They don't drug test on SNAP Benifits, because everytime the GOP tries to pass a bill to do so, the ways and means committee reminds them that it would more than double the cost of the SNAP program to pay for even the most lenient drug testing. But they do try every few years.

They would rather pay more than the entire program already, to get those filty poors off assistance.

Also some fun facts, most SNAP recipients are children, most are white, and most make enough money to no longer need assistance in under 5 years, at which point they are back to paying taxes. Which pays for SNAP. Making the system quite self- sustaining. It's cost is minuscule to tax payers, and yet it's a constant wedge issue, why? Because of America's greatest fear, that if we do something that benefits people, we might accidently help the wrong people. People who aren't even white.

[–] jaspersgroove@lemm.ee 55 points 4 months ago (1 children)

They tried it in florida and 96% of recipients passed…but not before the state spent $400,000 in taxpayer money with the drug testing company…that had the governors wife on its board of directors

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

not before the state spent $400,000 in taxpayer money with the drug testing company

Honestly, given Rick Scott's reputation for bilking Medicare into the billions, this is one of the smallest tier scams I've heard of in Florida. They didn't even take the state for a full seven figures (unless, of course, the number is being drastically under-reported which is always a possibility).

[–] jaspersgroove@lemm.ee 4 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

It stopped at $400,000 because the state Supreme Court ruled the law unconstitutional and put a stop to the whole operation. He’d have made tens of millions if not more otherwise.

[–] Cosmonauticus@lemmy.world 33 points 4 months ago

Because of America's greatest fear, that if we do something that benefits people, we might accidently help the wrong people. People who aren't even white.

You just explained how unions fell apart, pensions stopped being a thing, schools lost funding, college education went up, and social safety nets disappeared.

I constantly come back to this quote from LBJ

"If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you."

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 17 points 4 months ago (1 children)

The point is not the cost. It's the cruelty.

[–] BubbleMonkey@slrpnk.net 10 points 4 months ago

It’s often both because funneling! Yay!

[–] electric_nan@lemmy.ml 5 points 4 months ago

Aaaannndd... It is also a kind of subsidy to US agribiz.