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This is already in effect in my state. With so many school hours or a child under 5 you are exempt from the community service. I'm sure most college students wouldn't be required.

A lot of those needing community service hours complete them at my work place.

I LOVE this idea! Especially the drug testing!!!

I am 1000% a fan of drug testing in order to receive public assistance. @Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I would say yes, they are less entitled to privacy. There is a trade off, and if they don't want to make it, then they don't have to take public assistance. I think the difference between processed foods/soda/etc and drugs is that one is legal and one isn't.

I waver on the community service requirement, on one hand it seems like a good idea that you have to give in order to get back, but on the other hand, once you apply all the exemptions, who is left? I tend to think if you want to spend your time giving back, great, but it should be something everyone gets something out of.

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: No one complains out loud to me. I'm sure they aren't thrilled. I've met a few honest and hardworking people that are down on their luck and don't mind.

Honestly most of them show up 2 days and don't come back because they just don't want to work. I think they should honestly. Most of them are only required 100 hours a month. That's the MOST hours I've seen required. If they don't have a job (none of them do) that still provide them enough time to look for one and they are giving back to the community while getting paid benefits. It only seems fair, especially since mothers with young children and those going to school are exempt.

If you're not raising your kids (honestly if you are on benefits you can't afford day care. That's 100% fair) or going to school you should have to work for the money. Nothing comes for free.
I've not met any people who have jobs and are on benefits, so I imagine they are exempt from the community service too.

Only those without jobs are required seems like.

The drug testing is silly because it is going to cause the state to LOSE money, not save it. When this has been implemented in the past, the state spent far more money on the drug testing than they saved on not giving the people on drugs welfare, because the percentage of people that tested positive was so small. Good idea in theory, but not in practice. When Florida did this only 2% of people tested positive for drugs, and the state lost 28k-43k a month!

I do like the idea of community service though. Even college students should be able to find some time to spare for that - they're being given money, I agree with the idea of having to work for it.

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I don't think using drugs (aka breaking the law) is an right of privacy. Just like for my job, I can't use drugs and they shouldn't be able to either.

@Mrs. Jacks: I agree many are not likely on drugs, but many still are. I think this is a good way to weed out those that are abusing the system and leaving resources for those that really need them.

Also, children most often are still entiled to their benefits like WIC even if the parents are denied resource for drugs.

@MrsSCB: I see these people every day...I have to sadly say 90% of them are just lazy and don't want to work. 10% of them are really struggling and need help. I feel bad for those who are down on their luck but most of them are just sorry.

@T.H.O.U.: not many are, at least according to he testing programs that have been implemented. 8+% are drug users in the general population and 2% in the govt assistance population.

Why not test college student on federal aid, small business owners getting federal small business grants and congress people who are paid by the government? Welfare recipients are singled out because they are poor, vulnerable and stereotyped as lazy good for nothing drug users-- which research does not bear out. Most "welfare" users (I think the number is 90%) use the programs as intended. I know that beloved people in my life have had to use them and have subsequently vastly improved their lives... Just as intended.

The numbers just don't bear out the individual perceptions of some of the folks here about those who use these programs.

And I would not be where I am in my life without the support of government programs like these. When I was younger I had to use the universal lifeline phone service (some people call it obamaphone now), heating assistance, federal student loans and lots of other support. I'm not sure drug testing me would have been a good use of funds!

I do know that because of the boost I got using such programs, I have been able to give back in taxes, service etc. I think he government made a great investment in me!

@Dandelion: Two women have actually become full time employees that started off as community service workers for us. They're really good workers.

@T.H.O.U.: Maybe? I guess it would depend on the community service - if it did, then it might not be such a bad idea. So many people on food stamps are already working then, so I don't know when they would have time to do community service.

@Danizaur: well there have been numerous studies showing the myth of the "welfare queen" is just that - a myth. Most people on public assistance don't want to be on it. Many are working multiple jobs and still don't make enough to feed their children. Do people ever take advantage? Of course. People take advantage of every system. But personally I'm not willing to demonize the majority who need it because of the minority who abuse it.

@Dandelion: And help them make connections with other community members. We all know its all about networking to get jobs!

I'm a practical person... if there were a problem with drug usage among recipients of public assistance, then by all means, I'd want to solve it with mandatory drug testing.

But everything I've read says that there isn't a problem here. So I'm not sure why we're considering investing all this money in drug testing... unless we're trying to discourage people from tapping public assistance at all.

I always find it interesting how so many studies have shown that the majority of people are not taking advantage and yet everyone's anecdotal evidence is "people on welfare are lazy drug users."

@Mrs. Jacks: that is a great point. I bet the people taking advantage are more likely to speak up and brag about gaming the system while the people who really need it are too embarrassed to be open about it. Maybe that explains why the welfare queen myth lives on.

@MrsSCB: I totally get what you're saying. It isn't fair to categorize everyone together. BUT from my personal experience, most of them are taking advantage. Unfortunately. And those who aren't are willing to work. They aren't humiliated. They are dressed like any other employee and do the same work.

And this could just be my state that most of them are taking advantage. I which case, it's a good thing we are already implementing community service.