Where and Who does your tax money go to? – Guest Editorial by Logan Brink

Read Time:4 Minute, 11 Second

Welfare recipients should have to take drug tests before getting a welfare check. The problem lies where citizens that have to pay taxes are paying for some welfare recipients that are using their money to buy drugs. Officers that make drug arrests say that two out of five people are using welfare. Drug testing isn’t for the government to ruin peoples lives, but it’s for the people that are fairly paying their taxes for someone that abuses the money for drugs. The welfare recipients are potentially abusing their money given to them by the government by spending it on drugs. This has caused crime rates to increase and more jails are filling up from possession and usage.

Throughout researching the effects of drug testing welfare recipients, I think that anyone in the United States that is on welfare should have to take a monthly drug test. This requirement would save citizens money from being used on unreasonable and unnecessary things. “Colorado State Representative Jerry Sonnenberg said ‘If you have enough money to be able to buy drugs, then you don’t need public assistance’”. As of August 2014, approximately 109,631,000 Americans received welfare benefits from the government. That is 36% of Americans living in the country. Out of the 109,631,000 welfare participants in the US, many of them are using drugs.The citizens are paying taxes; the taxes are being used for welfare and public assistance.The people receiving welfare are buying drugs and that would result in the citizens money going to drugs. In other words, this has caused the other 64% of Americans to pay for the use of illegal drugs.

By sending our tax money to people on welfare, we are giving them the option to spend it how they choose. Majority of people on welfare have families or children. It would be expected that the money given to them by the government was used to clothe and feed their children and take care of themselves but too commonly it is used for illegal drugs. The use of these drugs leads to crime. in 2004, 26% of state prisoners committed an offense to get money for drugs. Another 25% were in federal prisons . The majority of these crimes were committed by people on welfare. The people in prison now are unable to tend to any possible needs of their families.

However, if you don’t look at the entire population how could all of these statistics possibly be true? It isn’t fair to single out welfare recipients from all other people. It isn’t fair to only drug test welfare recipients because the government also gives tax dollars to veterans and many other programs. Drug testing welfare recipients is similar to training a dog, and if they don’t do it right, they don’t deserve a treat (Welfare Assistance). By testing people on welfare, it is assumed that they are doing drugs. The government doesn’t test war veterans. As of 2012, approximately 23.9 million Americans were found to be using illegal drugs. For us citizens 18-25 years of age, 3.9% of military personnel are abusing drug for every 17.2% of civilians.

Welfare recipients should be required to take regular drug tests because it would save the government money, lower drug addicts because they would be unable to afford the illegal drugs, and potentially lower crime rates. For example, the state government in Florida tested every welfare participant. Each drug test is $30. They spent about $45,000 on all of the drug testing state-wide. Florida did lose money by testing all of these people . If people were tested regularly, then they would be able to cut costs and only provide welfare for the people who actually need it and aren’t spending it on unnecessary things like illegal drugs. “The data show marijuana is the most commonly cited drug among primary drug treatment admissions in Florida”. The people in jail for drug use in Florida are primarily there for use or possession of marijuana. If these people were annually drug tested they could limit the use of drugs by welfare users to keep prison rates down the the civilians taxes could potentially be lower.

If everyone on welfare took drug tests before receiving their welfare check the government would be able to spend their money wisely. People who fail the drug test would not receive their check. Citizens money is being wasted by not testing the welfare recipients because those who are buying drugs may not be providing for their families woth the money that they are given. Frank Burns is a politician that will make a difference. You need to react quickly and decisively to make your tax money go to the right place. To contact Frank Burns, the Pennsylvania state representative, please call (814)536-8400 and express your opinion on drug testing welfare recipients. That way, you know your tax money is being used the right way.