Thursday, June 09, 2011

Florida Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients: My thoughts

So it's been awhile since I had much to say... But something has popped up in the news that is striking up lots of conversation.

The following bill was signed into law by Florida Governor Rick Scott. http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=45214&SessionId=66

Some thoughts/questions I have:
#1. What about the children? This law says that the eligibility of children is not affected by the parent's failed test, and that a "protective payee" will be designated. How is that REALLY going to work? Do the kids go live with a family member or foster care provider? Is that the "protective payee"? It's pretty hard to monetarily care for a child when they aren't in your custody.

#1A. If this is justification to remove a child from their parent's care - how is the foster care system going to handle that? Won't more $$ be put forth in this than in actual welfare provision? How much protection will be provided to the "protective payee's" and the kids from a tripped out addict looking for $$ to feed their binge?

#2. Current drug testing is done on hair follicles, blood, and/or urine. Which one? How is that decided? Urine testing is cheap but hair and blood - not so much. The person will be "reimbursed" the cost of the test - but chances are, if they are applying for welfare - they are going to struggle to pony up the couple hundred bucks for a drug test.

#2A. I would assume, most people would wait until drugs are out of their system - at least by urine testing standards. This means 3-5 days, as most drugs are out of the system by then. Pot only one on urine test after 72 hours. What if they refuse the test and come back later - is that an "admission" of guilt?

#3. What about post positive testing treatment? If the person wasn't smart enough or too scared to wait it out and fail the testing, what then? One would hope that if an agency is going to do this kind of testing there would be treatment provided. This new law "requires department to provide information concerning local substance abuse treatment programs to individual who tests positive" - but if they don't go, who is responsible for following up on that? Most likely, an already overworked, underpaid social worker. Or does this person, with possible mental illness (as addiction IS a mental illness) fall through the cracks?

#4. What about alcohol, cigarettes and Rx medications? Will their be testing for these "drugs" too? I think we can all agree that money spent on these things could be arguable as well.

#5. What about other entitlement programs, Medicare, Medicaid, SSI, SSDI? Do these individuals need to submit to similar testing? Why not? What is it about Welfare recipients that makes them less deserving of nationally funded entitlements?


Some points I have read and my arguments for or against them:

#1. Point: It's a violation of my rights to pay taxes that support their habit. Counterpoint: We all pay taxes for things we don't like, or agree with. It's a violation of my rights to have to pay property taxes to school the kids of other people. I don't have kids - so why does my hard earned money have to go to support the habit of procreation?

#2. Point: They chose to take drugs. It's their own fault that they ended up addicts. Counterpoint: Lots of people make choices that lead them to illness - smokers, obese people... Smokers get lung cancer and everyone rallies to get them a new lung. Fat people with diabetes often can get Medicare (coverage for EVERYTHING) because diabetes trashes the kidneys. (For those that don't know - End Stage Renal Disease AUTOMATICALLY qualifies you for Medicare Disability). No one assumes that when they eat that first double cheese burger, or smoke that first cigarette or pop that first tab of Ecstasy - that they are going to end up with a debilitating disease. It starts as a choice - yes, but it doesn't end up that way.

#3. Point: I have to drug test for my job, drug testing for welfare is the same thing. Counterpoint: For all intents and purposes, where you work is "voluntary". Not all jobs drug test. If yours does and you don't like it - you have other options, you can apply for a different job. People applying for welfare are out of "other" options.

Other thoughts:
~ People addicted to drugs are SICK. It is demonizing a mental illness that requires treatment and understanding - not punishment. Without welfare/Medicaid these people stand ZERO hope of ever getting what they need to get well and live better lives.

~ A benefit of this law - no one can call it a "free ride" anymore. These people will pay in hair, blood or urine to get access to a program that gives them money but always seems to paint them as the scum of the earth - freeloading, drug using, baby making, losers with no ambition but to leech off others.

~ There is so much to think about with this law but the bottom line is that these people AREN'T convicted criminals, which means they deserve the same rights as anyone else. It IS a violation of their civil liberties, as last time I checked - falling on hard times (as is the case with MOST welfare recipients) does not mean you are a criminal who should be stripped of your rights as an American.

~ As some of you know, as I was growing up - my mom was on and off welfare. My mom took that welfare to help me survive and become a good person who has made a better life for herself than ANYONE expected. I studied hard, earned a Bachelor's and a Master's degree and am a hard working, law abiding, tax paying citizen! All because she had the 'means' (a whopping $1000 per month, to my recollection) to keep a roof over my head, clothes on my back and food on our table during those times when she wasn't able to work. I am an example of that system WORKING. Bottom line - without it I would be dead.

Just thought I would get all that down on 'paper'. Please feel free to comment but all I ask is that you remain polite and respectful.

And anyway - I am just sayin'...

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Well, this is sad...

http://encarta.degreesandtraining.com/articles.jsp?article=featured_5_lowest_paying_majors_and_what_you_can_do_about_it&GT1=27001

This article makes me sad. To see the 5 lowest paid majors (and to know that my TWO are BOTH in the bottom) - is so sad.

