Fine'em Danno!

Schools throughout Massachusetts are about to open within a few weeks, and with that comes the nervousness of getting the right clothes, making sure the right Trapper Keeper is bought (OK, maybe not a Trapper Keeper, but whatever the kids are using these days to keep their paperwork organized), the right shoes/ sneakers, and, of course, the perfect hairstyle or haircut.

The other nervousness, that exists with the parents that are allowing their child to ride the school bus to and from school.  

My nervousness is of a different kind; it's for the kids crossing the streets and drivers too busy on their cellphone, eating, arguing with children in the backseat that don't see the bus's flashing STOP sign.

Too many times have I seen this scenario play out on Main Street, and the many side streets throughout Worcester.

Well, maybe we can borrow a piece of technology from Medford, Quincy, and Seekonk who've outfitted a few school buses with video cameras that records the violaters as they drive by the flashing STOP sign.

In reading this article posted on Boston.com:

Cameras mounted behind the bus’s extended stop-sign arm capture vehicle license plates of any traffic coming from both directions on the street. Video images are then fed to local police for review to assess whether a moving violation took place. If the answer is yes - and if a measure pending on Beacon Hill should become law - a citation would be mailed to the vehicle’s owner.

With the increase of traffic cameras within the City, I'd push for cameras on school buses to be tried, as a pilot, in Worcester.

I, too, think that the number of violations would be enough to make parents, and Worcester Public Schools take note, and advocate for cameras on many, if not all, school buses.

Drug Testing TANF

Earlier this year, Governor Rick Scott of Florida pushed for and signed into law the requirement for drug testing anyone that receives cash welfare assistance.  (Cash welfare assistance is different from food stamps and housing assistance.)

The law, which took effect on July 1, mandates that any adult that applies to the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Family program will be tested for drugs by the Florida Department of Children and Family Services.  The person receiving the aid would be responsible for covering the cost of the testing, estimated at $35 per test, and may be able to recoup that money in their assistance if they qualify.

So, the person that is looking to feed, clothe and house a needy child, which is the primary role for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Family (TANF) program, must be tested, to make sure that the funds the caregiver receives do actually go towards feeding, clothing and housing a child or children?  

Well, immediately after Governor Scott made his intentions known regarding making it a law, the ACLU quickly jumped in the fray, and called the law unconstitutional; a direct violation of the Fourth Amendment.  The amendment reads:

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

While the ACLU has been involved in previous court hearings that were eventually struck down, Governor Scott's law is different from the previous rulings which involved employees who are mandated to undergo random drug testing due to their position.

I wonder if Governor Deval Patrick ever considered such a law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts?

Well, we know that a number of people would look at Governor Patrick side-eyed, and wonder why he's "picking" on the poor.

And, I know that Governor Patrick, who stated in a Boston Globe interview that he won't seek re-election in 2014, is dealing with bigger issues, such as the 300,000 unemployed Bay State residents.  

I just hope that the next governor, whoever she or he is, doesn't waste taxpayer dollars, similar to what's taking place in Florida.

The larger issues that are facing Floridians, and the millions of people in the United States of America are the disparities that exist for education and access to resources.

I mean, why only test the TANF recipients when Governor Scott or President Obama could decide to test every person because each one of us, that lives in the USA, receives some sort of "benefit".  

Think about it for a second.  

A retired schoolteacher, that receives Medicaid could be tested, along with folks, say, living in Monson, MA, who are still dealing with the devastation from the tornado that ripped through the region in June, could also be subjected to being tested because they received federal emergency relief money, or what about the kid that has worked multiple jobs in order to save and attend college, but has to apply for students loans and grants, she/he, too, could be tested for drugs.

I'm all for every human being doing what they can to contribute to society, you know, making the world a little better.  I have little patience for "sponge cakes".  The "sponge cakes" get no love from me, but, at the same time, I'm the type of person that gives spare change to panhandlers.  Hey, I'm not all bad.