receiving assistance, or, at state option, even earlier, with few exceptions. After 60 months of receipt during a lifetime, a recipient is ineligible for federally-funded cash benefits (NPC, 2004)”. (1) The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act shifted the responsibility of the poor to the states. The Act also made allowance for states to perform drug testing of those who were in need of federal assistance. According to an article in the New York Times “Policy makers in three dozen states this year proposed drug testing for people receiving benefits like welfare, unemployment assistance, job training, food stamps and public housing (Sulzberger, 2011) .” The controversy rising from the proposed drug testing has many debating the question: Should people seeking government assistance be required to take drug tests? PROs/CONs: There are several pros and cons to the new legislature to drug test those seeking government assistance. PROS: Those in favor of the...
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...and Against Drug Testing Case Study 16-1 Columbia Southern University The adversity that the Castulon Corporation is faced with during the recent discovery of employee’s use of drugs on and off the facility, they’re trying to decide what can be done about the current situation while implementing a drug screening policy to resolve the situation. According Drug Use Statistics, “Among unemployed adults aged 18 or older in 2009, 17.0 percent were current illicit drug users, which were higher than the 8.0 percent of those employed full time and 11.5 percent of those employed part time. However, most illicit drug users were employed. Of the 19.3 million current illicit drug users aged 18 or older in 2009, 12.9 million (66.6 percent) were employed either full or part time” (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, 2010). Not to mention prescription drug abuse or alcohol abuse. Some say those statistics and Castulon Corporation’s current issues that the implementation of a drug screening policy should not should be put in place immediately. However, what implications would it have on the employees who are not a using drugs, and how far should the testing go, after all alcohol and prescription drug use can cause just as much damage. The one thing Castulon did was weigh the pros and cons, and assigned the task to two employees of proving both sides to management. I do agree that there are some industries where drug screening should be mandatory, as in this...
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...Case study 16-1: Castulon Corp: Drug testing Program MHR 6451 09/04/2012 Abstract Does the American workforce have issues with drugs? If so, should employer incorporate drug programs within the work place? According to the U.S. Department Statistics, “75% of all illegal drug users are employed full and part time; 3% say they have used illegal drugs before or during work; 79 % of heavy alcohol abusers are employed and 7% say they Have Consumed alcohol during the workday” (Zeidner, Rita 2010). In essence, employees that go to work under the influence of drugs are a risk to the individual as well as other employees. Therefore, with such high drug statistics and risk factors with employees under the influence of drugs, should Castulon Corporation establish a drug-testing program and what policy should be use? If so, what are the most difficult challenges Castulon Corp. will be facing while implementing the program? Along with the drug program implementation, should alcohol testing be a part of the testing? In the following discussion, these questions will be analyzed and answered. Main Discussion First of all, should Castulon Corporation implement a drug program within the workplace? If so, what policy should they implement? Since Castulon Corp has encountered drug issues within the workplace within two short months, they should highly consider implementing a drug program. By implementing a drug program within Castulon Corp, it will increase safety by reducing...
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...When one is employed at a school, and starts noticing loads of confidential boxes being delivered, “Smarties” candies and “Smart Pencils” being distributed to students, and last but not least; witnessing that the stress of the school is rising…You know it’s testing time. This all happens at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. Many tests take 1 to 2 days when others, have a duration of 2-3 weeks. As an employee of an elementary school, I have had many years of preparation and participation of such events. All employees must sign affidavits before administration of tests occur, and all materials are delivered and picked up on a scheduled timeframe. “Standardized Tests are a type of exam that assess the student’s capability on the...
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...not to have a drug-testing policy in corporate America is a major undertaking. Alcohol and drug abuse are considered to be amongst the most common and dangerous health hazards in the workplace. Drug use in the workplace is an increased liability to employers and can cost companies millions of dollars in legal expenses and compliance standards. In this case study, Castulon Corporation, is faced with a dilemma of whether or not to implement a drug-testing policy. The cause for this dilemma is the fact that upper management has been notified of two separate incidents in the past two months of possible drug abuse (Ivancevich p. 532). In this case study, it would seem logical that Castulon Coporation should establish a drug-testing program. Where it is legal to do so nearly every company or business should have a drug-testing policy. The policy does not have to be mandatory for all situations, but should at least be a requirement after a significant mistake or accident. There are many pros and cons to utilizing a drug-testing program but the biggest positive out ways everything which is safety. This is especially true for this case study as the company is in the manufacturing industry so they are at a higher risk for injury and loss of life (Ivancevich p. 533). A drug-testing policy would start with screening any newly hired employees. This would be a pre-condition of employment. The individual would have to pass an initial drug test. This pre-employment drug testing gives the employer...
