Why people on goverment assistance should be drug tested to recieve assistance - Essay Example

Pollack shows that in the states of Mississippi and Illinois, families receive varying benefits meant for poor families, especially single mothers. For example, in Illinois, the monthly based amount for the temporary assistances to needy families stands at 432 dollars compared to 170 dollars in Mississippi. The varying amounts received by poor families is seen a problem, additionally, there has been an increasing number of families requesting for benefits. Despite the rising problems of tackling increasing poor families, a number of states have introduced the idea of drug testing.

This is an act whereby a member of the family requesting for benefits is put into test to ascertain if he or she is under drug influence. Pollack argues that the screening done by the government on families to receive benefits meant for poor does not address anything. According to the author, some states have achieved less or nothing despite their efforts to bring forth this matter of drug testing. The drug testing done on states like Michigan has failed or achieved less for the last 13 years according to the author.

Additionally, legislators in Michigan are hoping that the act of drug testing for benefits is best and will be beneficial since it has been done in 29 other states. With the 29 states, 8 states have benefited from drug testing. According to Spencer, drug testing is currently undergoing in 28 states. The legislators in those states explain that drug testing must be done in order to lock out individuals requesting for benefits yet they are on drugs. In Oklahoma, the Republican Governor Mary Fallin explains that drug testing is done so as not to humiliate taxpayers.

Parts of the taxes paid by the Oklahoma citizens are used to help the poor in terms of Temporary Assistances to Needy Families. The Governor explains that in order to avoid funding or subsidizing drug abuse by some of the individuals requesting for assistances from the government, drug testing must be done. This shows that legislators are supporting drug tests on those asking for government assistances based on the idea of drug abuse by those who benefit from the package. The governor of Oklahoma says that tests will be done and those who pass the drug testing are provided with the benefits while those who fail or refuse the test will be barred from getting the benefits until they reform.

The process of drug test is also happening in Tennessee with the main focus being drug abuse by the individuals requesting for government assistance. Spencer also explains that drugs have brought problems to the society especially poor people. In addition, drug abuse is also problematic to the working class. There have been also increasing number of people requesting for help from the government to support themselves since the 2008 financial crisis. The fact is that there has been a rise in the number of the unemployed, cost of goods, housing and health care insurance.

The government has to address all those cases with the help of funding. The idea of drug testing arises because high numbers of poor people in the society are drug users. Drug abuse can only be broken on those requesting for benefits if they are sure that they are to undergo the testing before they receive the benefits. Additionally, the government is fighting to address all the cases mentioned above and others like unemployment benefits. Millions of dollars have to be used in addressing those issues inclusive of drug abuse.

In order to reduce these cases, drug testing is important as it is one way of reducing drug abuse. Additionally, taxes from tax payers will be channeled elsewhere like unemployment benefits and welfare benefits. Furthermore, Carpenter (1), explains that tighter budgets and high demands by the people from the