GOP eyes drug abuse, welfare link
Bill would require random testing
By Jessica Fargen | Saturday, April 23, 2011 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Politics
Some Bay State welfare recipients with a history of drug abuse would be randomly tested for dope under one of several proposed GOP crackdowns on lax oversight that’s let some on the dole buy smokes, booze, lingerie and Lottery tickets.
“People want to make sure their money is being spent correctly,” said state Rep. F. Jay Barrows (R-Mansfield), who filed a bill that would require random drug testing for welfare recipients with prior drug convictions and a study of how widespread the problem is.
“Right now, we don’t track any of this. People are madder than hell now with what they pay for gas. We look at all these things going up, and we want to get the best bang for the taxpayers’ buck.”
Those testing positive could be kicked off the welfare rolls, unless they get help for their addiction. About 450,000 households receive cash or food stamps from the Department of Transitional Assistance.
“If we aren’t making an effort to try to get them off of drugs, we’re effectively subsidizing that lifestyle,” said co-sponsor state Rep. Bradley H. Jones (R-North Reading), who is House Minority Leader.
The bill is among several filed this year targeting welfare abuse. The Herald has reported that Bay State welfare recipients have played slots and purchased pet supplies and flat-screen TVs with benefit money. Nationally, 30 states are considering bills to require drug testing to access public assistance, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Among the proposals before the Legislature:
• A bill by state Rep. Daniel B. Winslow (R-Norfolk) would set up a program requiring those seeking benefits to disclose credit limits and assets such as homes and boats, as well as the kind of car they drive and whether they face drug charges.
“If you have two cars and a snowmobile, then you aren’t poor,” Winslow said. “If we do this, we will be able to preserve our limited resources for those who are truly in need and weed out fraud, because we know there’s fraud and we’re not looking for it.”
• State Rep. Nicholas Boldyga (R-Southwick) has filed a bill to set up a panel to study random drug and alcohol testing for people on or applying for assistance.
• State Rep. Daniel K. Webster (R-Pembroke) filed a budget amendment requiring the state to verify immigration status of those seeking public benefits.
“This is not personal,” Webster said. “This is not that we don’t like illegals or poor people. This is all unsustainable and the system is being abused.”
The House will debate the amendment next week. A similar measure was defeated last year.
The GOP proposals drew fire from immigrant and recovery advocates.
State Sen. Steven Tolman, (D-Brighton) said Barrows’ plan seemed “misdirected and mean-spirited.”
“It looks like they want to cut the lifeline rather than talk about the real level of addiction that is out there and try to get it under control,” Tolman said.
Barrows said he hoped to “help break the addiction and drive people in the right direction.”
Eva Millona, director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, said the state already has a rigorous verification system.
“This appears to be an attack toward undocumented immigrants,” she said.
But fiscal conservatives cheered the GOP measures.
“Could the reason they are on public assistance be because of a drug dependency? I think that would be a great idea to find out,” said Plymouth Rock Tea Partier Michael Petrell. “Let’s find out if they could get off drugs, could they get off public assistance? It makes sense to me.”
The budget signed by Gov. Deval Patrick last year included stepped-up measures to verify immigration status, a spokeswoman said. “We are currently reviewing the bill sponsored by Barrows and are committed to working with the Legislature to ensure that all of our public assistance programs are run efficiently and are free from abuse,” said Paulette Song of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1332687
