We don't need drug tests for librarians

[Slyder]

Bill Maher has got off a good one! This would be hysterical if it wasn't so pathetic! Library VOLUNTEERS, for heaven's sake! Probably in retaliation for the lack of support for the Patriot Act among librarians!

In my life I have learned that there are three groups of folks you never want to piss off: lesbians, drag queens, and librarians. As a gay male librarian, I know. And librarians are the ones you r-e-a-l-l-y need to watch out for!

The article Maher refers to is hilarious just by stating the facts!



The last time a librarian did something really stupid and reckless on drugs was when Laura married George.



Last year, Florida's Levy County introduced drug testing for library volunteers. Whose average age is between 60 and 85. The volunteers were required to drive to another city - Gainesville - and urinate in a cup "within hearing distance" of a laboratory monitor. That'll teach 'em for offering to work for free. "Okay, grandma, now get pissing. And I'd better hear a nice even unbroken stream."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-maher/new-rule-we-dont-need-d_b_32463.html

[MountainLaurel]

1. Welcome to DU, Slyder!

From another librarian.

:hi:

[Freedomofspeech]

3. Is that PA mountain laurel?

[MountainLaurel]

15. the WV variety

Though now I'm actually living in Maine.

[nealmhughes]

10. Make that two!

Unless those volunteers are retired Republicans of the non-libertarian bent, I dare say the librarians will be doing their own reshelving from now on out...

What a stupid, stupid requirement.

By the way, librarians do know how to get even, and it is a dish served cold and with a huge wedge of crap pie as dessert.

We are vicious about a few things: our collections, letting the boards know how lousy our pay is and how crummy their esteem of the institution is held by their tight fists, and we are great at finding out all the dirt in town and being unpaid baby sitters and social workers.

I'd "dribble" were I assaulted by a drug test demand!

In closing, "Librarians know everything except how to dress well..."

[Freedomofspeech]

2. You know all of us librarians....

are freakin' crazy and oh, so, liberal!!!!!!!!!!! I love it.

[skooooo]

5. The most liberal profession..

...I've read. And yes, we are crazy!

[Nozebro]

4. Obviously, a drugs-testing co. made a shrewd political donation

Remember: "politics is the doing of the public's business for private gain". (the late Texas right-wing GOP State Senator Walter "Mad Dog" Mengden)

[Warpy]

6. NOBODY needs to be drug tested

unless their work performance begins to slide or unless they're involved in a traffic accident.

Anything else is a violation of the Fourth and Fifth Amendments.

[rodeodance]

8. its PRE-emptive mentality

[SharonAnn]

11. Or they work with children?

[Warpy]

14. Nope. Best day care I ever knew was shut down

when it was discovered the head had been a closet heroin addict for years.

It was a great daycare. She was great with kids and those kids not only got kept clean and fed, they got both structured and unstructured play. She knew her stuff, and those kids learned manners and empathy along with their numbers and letters.

When they shut her down, the real losers were the kids.

An interesting statistic from many years ago: 60% of hard core heroin addicts work full time jobs.

[rodeodance]

7. "But our public risk management insurance says

County officials said they realize that some people may find the test intrusive.

"But our public risk management insurance says we should treat volunteers no differently that any other employees," said Levy County Coordinator Fred Moody. "This is just the days that we are in and we know that there are some people who aren't happy about this, but it is something we are requiring if anyone wants to volunteer."

Moody said the drug-testing as well as background checks required for library volunteers are identical to what is required of all county employees and volunteers, including dozens of unpaid firefighters and hundreds of Community Emergency Response Team members from among the 36,000 county residents.

[rodeodance]

9. they are talking of using less intrusive means--but to me that is NOT the

issue!


.....To overcome the transportation concerns, the county arranged for the testing to be done at each of the county's five public libraries later this month.

Moody said that when the county signed the contract with First Lab to provide drug-testing a year ago, urine samples were the only means considered.

"We didn't know that there were other options," Moody said.

On Friday morning, he told The Sun he would begin looking into alternative, less-intrusive tests, such as the mouth swabs now used by the Florida Department of Corrections and other government agencies.

Karen Voyles can be reached at 486-5058 or [e-mail]

[ninkasi]

12. We should demand drug tests

for members of Congress, and the Bush administration. Bet you'll find a hell of a lot more drug use than you'd find with volunteer librarians. They should also be screened for insanity, starting with Rumsfeld and Bush, then work the way all down the offices. Bush would never have been allowed to run for president if his sociopathic tendencies had been recognized before he stole office the first time.

[Demeter]

13. Hear! Hear! And Be Paid Minimum Wage, Too!

Let's bring Congress down to the working stiff's level. It's the only way the workers will get any crumbs.