Drug tests for welfare recipients.

Somewhere somebody had a brainwave and required welfare recipients to pick up their cheques personally rather than get them in the mail. Many went off the welfare rolls because they couldn't take time off from WORK to pick up their cheques.

I can think of better things to spend money on. It would cost a lot of money to bring this sort of thing in (not to mention political capital). It isn't like you'd be catching the crackheads and junkies, becsue those drugs wash out of your system fairly quickly. You'd be catching the dope smokers. It's like, "Screw the homeless, I gotta know if Willy Welfare-bum is blowing a joint on the weekends."

Earning $7. an hour in a society that requires an average salary of approx $15. an hour per person in a couple relationship - there is more than just a dire need to be supplemented - it is a neccessity!!
Sure, there are those who screw the system, but then again, there are those who have risen out of poverty, angry at life and determined to never get screwed again, are the ones out there "screwing" everyone "cuz they aren't ever going back to the life they were raised in" - so .... if "life" was good for all and politicians weren't so greedy well, then life would be good - right.
There's nothing that pisses me off more than having to assist a mom who lives off of $5, bag sales at the thrift store so she can have something to wear at a dead end job, to meet a young 20 yr old social worker who had help going through college, who learned everything by the book, who thinks that getting drunk is being like a street person, never had a child, never been married, never done much of anything except share opinions - and is permitted to manipulate another person's life.
The Government has been trying to weed out the "takers" that abuse the system for 30 years!
Not everyone was born to a mom on crack turning tricks and not everyone was born into a loving family of two parents who cared - there are homeless people who at one point in their lives, had everything and lost it - lost their homes, their families and their will to live after such devestation and shame - When they were rolling, they had friends, connections, everytrhing another would envy and when the chips were down, they realize there is no one there for them - that alone is a devestating "fact" of life. I guess it's easy to point fingers and at such times, it gives reason and ryhme to the 10 commandments - everyone comes with a story and not everyone has the will or strength to deal with things - alone...
Education, empathy and understanding, don't cost a dime but sure go a lot further in life than negative critism, finger pointing and opinions.
Kinda like the song from Phil Collins - "just another day in paradise" or what's that other one? "Taxi driver has a PHD" - WE make life what it is and not everyone is fortunate......

Yeah I got off the merry-o round because I was tired of having some twit, of an accounts manager, at a bank, who had succeeded at coping with the system, telling ME how to run MY business. These twits had never met a payroll or put in 18 hour days to get a crop off before the snow flew......and they are demanding cash flows and inventories. Ask them what a 3 year rotation is and they tell you it is an extended line of credit.

HOCKEY PUCKS

Welfare is supposed to be a 'hand-up, not a hand-out'! It should be treated as a paycheque by the recipient. Yes, random drug/alcohol testing should be mandatory.You fail the test, you are given the option of 30 day 'in-house treatment' or loss of income. ( As a taxpayer, I am 'their' employer. I do have a say!)
It is supposed to be used for ESSENTIALS of life. Not any of the luxuries such as booze, drugs, coffee,softdrinks, icecream, movie rentals,pizza,tobacco,cable tv, designer clothes etc. Essentials means just that. Absolutely no frills. And that includes pets.