Pubdate: Sat, 27 Feb 2010
Source: Anchorage Daily News (AK)
Copyright: 2010 The Anchorage Daily News
Contact:  http://www.adn.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/18

SINGLED OUT

Keller's bill on drug testing raises too many questions

Rep. Wes Keller of Wasilla wants the state to require  both random and
suspicion-based drug testing on adults  who apply for public
assistance, and require treatment  for those who fail two tests. His
bill raises too many  issues -- privacy, just what constitutes a basis
of  suspicion for testing, why applicants of public  assistance are
being singled out, and just how to  define what level of alcohol
consumption interferes  with a recipient's ability to get and hold a
job.

There also are questions of costs, training and cost  effectiveness --
just how successful would such a  program be in reducing or preventing
substance abuse  and all its attendant evils -- domestic violence,
child  abuse and neglect and petty crime? If the state  mandates
treatment, are enough treatment programs  available?

And is it fair to single out welfare recipients? In his  sponsor
statement, Keller writes:

"The cost of substance abuse in Alaska is staggering.  Crime, child
abuse, broken homes, domestic violence,  cost of business, auto and
industrial accidents, poor  productivity, chronic health problems all
have a causal  relationship with substance abuse. It is irrational to
expect the government to provide compassionate  assistance without
giving it the ability to identify  substance abuse problems."

You could make the same statement and substitute  Permanent Fund
dividend checks for compassionate  assistance -- "It is irrational to
expect the  government to issue Permanent Fund dividend checks
without giving it the ability to identify substance  abuse problems."

Ask social service providers and others who work with  troubled
families about how they brace themselves when  the dividend checks go
out each fall, and they see  spikes in substance abuse, spousal abuse
and child  neglect.

Rep. Keller argues that public assistance is voluntary,  so he sees no
problem with mandatory testing. Well, so  is the dividend program
voluntary. No one must apply  for a dividend check. Shall we randomly
test PFD  applicants? Alaskans wouldn't stand for a such a  program.
Why should poor Alaskans stand for this one?  Like Rep. Keller, we'd
like to see an end to substance  abuse in Alaska. Like Rep. Keller, we
don't want to see  public money spent to feed toxic habits that
multiply  individual, family and social misery.

But even he grants the bill needs work. Reworked with  tighter
definitions, any bill must meet the fundamental  test of fairness.

Rep. Keller said he wants to provide the Department of  Health and
Social Services another tool to reduce both  substance abuse and abuse
of public money. This bill  looks more like an invitation to
litigation than the  right tool for the job.

BOTTOM LINE: Goal of Keller's bill is worthy; the means  raise too
many issues. 
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D