

Feedback: Readers react to proposed demands on unemployed, aid recipients

7:31 PM, Sep. 18, 2013  |  Comments
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On Wednesday, a state House committee passed a bill that would deny unemployment benefits to people who refuse to take an employer-required drug test or tested positive. An amendment to the bill that would require legislators to be drug tested failed. Meanwhile, the state Senate passed a bill that would require people who receive food stamps or other welfare benefits to perform community service to receive benefits. An amendment to the bill that would require the state to pick up child care costs while parents are doing community service failed. Here's what readers had to say about the bills on

I had to take a drug test to get hired and get my pay check. Why are people on unemployment or welfare complaining if they have to do the very same thing to get their pay check?

Jerry Brian

We should drug test anyone who gets money from the taxpayers. Period.

Bill Hartnell

I hope the people on assistance come out and vote! If they don't stand up for themselves at the voting booth and have their voices heard, then these types of rules will be forced upon them.

Charles Moore

I do not think the majority of people on welfare are lazy or freeloading. I want to see them helped, but they do need to have some skin in the game.

If I was ever in need of government assistance, it would certainly help my self esteem to feel that I earned my money.

Duane Kucinich

Why did the amendment to drug test politicians who are on the tax payer dime get shot down? I'm all for the bill for drug testing but what is good for the goose is good for the gander.

Erik Xavier Williams

As far as the problem of childcare, why not make a few of the community service positions childcare providers in a government owned building? Training and screening would have to be provided first.

The end result is that you have some folks caring for children while others are performing community service.

Tony Ventura

Sounds one sided: single women would be the majority of the people affected by this bill, it singles out a small segment of the population and does nothing to help get people off of assistance.

Keenan L. White

Good idea in theory, but what a mess to enforce. And I agree about the issue of childcare - they should be prepared to assign mothers and fathers tasks that they can bring their kids to.

Laurie Fundukian

If you have a family and work full-time plus a second job and you get food stamps when will you fit the community service into your schedule?

Gary Colleen

I don't see how anyone could complain about having to do some work in exchange for benefits.

Chris White

Another program aimed at shaming and condemning poor people, specifically women who are poor or on assistance through no fault of their own.

Jahari Davis

So you are on disability because you can't work, and on welfare because you can't live on disability alone. What then?

David Walimaki

Tell me how a single mother of three, going to school and working part-time will fit community service into her schedule so she can feed her kids.

Dawn Roedding

The community service will give these women and men more recent job experience and references to gain new positions out there. Many employers do not hire those who have been out of work for months or years.

Jackie Bates

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