“ 'Cause it 's the first of the month and now we smokin ', chokin ', rollin ' blunts” is a line from rap group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s song “1st of Tha Month”, telling how welfare recipients collect their benefits at the beginning of each month, only to go and purchase illegal substances (i.e. drugs): but how much of this holds true? (Bone Thugs-N-Harmony). Controversy has been stirred in recent years over this hot political topic of whether or not welfare recipients should be tested for drug use. Proponents of testing those of whom are on government benefits cite the fact that taxpayer dollars should not be going towards people who will merely be using the money to buy and use drugs. Opponents, however, argue that the drug testing is too
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One example is Denise Calder, a single mother of four, who “...makes $41,300 year. ‘Every penny goes to food, rent, gas, medical bills,’ she says.” (Cunha). Calder is not alone, many other parents are in dire need of this assistance while actively searching for work. Times are tough, and not every parent is able to find a job that is suitable to provide for his or her family. Drug testing these parents is harmful as benefits will be denied to the family, who has done nothing wrong and is in grave need of the government assistance in the form of welfare to survive. Benefits are being denied for many, and not just on the basis of drug use. “Bree Casson, a divorced former army wife who works part-time at McDonald’s, was turned away from the WIC office last week because she didn’t have her family’s Medicaid cards, despite multiple phone and mail requests to the Department of Health and Human Services.” (Cunha). The problem with making government aid so difficult to receive is that there are assumptions that those who need the assistance are these terrible criminal crackheads who are just using the money for their next high. These assumptions are misinformed, as many welfare recipients are just like Calder or Casson, hardworking mothers who need the assistance merely to keep their families alive and well. Being denied benefits will only hurt the chances of someone who is indeed trying to find work to become a productive member of
One example is Denise Calder, a single mother of four, who “...makes $41,300 year. ‘Every penny goes to food, rent, gas, medical bills,’ she says.” (Cunha). Calder is not alone, many other parents are in dire need of this assistance while actively searching for work. Times are tough, and not every parent is able to find a job that is suitable to provide for his or her family. Drug testing these parents is harmful as benefits will be denied to the family, who has done nothing wrong and is in grave need of the government assistance in the form of welfare to survive. Benefits are being denied for many, and not just on the basis of drug use. “Bree Casson, a divorced former army wife who works part-time at McDonald’s, was turned away from the WIC office last week because she didn’t have her family’s Medicaid cards, despite multiple phone and mail requests to the Department of Health and Human Services.” (Cunha). The problem with making government aid so difficult to receive is that there are assumptions that those who need the assistance are these terrible criminal crackheads who are just using the money for their next high. These assumptions are misinformed, as many welfare recipients are just like Calder or Casson, hardworking mothers who need the assistance merely to keep their families alive and well. Being denied benefits will only hurt the chances of someone who is indeed trying to find work to become a productive member of