Most of you know, I am a licensed MSW. I am 6 years post graduation and I work for Genzyme. I still work with an under-served population, advocate for them, and help them attain their optimal health goals, which are all major tenets of social work, but my income is significantly better than the average, still doing social work. As social workers, we empower people to be able to help themselves. If we don't find ways to help OURSELVES, how can we possibly help others? Social work grads need to be CREATIVE in their job searches and how they market themselves! Companies are just DYING to have people with social work skills. Don't believe me - go see how many jobs discuss "excellent communication skills". Social workers TALK and LISTEN. That's the root of our field. I think that gives us EXCEPTIONAL communication skills. There are jobs out there where you can help people and still make a living wage, you just need to look for them. Sadly, it may not be as an adolescent group home therapist or as an outreach worker, but the jobs still matter and you are still using the skills you perfected obtaining that social work degree. Let's face it - most of us need a roof over our heads, food on the table and clothes on our back. 35-40K per year (average MSW new grad salary) barely covers that, never mind paying back the thousands of $$ we all owe in student loans. If we can't empower ourselves to make a "living wage" - how can we expect those we are serving to be able to help THEMSELVES?

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

"You don't have to agree, but you do need to listen..."

So the following is the cause of all of the whining and suspicion and worry by so many parents over the last few weeks since the country learned that President Obama would be delivering a speech to kids today. The speech below says NOTHING about Obama's politics. I sincerely hope that the parents who were concerned took the time to read this last night and sent their kids to school today.

BUT - let's for a second here think about something... what if it DID talk about his political views? What is wrong with children hearing them? Don't people want children to learn to listen to people and think critically about what they have to say?

Many people mentioned that the president is just going to "brainwash" kids. Seriously? Did I miss the mass distribution of sunglasses that allow people to see some hidden message from the aliens who walk among us? And more importantly (insert big gasp here) - is President Obama one of those aliens??? I use this example as a way of illustrating how absurd the notion of brainwashing is - reality not fantasy, people. ("I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass.. and I'm all out of bubblegum.")

This is the first time in my 31+ years that I remember people being this vehemently opposed to a President. Not his ideas or practices, but the man himself. Why? What is so fear/anger inducing about President Obama? I have some ideas, but most center on people being narrow minded...and I don't want to think that. I want to believe that there is some logical reason for their fears. Anyone? Because I have yet to hear anything that is founded in logic and critical thinking.

I wonder if some parents don't value critical thinking, thus don't care if their child can do it. Or even scarier - do some not value education/thinking at all? I believe that may be the point of the President's speech. People in your life may not value education - but this country does. It does reward people who work hard, study hard and contribute to society.

And for the record, (before I get the, "your just an 'O-bot' and want your kids brainwashed by his ideas like you are"), I would feel the same if this was a speech by a GWB, or his Dad, or John McCain... I am not interested in my child becoming a clone of me or my husband. I am interested in raising a child who is a bright individual, who has learned to think critically and can take those thoughts and form opinions of their own. "You don't have to agree, but you do need to listen..."


"Hello everyone - how's everybody doing today? I'm here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we've got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I'm glad you all could join us today.
I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it's your first day in a new school, so it's understandable if you're a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you're in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could've stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.
I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn't have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday - at 4:30 in the morning. Now I wasn't too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I'd fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I'd complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."
So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I'm here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I'm here because I want to talk with you about your education and what's expected of all of you in this new school year.
Now I've given a lot of speeches about education. And I've talked a lot about responsibility.I've talked about your teachers' responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn. I've talked about your parents' responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don't spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox. I've talked a lot about your government's responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren't working where students aren't getting the opportunities they deserve.
And that's what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.
Every single one of you has something you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That's the opportunity an education can provide.
Maybe you could be a good writer - maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper - but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor - maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine - but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.
And no matter what you want to do with your life - I guarantee that you'll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You're going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can't drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You've got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.And this isn't just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.
You'll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You'll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You'll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.
We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don't do that - if you quit on school - you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country.
Now I know it's not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.
I get it. I know what that's like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn't always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn't fit in.
So I wasn't always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I'm not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse. But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn't have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.
Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don't have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there's not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don't feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren't right.
But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life - what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home - that's no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That's no excuse for not trying. Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up. No one's written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future. That's what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.
Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn't speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.I'm thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who's fought brain cancer since he was three. He's endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer - hundreds of extra hours - to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he's headed to college this fall.
And then there's Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she's on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.
Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren't any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.
That's why today, I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education - and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you'll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you'll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you'll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you'll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don't feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.
Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it. I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you're not going to be any of those things.
But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won't love every subject you study. You won't click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won't necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.
That's OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who've had the most failures. JK Rowling's first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
These people succeeded because they understand that you can't let your failures define you - you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn't mean you're a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.
No one's born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You're not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don't hit every note the first time you sing a song. You've got to practice. It's the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it's good enough to hand in.
Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust - a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor - and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.
And even when you're struggling, even when you're discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you - don't ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.
The story of America isn't about people who quit when things got tough. It's about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.
It's the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.
So today, I want to ask you, what's your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?
Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you've got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don't let us down - don't let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America."

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

I only post when I'm pissed... :)

So, in looking for suggestions for a book to read for our next book club - I find this.

http://www.doubledaybookclub.com/ecom/pages/nm/product/productDetail.jsp?skuId=1031635497

The book - whatever. The review - whatever. My problem is the comments below the review that essentially use this space as a platform for spewing their hateful comments about President Obama. No secret to most that I love this guy, but that doesn't matter - in truth, I just don't understand the accusations and hate. Liberal or conservative, socialist or capitalist, muslim or christian, black or white - who cares? Are ANY of these things inherently BAD? Someone also said he wasn't a good leader. Regardless of your opinions on Obama - how can anyone conclusively say he is or isn't a good leader. What does that even mean, anyway?

Now, it is no secret that I am generally aligned with the democrats and most people who know me, know that it's because a woman's right to choose is the deal breaker for me. Most democrats support that, most republicans don't. As far as I can tell, basic republican tenets include minimal involvement of government, ensured individual liberty and fiscal responsibility. How does government denying a woman the right to chose represent ANY of those things? Same with banning same-sex marriage - how does that fit with those basic tenets?

Bottom line - it doesn't. It is a prime example of government being overbearing and robbing people of their own personal rights. Republicans don't stand for it regarding the right to bear arms (a very personal choice loaded with moral responsibility) - why do they support it regarding women or homosexuals?

I believe in the practice of individuals governing themselves - if everyone was responsible and conscientious enough to always do the right thing - morally, ethically and with regard to the safety and well-being of others. Unfortunately, we live in a society where no one gives a shit about something, unless it affects them. "I'm not gay - why do I care if they can marry?" Yeah - but what if your daughter or son is? How would you feel if someone denied THEM the right to marry whomever it is they chose. "I would never chose to have an abortion." Really? What if you lose your job/home? What if being pregnant means you cannot receive life-saving treatments? What if that baby will be born with an ailment that is "incompatible with life"? What if you are raped or molested? There are too many "what ifs" for ANYONE to say they would 'NEVER' do something.

The way I see it, you have to take care of #1. Obviously. No one else is responsible for you. BUT. Once #1 is taken care of - why shouldn't someone look out for the rights and well-being of others? Republicans today are largely Christian. Isn't one of the 10 commandments to "love thy neighbor"? And doesn't that mean supporting them in their times of need? It isn't socialism, people, its being a good person.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Warning: Tough Feelings Discussed Below

Sometimes I wonder if you can truly ever let something go... For example, something bad happens to you. You lose something or someone. If what you've lost is important to you, then it takes some time to get over. Some people do, some people don't and some people fake it really well. For most, you probably hurt, then you start pretending things are ok (usually because of some stupid social norm about how you should be responding), and then you realize you aren't putting any effort into pretending anymore, because things really are ok.

So why do things come back to haunt you? I really wish I could understand why something that happened so long ago, something that you believe you have let go of can just come back and kick you in the gut. In my case, it usually kicks me in the gut, gives me a Stone Cold Stunner, and then proceeds to kick me while I am down.

Yesterday, I decided to talk about the loss I experienced with someone I am becoming friends with. In truth, when we were done talking, I really felt ok about it. I wasn't anxious or weepy. Well, my unconscious self, apparently, did not feel ok with it. I had nightmares about the person I lost and it was awful.

Today hasn't gotten much better. Not directly related to the situation discussed last night, but it's like the fates are pissed at me or something. Maybe I am being tested - how much can she handle?

All this angst will fade and I will be fine again. But today? Things aren't so good...

Sunday, November 09, 2008

So... Twilight.

Have you read it? It's by Stephenie Meyer and is a wonderful story. I have heard that people are comparing this series to Harry Potter, and I can see why. Now, I am not saying it is bettter... It's just equally as good in a different way. The movie comes out on 11/21. I am pretty sure I will be buying tix ahead of time and getting their early.

I don't want to give anything away - but there are vampires and that makes it cool enough to at least check it out.

OK - back to reading. Bought the rest of the books today. On page 130 of Book 2 already. So far, not as good as the first, but I may change my mind.

Hope you're all well. I will write again when I have something interesting to write about.

Love and hugs...

Monday, October 20, 2008

Tears for Tek

So, as most of you know - I love Tek, but I am not one of those girls that goes Ga-Ga over him. However - he is the face of the Sox, IMO, and this just broke my heart and made me incredibly sad.


http://www.necn.com/Boston/Sports/Varitek-emotional-over-Red-Sox-future/1224481764.html

We love you Tek, even though your bat's been sleepy - you help make the pitching staff the best they can be... Look what happened when Schill shook you off - bad things!!! Good catchers are hard to find. Let's hope you can find a way to stay here... We love you. In Tek we trust!!!