Florida governor signs welfare drug-screen measure

Jason P

I checked the article on the Tampa Bay Tribune ... they note that the results have yet to be tabulated ... and then in the next paragraph they base their logic on "So far, they say ..."


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 percent are not completing the application process, for reasons unspecified.

http://www2.tbo.com/news/politics/2011/aug/24/3/welfare-drug-testing-yields-2-percent-positive-res-ar-252458/

Seems irresponsible to write an article with down-to-the-dollar specifics without having specific information to base it on. :think:

I would also like to know if applications increased, stayed the same, or decreased due to the testing initiative.

BinauralJam

Kel Varnsen wrote:

Does it matter?

Of course it does. Just for example if the story says that these tests are only 2% of people are failing the drug test what if the test itself has a 2% failure rate when it comes to false-positives?[/quote]


But it's still such a small %, the point i'm making is, the whole thing was/is a failure.

JonnyPistachio

BinauralJam wrote:

Kel Varnsen wrote:

Does it matter?

Of course it does. Just for example if the story says that these tests are only 2% of people are failing the drug test what if the test itself has a 2% failure rate when it comes to false-positives?

But it's still such a small %, the point i'm making is, the whole thing was/is a failure.[/quote]

Not if you're Rick Scotts wife and you own stock in the drug testing clinics.

blackredyellow

mikepegg44 wrote:

Go Beavers wrote:

BinauralJam wrote:

http://www.flcourier.com/fleditorial/6112-98-percent-of-welfare-applicants-pass-drug-test



By Jenee Desmond-Harris, The Root.com - Thanks to Florida Gov. Rick Scott's insistence that people on welfare use drugs at a higher rate than the general population, the state's Legislature implemented a policy earlier this year requiring all applicants for temporary cash assistance to pass a drug test before getting any help.

The results: Ninety-eight percent passed. And the process will cost the state $178 million.



The Tampa Tribune reports that the Department of Children and Families says about 2 percent of applicants are failing the test and another 2 percent are not completing the application process for unspecified reasons.

Here's the Tribune's assessment of how much the state will pay:

Cost of the tests averages about $30. Assuming that 1,000 to 1,500 applicants take the test every month, the state will owe about $28,800-$43,200 monthly in reimbursements to those who test drug-free.

That compares with roughly $32,200-$48,200 the state may save on one month’s worth of rejected applicants.

Net savings to the state: $3,400 to $5,000 annually on one month’s worth of rejected applicants. Over 12 months, the money saved on all rejected applicants would add up to $40,800 to $60,000 for a program that state analysts have predicted will cost $178 million this fiscal year.

Damn facts trying to deny people their prejudices!

well let's be fair, if you know you are going to be piss tested then why on earth would you show up with drugs in your urine. Especially scheduled urine tests.
178 million. Can anyone point to how that number that was casually thrown in was calculated?
All in all it would save more tax payer money by simply decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana.

Well, that's the whole problem with this type of policy in the first place. To truly weed out drub abusers from the welfare system, you'd have to have random testing, and repeat testing. At that point then, you are spending so much on testing, that it's not really cost effective.