>The New York Times / September 27, 2011 >Florida: Few Drug Users Among Welfare Applicants > By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
>Preliminary figures compiled under a new state law requiring drug tests for >welfare applicants show that they are less likely than other people to use >drugs, not more. The results have prompted Carl Hiaasen, the Florida columnist >and author, to suggest that the people who came up with the law should be the >ones submitting specimens. Mr. Hiaasen, saying “there is a certain public >interest in going after hypocrisy,” has offered to pay for drug testing for >all 160 members of the Florida Legislature. The figures show that about 2.5 >percent of up to 2,000 applicants for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families >have tested positive since the law went into effect in July. An additional 2 >percent declined to take the test. The Justice Department estimates that 6 >percent of Americans 12 and older use illegal drugs. Gov. Rick Scott, a >Republican, and other supporters of the law say the tests will save money by >weeding out people who would use welfare money to buy drugs. < -- Jim Devine / "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante. _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
