Every election year, welfare fraud is a jumping-off and rally point for the Republican Party, so much so that some have claimed it as an epidemic. Furthermore, while there may be some fraud within the social insurance system, it is not severe enough to constitute micro-managing?poor people by forcing them to submit to drug tests.
However, Republicans such as Maine Gov.?Paul LePage, have made it the most important thing on their agendas. LePage?had this to say about it:
?These benefits are supposed to help families, children and our most vulnerable Mainers. Instead, we have discovered welfare benefits are paying for alcohol, cigarettes and other things that hardworking taxpayers should not be footing the bill for.?
LePage followed up his statement with this on talk radio:
“If someone tests positive they are putting their drug habits or addictions ahead of their family needs.”
Republicans have a tendency to travel in packs. Let’s see what Rick Scott had to say about welfare testing
“It’s the right thing for citizens of this state that need public assistance. We don’t want to waste tax dollars. And also, we want to give people an incentive to not use drugs.”
And while his comments may serve as a rally starter, the governor forgets the most important thing.
This is where?one part of the Republican plan to test welfare recipients doesn’t add up. This part of the plan comes after the fact of a positive test. Many Republicans have made incredulous claims about how welfare fraud is an epidemic and that testing will help end this supposed epidemic.
But their plan falls apart after someone tests positive for illegal substances. The governor and his Republicans cohorts haven’t come up with a plan of what to do after the positive test. They have failed to offer a solution besides taking away their benefits. This solution may be just as bad as the test itself.
But ACLU of Maine director Alison Belyea said this in response to the governor:
“We think this is a terrible idea. If we truly want to help families combat drug addiction we should be funding more treatment program rather than blocking access to this very needed assistance.”
This is one spot where Republicans have failed to shine light on as many have suggested merely taking away their benefits as if it will miraculously cure them of their addiction. At least that is the agenda that Paul LePage has endorsed in his years as Maine Governor.
His “just don’t do it” mentality has been all too common?for the Republican Party. The roots of this can be traced back to Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” campaign. The problem with these mentalities is that they try to?get results without first putting in the work.
So what is the moral of the story? The moral is that testing will only show you who is using drugs while on social insurance; it won’t miraculously cure their addiction. We have yet to see a Republican provide a comprehensive plan that includes a course of action, such as treatment and training to cure them.
The Republicans are also sporting a double-standard, as their belief system is based upon limited government involvement, yet they wan’t to micro-manage the poor by trying to weed out the tiny percentage of misuse. Then again, nobody has ever been able to follow their logic.
In conclusion, people will always believe that if you break the neck with a tough-love mentality, then everything will be?okay. Too bad that isn’t the reality. But we already know the LePage?has a chronic tendency to jump the gun with ignorant comments, such as his?response to the ethics involved with Deflate-Gate.
Sorry, Paul LePage; “No soup for you.”
