Why not expect a drug-free subsidy clientele?

Our View

Why not expect a drug-free subsidy clientele?

Arkansas’ liberal Democrat lawmakers have got to be fuming over Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s latest efforts to make the tens of thousands of Arkansans dependent upon government hand-outs to be more responsible and accountable for their actions.

Hutchinson, already criticized for his revamping of the state’s form of Obamacare, is now seeing resistance from some Democrat lawmakers over him authorizing the go-ahead with a program of drug screening and testing for the heads of thousands of needy Arkansas families who apply for and receive government subsidies.

One of the feeble arguments from the oppositions is the unfounded assumption the testing program could cost too much for its return. Well then, we can certainly parallel that argument with just about any government give-away program that wastes billions of our hard earned tax dollars.

We’re being told the program is specifically designed to improve the quality of the workforce, send those individuals in need to drug treatment and, as importantly, safeguard government money from being spent by drug users.

Hutchinson’s staff projects that the statewide program will cost about $1.7 million to get started. But, how does that compare to what is already being spent on the welfare program? Well, in Arkansas, several thousand families receive financial aid, on average, for about 11 months, according to Workforce Services statistics. Last fiscal year, the welfare program received $3.6 million in state funds and a whopping $56 million in federal tax dollars.

In our opinion, with that much of our tax dollars being poured into this program we would expect the benefactors to demonstrate some level of responsibility, and by that we mean being drug free. After all, we expect no less from workers in the private sector.

We applaud Rep. Robin Lundstrum, R-Springdale, cosponsor of the legislation that enabled the program, which she publicly said, “I want to see that the money gets into the hands of the truly needy, get it to those kids, whoever is in charge (of the money) needs to be drug free.”

What this program does achieve, regardless of the criticism, is that it holds people accountable.

The interesting aspect of the program is that those welfare recipients and applicants who are referred for drug counseling by state officials will have to find a way to finance their own rehabilitation.

Good for Rep. Lundstrum who went on to say it’s not the responsibility of us, the taxpayers, to pay for drug treatment of those seeking government aid.

“They may have to get treatment, they may have to choose to do that themselves. At some point, we have to have some personal responsibility. We can’t always come back to the taxpayer… Taxpayers are worn out being told they have to pay for this or that,” Lundstrum said, and we can’t agree more.

The time has come, as we’re now experiencing in this heated and controversial presidential race, that the silent majority of Americans are sick and tired, and feed up with the political establishment, the so-called politically correct, career politicians and crony liberal philosophies.

It is time for real change that takes into account the interests of the hard-working, taxpaying middle class of Americans and this latest drug testing program for anyone applying for and receiving government aid is absolutely a step in the right direction.

BIBLE VERSE

Now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?

10:12-13

Deuteronomy