Posted on 09/12/2011 6:27:20 AM PDT by Virginia Ridgerunner
They’ve been accused of rampant thievery, spending billions of dollars like drunken sailors, groping children and little old ladies, and making everyone take off their shoes.
But the real job of the tens of thousands of screeners at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is to protect Americans from a terrorist attack.
Yet a decade after the TSA was created following the September 11 attacks, the author of the legislation that established the massive agency grades its performance at “D-.”
“The whole program has been hijacked by bureaucrats,” said Rep. John Mica (R. -Fla.), chairman of the House Transportation Committee.
“It mushroomed into an army,” Mica said. “It’s gone from a couple-billion-dollar enterprise to close to $9 billion.”
(snip)
“The whole thing is a complete fiasco,” Mica said.
Um, excuse me, but isn’t this exactly what Conservatives tried to bring about in the first place!
Bureaucrats in the federal government?!?!
Impossible!
I don’t understand why the government is involved at all with me getting on a plane and flying somewhere within the United States.
I can see the need for customs, but security should be left up to the particular airlines.
Government can have oversight over the private security. They are much better giving everyone else a hard time than themselves.
Agree, dismantle it, let it go private.
The TSA has accomplishments. For example, they’ve driven me to quit flying.
I fly almost every week. For those of you that fly on a regular basis, take note of the number of TSA agents at each security station. In Dallas there are at least a dozen at all entry points. Most of them are just standing around.
I disagree with a previous poster; the airlines should not be in charge of security, but a private firm would certainly streamline the process and remove the waste.
I fly a lot, and I can say honestly that I have never seen a real rock star working for TSA. That doesn't mean that there isn't a huge quality spread. I think there are some that do their jobs well, which involves balancing the procedures they are told to perform with some level of courtesy. The little airports seem to be better at that, but there are some bad ones there too.
The thing TSA will never overcome is that is only takes 10% of the TSA officers being rude jerks to poison the image of the whole organization. TSA was really getting close to turning the corner with regards to behavioral monitoring when the full body scanners/intrusive physical searches began. Back to square 1.
The whole episode is unfortunate when the product they are tasked with producing is so important.
Would have been better if the FAA had mandated some inclusion of security into local port authority instead of producing a whole new agency.
“In Dallas there are at least a dozen at all entry points. Most of them are just standing around.”
My observation at Newark and Tampa as well.
Frankenstein's monster is a good analogy, but I'm thinking more on the lines of the Three Stooges building a house, or working construction on a skyscraper. "Well, it looks like good, solid construction!" says the project manager, before leaning on a girder and bringing the whole thing down. (The project manager's reaction was priceless. "GET THOSE THREE MEN OFF THIS BUILDING!!!!" Alas, those were different times.
the good thing about an abusive government para-military operation is that it is, ostensibly at least, accountable.
Unexpected? Nah!
“I can see the need for customs, but security should be left up to the particular airlines.”
I’ll second that emotion.
“Um, excuse me, but isn’t this exactly what Conservatives tried to bring about in the first place!”
Yes, Bush fought this being unionised. Congressional libs did it anyway.
It will never be private again.
Why?
Lawsuits.
Imagine what would happen if a terrorist slipped through and brought down a plane.
And immunity from suits doesn’t work. Look at the tobacco industry. They were promised immunity if they ‘contributed’ billions .
Guess what. Lawsuits still being brought against them.
Gee, who could have predicted that?
Well, yeah, that's what the feral government does.
I have to take 40+ RT's per year, and I can tell you first hand that the TSA at it's best is no better than pure security theatre. I've had tools confiscated that have been allowed through the same checkpoint previously, had my coffee "swabbed" with an unsterile q-tip INSIDE the checkpoint with no explanation as to why, and have missed flights because of secondary screenings.
But the worst part of this agency this is an overall, agency-wide attitude of condescension towards the traveling public. Sure, we do have a lot of folks in this country who only fly 1-2 times per decade and maybe didn't check the DHS/TSA website for the latest 411 prior to arriving at the airport. I see them every time I fly. Unfortunately, ALL of us are treated as the lowest common denominator. The next time I witness a TSO demonstrating the slightest amount of discernment will be the first time I witness a TSO demonstrating the slightest amount of discernment. If common sense is all too uncommon these days, common sense is completely AWOL at the TSA.
Now they have a "pilot" program (coming to an airport near you very soon) at Boston/Logan where it is one of the TSA MENSA-certified employee's job to ask questions like "what is the purpose of your travel"...... ooooo!!! oooooooo!!! Mr. Kotter, Mr. Kotter!!!! I can't wait to answer that one.
Make liberal heads explode; put Halliburton in charge of it!
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