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Sunday, August 28th, 2011

Florida Welfare Drug-testing Yields 2% Positive Results, and No Savings

Author:     CATHERINE WHITTENBURG
Source:     The Tampa Tribune
Publication Date:     August 25, 2011 - 4:48 PM
 Link: Florida Welfare Drug-testing Yields 2% Positive Results, and No Savings
Stephan:   Rarely are the the Far Right's nasty, mean-spirited cultural judgments about the poor shown to be as definitively shallow and wrong as this. But, then, even amongst the Far Right, Governor Rick Scott stands out as a notable hypocrite and creep. As you read this, bear in mind the overall drug usage amongst Florida adults is 8.7 per cent. Which is to say that those applying for benefits are four times less likely to be involved with drugs then, say, your next door Republican dentist. I also want to point out that in all these calculations, as revealing as they already are, the report does not factor in the cost to the state of actually doing this testing, only the cost of the test.

TALLAHASSEE — Since the state began testing welfare applicants for drugs in July, about 2 percent have tested positive, preliminary data shows.

Ninety-six percent proved to be drug free — leaving the state on the hook to reimburse the cost of their tests.

The initiative may save the state a few dollars anyway, bearing out one of Gov. Rick Scott’s arguments for implementing it. But the low test fail-rate undercuts another of his arguments: that people on welfare are more likely to use drugs.

At Scott’s urging, the Legislature implemented the new requirement earlier this year that applicants for temporary cash assistance pass a drug test before collecting any benefits.

The law, which took effect July 1, requires applicants to pay for their own drug tests. Those who test drug-free are reimbursed by the state, and those who fail cannot receive benefits for a year.

Having begun the drug testing in mid-July, the state Department of Children and Families is still tabulating the results. But at least 1,000 welfare applicants took the drug tests through mid-August, according to the department, which expects at least 1,500 applicants to take the tests monthly.

So far, they say, about 2 percent of applicants are failing the test; another 2 […]

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