As much as I can't stand seeing certain (key word: CERTAIN) welfare recipients mooching off the system, I have to disagree with implementing mandatory drug testing in order to get benefits.
You might ask, "Most of us who report to work every day and receive a paycheck have to get drug tested, so why shouldn't those getting paid by the government be required to do the same?" Well, I don't think our jobs should be drug testing us either. If people want to blow their money on recreational drugs, so be it. If they are performing their jobs well and not bringing drugs into the workplace, it doesn't matter in my opinion. The same goes with government assistance. It's definitely not right if people are using government money for drugs. But where is the line? If the government says people can't use their money for drugs, then should they have the right to monitor EVERY expense, such as alcohol, cigarettes, or a new shirt?
The other argument for jobs enforcing drug testing is safety. So should people with prescription pain medication not be allowed to come to work? Or should jobs enforce breathalyzers every day to make sure people aren't drinking on the job? The safety issue doesn't exactly apply to welfare recipients, unless you're talking about drug testing parents who are at home with their kids to make sure they are safely caring for them. But, again, same arguments as the workplace. Who's to say the parents won't be drinking all day long or loading up on other prescription medications (which are often more dangerous than illegal drugs). If their parenting is a safety issue, that's for CPS to handle.
One more argument is that if you have nothing to hide, what's the problem with drug testing? I don't enjoy being monitored on the job - this does NOT mean I do drugs. Drug testing welfare recipients is simply a manipulation technique by the government. If I were in a position where the government was paying me in lieu of reporting to work, I wouldn't want to be monitored there either.
