DIALOGUE ABOUT DRUG TESTING BILL SHOULD CONTINUE

Ohio Sen. Tim Schaffer recently introduced a bill that would
establish drug-testing requirements for adults who receive public aid
in the forms of cash, medical, housing, food or energy assistance.
Schaffer said taxpayers' money used to help those in need should be
spent on necessities, such as food and clothing, and not squandered on drugs.

This proposed bill has been hotly debated throughout the past week.
Readers commented on the Tribune's online story, and there have been
numerous discussions around dinner tables and water coolers.

Those on both sides of the issue are passionate. Some say this is
long overdue; others see it as an invasion of privacy. But at the end
of the day, this proposed bill appears to be an extension of a
program already in place that requires a commitment from those
receiving cash assistance.

Ohio Works First program went into effect in 1997, as a reform
measure shifting the 60-year-old welfare system from an entitlement
to one of work. It replaced the Aid to Families With Dependent
Children, and participants must sign a contract that details their
responsibilities before receiving cash assistance. The program
requires a single parent to work 35 hours per week and two parents in
a single household work 35 to 55 hours per week, and there are
limitations on how long an individual or family can receive this assistance.

Schaffer's proposed bill takes this commitment a step further and is
aimed at stopping those who abuse the system.

Schaffer said the question of who will pay for the testing will be
answered in committee. And there are other questions. If an
individual tests positive, will those results be turned over to law
enforcement? Can criminal charges be filed?

We encourage residents to ask questions and to continue the dialogue
this proposal has started.

One of the guiding principles of Ohio Works First is personal
responsibility. Individuals and families must have the opportunity to
succeed on their own.

People can only be self-sufficient when they are able to make their
own decisions and take responsibility for their future. And that only
can happen when they are drug-free.