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...There are many pros and cons regarding drug testing people before they are able to receive welfare benefits. Some people think it is a violation of their rights, the testing is not fail proof, and the cost is usually greater than the benefit. Those who are in favor of drug testing believe it will benefit the welfare system, help the tax payers save money and also help the children of the parents if they are using drugs. Government leaders and most of the general public look at it from a financial point of view while people who receive benefits look at it from a constitutional point of view. The government court system and judges are not backing the drug testing idea because of the fourth amendment. In my personal opinion I am for people being drug tested who receive benefits or any assistance from government funded programs. The middle class worker has to be drug tested to work, earn money and pay taxes. People who receive assistance should not be exempt from this type of requirement. What is Welfare? Welfare is a public assistance program designed to help people who are not able to support themselves fully. Welfare encompasses those government programs that provide benefits and economic assistance to no or low income individuals. It can also be defined as financial assistance to impoverished individuals which is supplied through the taxes paid by the working class. Improving the quality of life and living standards for the poor and underprivileged is one of the main goals of...
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...My internship was completed with the County of San Bernardino Transitional Assistance Department (TAD). My position mainly revolved around assisting qualifying San Bernardino residence in obtaining financial, medical, and nutritional resource they need to become or to regain self sufficiency in providing for themselves and their family. Since this is my second quarter interning, I was tasked with more responsibilities which included more interaction with clients in the form of interviews in order to determine the need. Like every program there are always pros and cons. The interaction with clients and their cases allowed me to see one of the ongoing issues the County as well as state and federal government are faced with which is welfare fraud. In my internship review will explain the type of fraud that is committed, what the counties procedures are to minimize fraud, and my suggestions on how to eliminate fraud even further. The basic definition of welfare fraud is when people collect state welfare benefits while they don't qualify for them. People do things to try to get extra money, such as claiming to have dependant children that do not exist, or not reporting income. Buying, selling, or trading benefits is also a violation of the program. Although the county has safeguards in place in an attempt to prevent this from occurring; my internship allowed me to see that these safeguards are not full proof. Welfare fraud may be committed by someone just do to their ignorance...
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...Linda Covarrubias Elaina Westegaard ENG-123-X1530 17 November 2015 How Are GMOs Affecting the Environment and Our Health? Food has been one of the basic needs since the birth of a person. History shows that the production of food only consisted of hunting, harvesting, and farming. During these times, it usually took a long time before these foods arrived at the dining tables of families. However, today, technology has allowed the mass production of food. Unfortunately, the market has taken advantage of technology, not letting us know how food is made, leading to the birth of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). GMOs are widely used in most foods today. Though most people are unaware of this, GMOs even exist in some of their favorite food products. Many reports tell that diseases, such as E-Coli and Salmonella, have been caught from GM-foods. Furthermore, researchers and doctors believe that GMOs carry a huge risk; although, some scientists claim that GMOs are completely safe for human consumption. GMOs should be banned because they have a negative impact on human health, and potential risks on the environment. Although GMOs were only introduced in 1996, the side effects can already be seen: there have been increased allergic reactions, antibiotic resistant bacteria and other toxic hazards. While these side effects of GMOs may seem minuscule in the grand scheme of things, the lasting effects can be much more drastic. More and more children are having life-threatening allergies...
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...My internship was completed with the County of San Bernardino Transitional Assistance Department (TAD). My position mainly revolved around assisting qualifying San Bernardino residence in obtaining financial, medical, and nutritional resource they need to become or to regain self sufficiency in providing for themselves and their family. Since this is my second quarter interning, I was tasked with more responsibilities which included more interaction with clients in the form of interviews in order to determine the need. Like every program there are always pros and cons. The interaction with clients and their cases allowed me to see one of the ongoing issues the County as well as state and federal government are faced with which is welfare fraud. In my internship review will explain the type of fraud that is committed, what the counties procedures are to minimize fraud, and my suggestions on how to eliminate fraud even further. The basic definition of welfare fraud is when people collect state welfare benefits while they don't qualify for them. People do things to try to get extra money, such as claiming to have dependant children that do not exist, or not reporting income. Buying, selling, or trading benefits is also a violation of the program. Although the county has safeguards in place in an attempt to prevent this from occurring; my internship allowed me to see that these safeguards are not full proof. Welfare fraud may be committed by someone just do to their ignorance...
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...Animal Testing: A Reasonable Stance Animals can give us love and happiness when we are caring for them as pets, but what else can animals give us? Over the past century animals have also given us vaccines, drugs, and more that have kept our society healthy and safe from deadly infections, all due to animal testing. But are the welfare of animals something that should be risked to make our lives better? The issue of animal testing has caused an ongoing battle in our society that deals with both science and animal rights. There are those who favor it because it is allows for scientific progress, and there are those who oppose it because it is the ethically right thing to do. Both sides have valid arguments, which most people choose to side with one or the other. With a better understanding of each side of the issue, animal testing, we can conceive a credible truth. The complex issue of animal testing is one that should not be researched in a bias way. One must explore both and all sides of the argument to come to a valid conclusion. While I have yet to find a piece of writing that equally argues both sides of animal testing, the combined research I have done on both sides of the spectrum allows for a solid foundation for this discussion. These two stances on animal testing are opposite not only in position on the issue, but also in reasoning. The side for animal testing is reasoning on the means of science and research used to develop new medical treatment, while the side against...
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