who does and doesn't get tested ?

[spectrumc01]

I don't have an answer for this so if anyone knows please fill me in. I know the military is and certain private industries drug test. Do politicians get drug tested? What jobs out there do get drug tested? I wonder how they determine who does and who doesn't get tested. I would find it funny that we test all of these professions and yet the people that actually run things in our government don't get tested.

 

[California Girl]

Personally, I think anyone funded by taxpayers should be tested and fired if they fail. When I say anyone funded by taxpayers, I include welfare recipients, and all government employees.

Private companies are entitled to test or not as they see fit.

 

[dblack]

I don't have an answer for this so if anyone knows please fill me in. I know the military is and certain private industries drug test. Do politicians get drug tested? What jobs out there do get drug tested? I wonder how they determine who does and who doesn't get tested. I would find it funny that we test all of these professions and yet the people that actually run things in our government don't get tested.

I suspect there's very little rhyme or reason to it. I know from personal experience the distribution is laughable. In software, I've never been tested - even though at times I was working on programs used in national security efforts. Ironically, drug tests seem to be most common for low-paying jobs where very little is at stake. On the other hand, I've never heard of doctors getting drug tested, people who literally hold our lives in their hands.

 

[AVG-JOE]

I can tell you from personal experience that the branch of government I work for does NOT test employees unless there is a work-place accident. Note that I'm in a non-security related field office and there was a full-on FBI finger-print background check prior to employment, which I obviously passed.

I can also tell you that every private sector job I've had since 1990 has tested me prior to employment.

My humble opinion? Regular periodic and or random testing should be required for SSI, welfare, medicaid and food stamps. And SSI for kids should be predicated on testing for all adults living in the house.

Pre & post employment testing should be left to the company doing the hiring. It is cheaper than a background check.

 

[zzzz]

All government employees should be subject to drug testing. Yet almost none are unless there is an accident. The people in power do not want to subject themselves to the indignity of the process more than being a user of drugs. They would rather inflict that indignity upon the citizens. We see the same elitism with health care and other issues. Personally I think that if Congress passes rules and laws they should be subject to them as well.

 

[dblack]

Personally, I think the fact that we're so worried about our neighbors' personal habits that we're poking around in each other's urine is insane.

 

[AVG-JOE]

Personally, I think the fact that we're so worried about our neighbors' personal habits that we're poking around in each other's urine is insane.

True, but if you neighbor becomes your employee or a ward of the taxpayer, doesn't that give the employer and the taxpayers a certain responsibility?

Note that I do NOT favor testing to draw retirement benefits or Medicare, both of which are paid for by the recipient.

 

[dblack]

True, but if you neighbor becomes your employee or a ward of the taxpayer, doesn't that give the employer and the taxpayers a certain responsibility?

Sure, but I've never really seen a situation where knowing the chemical contents of another person's body was necessary to make that kind of judgement. I don't have a problem with other people volunteering for such humiliating intrusion - if that's what they have to do to find work - but I do think it's degrading and virtually useless as a mechanism to ensure quality work.

 

[martybegan]

Drug testing should be limited to jobs where a persons use represents either:

1. an immidiate danger to life and health
2. a serious breach of ethics and/or creating legal issues


So construction workers, truck drivers, firemen, miners, etc, which fall into the first catagory, where use could result in death or injury while operating equipment.

The second catagory includes cops, prosecutors, and any law enforcement. Thier use is not only hypocrisy, but could lead to legal challenges to any crime they were involved in stopping, investigating or arresting.

Anyone else? Its up to the company, but personally I dont see much harm in the receptionist at my companies front desk lighting up a joint after work, as long as she shows up and does her job.

 

[Big Black Dog]

I was a Sergeant (Supervisor) on the guard force at a nuclear power plant for over 10 years before I retired. We used to get drug and alcohol tested randomly very often. It was all part of the job. I have no problems with drug and alcohol testing. If you do not indulge in illegal drug use, being drug tested should be of no concern to you and understood for what it is intended to do and that is to rid the work place of those kind of hazards. Seems like the people who always complain about drug testing are the people who have very "liberal" views of drug use and most likely are the ones the testing is aimed at removing from the workplace.

