Drug Test the Legislators

Conservative legislators throughout the nation are backing proposals to force umemployed people to pass drug tests before they can receive unemployment insurance.  I think we should drug test the legislators.

Legislators make decisions every day that deeply affect every one of us, so why shouldn't we verify that they're free of drugs while they're making those decisions?  We already test other people whose decisions affect us all, such as fiefighters, police officers and military personnel.  Why not legislators?

For that matter, why not test all public officials?  One can only guess at how many decisions former South Carolina treasurer Thomas Ravenel made while flying around on cocaine before he was caught and kicked out of office.

Does anyone really think Ravenel was the only one?  Or that Ravenel's colleagues in state government weren't aware of his habit long before he was caught - and let him go on with it while saying nothing?  How many others must there be.

I hope some legislators somewhere will see the value in drug-testing public officials and introduce a bill to accomplish it.

Why would any responsible legislator oppose such a bill?

Why don't they all demand one?

 -Skip