Florida Governor On Welfare Drug Tests 'It's Not Right For Taxpayer Money To Be Paying For Somebody's Drug Addiction'
For Discussion: Florida Governor On Welfare Drug Tests ‘It’s Not Right To Be Paying For Somebody’s Drug Addiction’
Is this drug testing business really going to “hold people accountable?” True enough, taxpayer dollars should not fund others’ drug habits but shouldn’t there be some sort of probable cause?
Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Sunday defended recent legislation that requires adults applying for welfare assistance to undergo drug screenings, saying the law provides “personal accountability.”
“It’s not right for taxpayer money to be paying for somebody’s drug addiction,” Scott told CNN’s T.J. Holmes on Sunday. “On top of that, this is going to increase personal responsibility, personal accountability. We shouldn’t be subsidizing people’s addiction.”
But the ACLU of Florida, which has already filed suit against Scott over a measure requiring government employees to undergo random drug testing, disagrees, and may sue over the welfare law as well.
“What (Scott) is doing is giving ugly legitimacy to an unfortunate stereotype that has been in this country for a couple of decades — that all welfare recipients are a bunch of drug abusers,” said Howard Simon, executive director of the ACLU of Florida.
Scott told CNN he wants to ensure that welfare funds go to their primary target — to disadvantaged children — and provide people with an incentive not to use drugs. He signed the measure on June 1, calling it “the right thing for taxpayers.”
Shortly after the bill was signed, five Democrats from the state’s congressional delegation issued a joint statement attacking the legislation, one calling it “downright unconstitutional.”
But here’s where the sh*t gets deep. Apparently, Scott is the co-founder of a chain of walk-in clinics where drug tests are a service they provide. Hmmm, sounds like a get rich quick scheme, doesn’t it?
Controversy over the measure was heightened by Scott’s past association with a company he co-founded that operates walk-in urgent care clinics in Florida and counts drug screening among the services it provides. In April, Scott, who had transferred his ownership interest in Solantic Corp. to a trust in his wife’s name, said the company would not contract for state business, according to local media reports.
Asked about the company Sunday, Scott said he is in the process of selling his family’s interest in the company and “it will be sold in a couple of weeks.” There is no conflict of interest, he said.
Something’s not quite right with this Governor, seems like he’s got alterior motives …
Thoughts?