 

[dblack]

If you do not indulge in illegal drug use, being drug tested should be of no concern to you and understood for what it is intended to do and that is to rid the work place of those kind of hazards. Seems like the people who always complain about drug testing are the people who have very "liberal" views of drug use and most likely are the ones the testing is aimed at removing from the workplace.

Ahh, yes. "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear."

 

[California Girl]

If you do not indulge in illegal drug use, being drug tested should be of no concern to you and understood for what it is intended to do and that is to rid the work place of those kind of hazards. Seems like the people who always complain about drug testing are the people who have very "liberal" views of drug use and most likely are the ones the testing is aimed at removing from the workplace.

Ahh, yes. "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear."

When our neighbor is taking our money (in welfare), we have every right - nay, a duty - to ensure that our money is spent keeping him and his family, not on drugs or alcohol. It's not rocket science.

 

[dblack]

When our neighbor is taking our money (in welfare), we have every right - nay, a duty - to ensure that our money is spent keeping him and his family, not on drugs or alcohol. It's not rocket science.

I'll repeat this question again: Would you accept similar provisions around utilizing public education? Should parents give up their rights to privacy in exchange for taking 'your' money in the form of free education for their children? Does the possibility that your tax dollars are being spent to educate their children give you the right to tell them how to live?

 

[percysunshine]

If the USMB tested posters, who would fail?

 

[martybegan]

If the USMB tested posters, who would fail?

Me, but just for pot every once and a while. Pot is the diet coke of drugs.

 

[martybegan]

When our neighbor is taking our money (in welfare), we have every right - nay, a duty - to ensure that our money is spent keeping him and his family, not on drugs or alcohol. It's not rocket science.

I'll repeat this question again: Would you accept similar provisions around utilizing public education? Should parents give up their rights to privacy in exchange for taking 'your' money in the form of free education for their children? Does the possibility that your tax dollars are being spent to educate their children give you the right to tell them how to live?

Bit of a strawman argument, since said parents are currently (usually) paying into the system. The issue of testing welfare/food stamp recipients is more along the lines of making sure what we are paying for is being used properly. Welfare and such are direct payments to individuals, made by the state (people) in the hopes said people do not starve/die of exposure. The purpose is not to further thier current lifestyle, i.e. drug use, but to prevent thier corpse from being on the street, to the detriment of the rest of society.

In that case, asking them to not use said funds for drugs is a completely reasonable request. In the case of public education, there is not direct layout of funds, it s a service provided, one which taxpayers pay for.

 

[Ravi]

Note that I do NOT favor testing to draw retirement benefits or Medicare, both of which are paid for by the recipient.

What if they were previously employed and paid taxes before they found themselves applying for temporary help....would you give them a pass?

What about people that receive help from FEMA?

How about those that receive earned income tax credits?

And what about those that get a mortgage deduction off of their taxes?

Should they all be drug tested as well?

 

[Luissa]

Unless there is reason, or suspicion of drug use they people who work for the government or receive aid should not be tested.
I do agree with the way our city tests, unless you operate vehicles/equipment you only get tested if there is suspicion. When I worked for them, we got tested upon hiring and had random tests because we drove city trucks etc.

 

[Luissa]

Note that I do NOT favor testing to draw retirement benefits or Medicare, both of which are paid for by the recipient.

What if they were previously employed and paid taxes before they found themselves applying for temporary help....would you give them a pass?

What about people that receive help from FEMA?

How about those that receive earned income tax credits?

And what about those that get a mortgage deduction off of their taxes?

Should they all be drug tested as well?

Yep! We need to start treating everyone like criminals.

 

[Ringel05]

who does and doesn't get tested ?

I was tested. They tell me I'm at least 1/2 human maybe more.