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Aug. 25th, 2011 07:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gwydion* In Florida, they are now testing every single person on public assistance for drugs. This is meant to be another example of "small government" and "saving money." After all the huge amount of money spent on all this unnecessary and intrusive government testing of individuals who are not suspected of crimes goes right into the coffers of a company belonging to a friend of Governor Rick Scott, so it doesn't count, right? Remember, corporations and CEOs are people, but humans aren't so it's not like it's possible to infringe on their civil rights.
Small government my hairy ass.
The stated justification for this huge intrusion on the right to privacy at taxpayers expense was justified as because "people on Welfare are more likely to do drugs than other people" according to the Governor. Except the policy's been in place over a month and only 2% of welfare recipients use drugs as opposed to an estimated 8.7% of all US residents. This estimation is likely very low, while the 2.0% is a hard verifiable number. It's logical really. Drugs cost money, and folks on assistance are by definition below the poverty line. As the justification for this expensive and intrusive policy is factually untrue are there any plans to stop? Hell no. After all, Governor Scott friend is making buckets of money on the deal and it's not like anyone that matters to Republicans are being demeaned, humiliated, and inconvenienced.
I meant to write this rant yesterday, but frankly, I got distracted by Libya.
* They are now expecting the hurricane to cut through populated areas in the north East as well as the usual more southerly states. They have already had a foot of rain in Philadelphia and the storm was still in the Florida area when I wrote this. Candles, bottled, water, a go bag with necessities, and flashlights are recommended for folks as far north as Boston and they are still deciding which areas they may need to evacuate. They are evacuating some Coastal areas in the Carolinas and the Jersey shore. As I wrote this, they had not decided what to do with New York, but Mayor Bloomberg has called for the evacuation of old age homes in low lieing areas. Sounds wise to me.
Stay safe folks.
* I haven't forgotten Libya, where heavy fighting continues in Loyalist held areas. Nor have I forgotten the folks in Syria, but I hadn't time today to properly follow events closely. Apologies.
* I forgot to mention yesterday they found another moon of Pluto.
* I feel like such an addict. I'm now bargaining with the nice lady in Anacortes for the purchase of a pound of huckleberry tea next month, enough to carry me over the Winter, enough to put tasty samples in tea swaps to share the rich strong flavours with others. I know it's a lot of tea at once, but it's so much cheaper in bulk.
* Shelley and Byron: http://beatonna.livejournal.com/150444.html
* Deusabscondum will be here any minute, so I'll likely be off until tomorrow night.
Small government my hairy ass.
The stated justification for this huge intrusion on the right to privacy at taxpayers expense was justified as because "people on Welfare are more likely to do drugs than other people" according to the Governor. Except the policy's been in place over a month and only 2% of welfare recipients use drugs as opposed to an estimated 8.7% of all US residents. This estimation is likely very low, while the 2.0% is a hard verifiable number. It's logical really. Drugs cost money, and folks on assistance are by definition below the poverty line. As the justification for this expensive and intrusive policy is factually untrue are there any plans to stop? Hell no. After all, Governor Scott friend is making buckets of money on the deal and it's not like anyone that matters to Republicans are being demeaned, humiliated, and inconvenienced.
I meant to write this rant yesterday, but frankly, I got distracted by Libya.
* They are now expecting the hurricane to cut through populated areas in the north East as well as the usual more southerly states. They have already had a foot of rain in Philadelphia and the storm was still in the Florida area when I wrote this. Candles, bottled, water, a go bag with necessities, and flashlights are recommended for folks as far north as Boston and they are still deciding which areas they may need to evacuate. They are evacuating some Coastal areas in the Carolinas and the Jersey shore. As I wrote this, they had not decided what to do with New York, but Mayor Bloomberg has called for the evacuation of old age homes in low lieing areas. Sounds wise to me.
Stay safe folks.
* I haven't forgotten Libya, where heavy fighting continues in Loyalist held areas. Nor have I forgotten the folks in Syria, but I hadn't time today to properly follow events closely. Apologies.
* I forgot to mention yesterday they found another moon of Pluto.
* I feel like such an addict. I'm now bargaining with the nice lady in Anacortes for the purchase of a pound of huckleberry tea next month, enough to carry me over the Winter, enough to put tasty samples in tea swaps to share the rich strong flavours with others. I know it's a lot of tea at once, but it's so much cheaper in bulk.
* Shelley and Byron: http://beatonna.livejournal.com/150444.html
* Deusabscondum will be here any minute, so I'll likely be off until tomorrow night.