Pubdate: Tue, 17 Feb 2015
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 2015 The Washington Post Company
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/mUgeOPdZ
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Author: Elise Cleva
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n095/a11.html

DRUG-TESTING THE POOR HURTS US ALL

Thanks to Catherine Rampell for exposing in her Feb. 13 op-ed column, 
"Drug tests for everyone," the hypocrisy of governors and legislators 
who want to test those who receive public funds and benefits. 
Targeting the poor and the most vulnerable for drug testing has 
proved that it costs more to do the testing than to pay the benefit. 
Not a prudent use of taxpayer money.

However, we can be certain that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) and 
politicians of his political bent will not be targeting those (the 
top 20 percent) claiming tax breaks, although doing so could, as Ms. 
Rampell says, "produce a huge windfall."

Bullying and intimidating the poorest with drug testing is nothing 
more than a way for politicians to establish their conservative bona 
fides, and it is certainly not the path to follow for weeding out 
those receiving the biggest public subsidies.

Elise Cleva, Arlington
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom