HIGH OFFICE?

Drug Testing Proposed For Palm Beach County Commissioners

The buzz around the Palm Beach County Commission offices at the
Governmental Center on Monday was all about drugs. With various degrees of
seriousness, commissioners reacted with irritation and humor to their
chairman's suggestion that they all be subject to random drug and alcohol
tests.

Commissioner Warren Newell was prepared. Visitors to his office got to
inspect a Styrofoam cup filled with yellow liquid. It looked more like
Mountain Dew than urine, and actually was dishwashing soap.

In case that doesn't fully convey his feelings about the notion of drug
testing commissioners, Newell said he doesn't think it's a good idea.

"This is not something I think is germane for the job. Where do you stop?"
he said. "Even though I operated forklifts [to help with recovery efforts]
in the hurricanes, we're [commissioners] not operating heavy equipment."

The idea came from Commission Chairman Tony Masilotti.

"Considering a number of Palm Beach County employees are subject to random
drug and alcohol testing, I recommend the same random testing for our board
members as we certainly want to hold ourselves to the same high standards,"
Masilotti wrote in a memorandum Friday to County Administrator Bob Weisman.

He told Weisman to see whether any elected officials "have a problem with
participating in a random drug and alcohol test twice a year." Assuming no
objections, he directed Weisman to schedule the topic for a July commission
meeting.

Masilotti was en route to represent the county at a major biotechnology
industry convention in Philadelphia and could not be reached for comment
Monday afternoon.

Weisman held individual meetings with several commissioners on Monday but
declined to summarize their feelings on testing. "I don't want to
characterize those discussions," he said.

In a late afternoon memo to commissioners, Weisman wrote that there were
"difficult implications" involved with testing of commissioners, including
the need to obtain voluntary consent of each one, how to handle and process
test results, and the county's recourse if any came back positive.

He said he wouldn't place the topic on a commission agenda unless he's
directed to do so at a commission meeting.

"I think it's ridiculous, but I'd be willing to do it," Commissioner Mary
McCarty said.

Commissioner Karen Marcus said she, too, would go through drug testing if
needed. "They can test me away."

However, she said she was "clearly not happy at the tactic" by Masilotti.
She said his suggestion that all commissioners take drug tests because he
was asked whether he had a problem was not the response of a good leader.

"The way he responds at something that's pointed at him and throws it at
the entire board, it's a leadership issue," Marcus said. "The answer to the
question is 'yes or no I have a drug problem.' End of discussion.

"This has not come out of some thoughtful deliberation. ... This has come
because the chairman was asked if he had a drug problem and now he wants us
all to get drug tested. He's reacting."

McCarty said if Masilotti were serious about drug and alcohol testing, he
would get tested right away and not wait until after his proposed
discussion at an unspecified time in July. "I don't know why he wants to wait."

"Commissioner Masilotti's behavior has been called into question. Before he
starts looking to attack his fellow commissioners, he ought to furnish his
own medical records to substantiate what he's said about having pinkeye and
four back surgeries to start with," McCarty said.

Commissioner Burt Aaronson said commissioners should be held to the same
standard -- no higher, no lower -- than other county employees.

Weisman said about 400 of the 6,000 employees under the County Commission
are subject to random drug and alcohol testing. The testing applies to
operators of heavy vehicles and equipment or vehicles that carry 16 or more
passengers.

State law exempts fire-rescue employees from such testing, Weisman said.

Aaronson said a drug test would show prescription medications for various
health issues, including cholesterol medication.

Aaronson said he was concerned that the discussion wouldn't engender
confidence in the commission. "I'm concerned for the citizens of the
county. I don't want them to perceive the County Commission as being a
vindictive or a comical group of people. I hope we can put this all aside."