Florida legislator wants random drug tests for the unemployed

David Edwards and Muriel Kane
Raw Story
March 16, 2009
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Lawmake...

Employers have justified drug tests in the workplace by pointing to such negative effects of drug use as absenteeism and work-related injuries. Now a Florida legislator has proposed that random drug-testing also be applied to those receiving unemployment insurance, justifying it as a way to make state funds go further.

Florida State Senator Michael S. Bennett told Fox News host Steve Doocy on Monday that with the unemployment rate in his recession-battered state running between 10% and 11%, he worries that the Unemployment Trust Fund might be exhausted.

"I wanted to ensure that people who are qualified for unemployment — that the money would be there when they actually go down and get unemployment and that we werent supporting the people who were not able to go to work," Bennett explained. "It was nothing against the people who were using the drugs as much as it was to ensure that the people who needed unemployment, it would be there when they got there."

Bill Piper of the Drug Policy Alliance, which is dedicated to ending the "war on drugs," responded that "to require someone to pass a drug test to get their unemployment insurance after theyve been laid off is pretty cruel — and to require them to pay for the test themselves is even more cruel."

"Its a pretty degrading process," Piper went on. "You have to urinate in front of another person. You have to tell complete strangers if youre on birth control or Viagra or if youre suffering from depression."

"Normal, everyday Americans shouldnt have to go through that," insisted Piper. "Were talking about people whove already paid into the unemployment system. Theyve been working hard already, and its simply unfair to throw another hurdle to feeding their families."

"He makes a good argument," Doocy agreed. "Unemployment insurance is money that people have already paid into the system. Why shouldnt they get it if theyre laid off?"

"When you file for unemployment," Bennett replied, "basically youre saying Im ready, willing, and — quote — able to go to work. If the person who pays into the unemployment has to pass a drug test to pay into it, surely the people who are taking out would not object to having to pass the same stringent test. If youre not able to go to work because you cant pass a drug test, why should you draw unemployment?"

"Clearly the people hes talking about were already capable of working," Piper commented. "They shouldnt have to take a drug test to prove something to any one."

Bennett, who recently proposed freezing the pay of county clerks and commissioners and similar low-level state employees, may be sincere in saying he is only trying to save money. However, according to election disclosure forms, he did receive a $500 donation to his 2006 election campaign from Abbott Laboratories, which provides workplace drug test kits.

This video is from Foxs Fox & Friends, broadcast Mar. 16, 2009.
http://www.infowars.com/florida-legis...
http://prisonplanet.com

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[patsaxon]

If you are on wealfare, you should be made to take a drug test. Unemployment is a bad thing if those who do not get a job within the next 3 to 5 months, then you are not looking hard enough and not willing to work!

[sgiles12]

Sure if everyone on WELFARE has to take a drug test!

[sgiles12]

Sure if everyone who receives welfare has to drug test!!!!!!!!!!!

[sgiles12]

Unemployment is not welfare, you are very misinformed.

Welfare is something for nothing!

[glethal85]

There are many jobs which people work and get laid off everyday which do NOT require drug tests.

Even if they do use unemployment money to buy drugs, GOVERNMENT CANNOT CONTROL HOW YOU USE YOUR MONEY!! its YOUR money. YOU fed money into the system, and due to the inability of government to properly regulate the economy, THEY PAY FOR THE RISK of providing unemployment insurance!!

[LitaMarie08]

If you need to piss in a cup for a JOB then there should be the same standard for welfare.