Florida legislators should be drug tested – for wasting taxpayer dollars

Florida Governor Rick Scott signed into law a bill this week that requires persons in the state receiving welfare benefits to undergo drug testing before they are given their cash.

Upon signing, he said: “The goal of this is to make sure we don’t waste taxpayers’ money. …And hopefully more people will focus on not using illegal drugs.”

Obviously, the law raises legal questions and the ACLU has indicated they might challenge its legality. We will see in the coming weeks.

But back to Scott. If you’ve followed the new governor’s trajectory since coming into office – one he bought with about $100 million of his own money (although many Floridians are at fault: they voted for the asshole) – we have found out from a very recent poll that he might be the least popular governor in the country. His approval ratings, right here in his home state, are W-Bush-like – under 30%.

I’m not surprised. Scott came into office with a shady business record (and that’s saying it nicely). Florida’s Thief (sorry, I mean Chief) Executive Officer, while leading an HMO he created, paid the highest fine ever levied (well, his company did) for sticking it to the government. Yep, these guys were some of the original Medicare scammers… He’s now our governor.

It’s his quote that gets me, though. Making “sure we don’t waste taxpayers’ money…”

If that’s the case I propose we drug test (and in the process check out the alcohol intake) of every single legislator in Tallahassee. Might as well take it to Washington, too. Remember these folks play Monopoly with our tax dollars, while also paying themselves. And if that is not enough, they then take lobbyists’ dollars, lunches, gifts, trips et al so that they can later serve them with sweet as sugar votes – in their favor, and usually to the detriment of most Florida residents.

Wasting taxpayer dollars, Governor? Start with the elected officials. Include yourself, by the way.

Alvaro F. Fernandez