[tbeatty]

We'll keep the same people and just pay them more. And make it impossible to fire the incompetant ones. And we'll hire based on gender and race rather than qualification. Yeah, that's the ticket to security.

[MinuteGal]

Is anyone really surprised at this?

Up is down, down is up, and politics is politics.

Leni

[weikel]

Our bueracracy is stupid higher El Al's people to run our airport security.

[TheOtherOne]

uggh!

[ppaul]

Our founding fathers sought to prohibit "titles of nobility" with their lifelong perks and pensions. A federal government job is today's title of nobility - perpetual income and perks granted to the privileged (at the expense of the unprivileged), who cannot be fired like their counterparts in the private sector. This is a grievous evil.

[FractalSphere]

""These screeners are going to be an important line of defense, and it seems to me we should have higher educational standards for them.""

But then the federal government couldn't get away with paying them $6.00 an hour! ..and to think they have the power to (on a whim) yank someone from the line and cause much grief and inconvenience for them. The lower educational standard also makes it easier for them to be programmed with whatever propoganda is needed for them to do their job. Remember, independent thinking is the enemy!

[Dane]

I am probably going to get major flames for this, but here it goes.

What is so great about a high school diploma these days? I would rather have someone who dropped out of high school who has worked for a reputable security company, rather than a brain full of mush recent high school grad.

[Rustynailww]

but they will be union and democrat.

[RicocheT]

applicants for screening jobs must have a diploma or "one year of any type of work experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position."

The ability to put your "X" on the signature line of any public employee's union card AND on the registration card for the DemocRAT party will suffice.

[MississippiMan]

I've said it before but will say it again: common sense and logic have totally lost their place in the running of this country, and thousands or more of innocent Americans will be sacrificed on the altar of political correctness before all is said and done. The terrorists must sit back and laugh at us. With good reason.

To be sure I understand, this is something that Bush himself has the power to change since it's dealing primarily with the rules of an agency and not law. If so, what on EARTH is the man thinking?

MM

[magellan]

Screw the screeners. We activated most of the military police in the Guard and Reserves. They are, therefore, "Federal" employees. Fire the incompetents and put the men (and women) in uniform behind the X-Ray screen and be done with it.

And if the Feds decide they want to keep the drop outs, give them conditional employement for one year after which they must have earned a G.E.D. or they will be released.

[Congressman Billybob]

Oh, goody. We've gone from ill-trained, private airport screeners to ill-trained public airport screeners. The only difference is that they are paid more, will be able to join a union and threaten a strike that will shut down American air travel, and will donate money to Deocrat politicians.

Have I missed anything? Or are those the high points of this story?

Congressman Billybob

Click and bookmark for my national, morning commentary.

[aculeus]

What an outrage. Fire Mineta!

[stevem]

"This job is more than just looking at an X-ray screen — it's about looking at people and interpreting their answers to questions and making judgments," Mr. Mitchell said. "As much as anything here, we have to restore the confidence of the American people and the integrity of the aviation system, and I think most people would view the lack of a high school diploma with some alarm."

I view with far more alarm the apparent requirement that common sense be disgarded when the guvmint searches for solutions to this problem. I have known Phd's with mashed potatoes for common sense and tenth graders that had plenty of the required commodity.

The Association of Flight Attendants, the largest flight attendants union, has also protested the lack of an education requirement, saying it fears the government will hire too many of the same screeners who allowed terrorists on the planes in the first place.

I can't recall. Could someone fill me in? What was it that the screeners on 9/11 did that was wrong or a violation of the rules. Also, what group established those rules in the first place?

[Valin]

After stoking high expectations that the federal takeover of airport security would lead to a new breed of airport security screener, one who was better educated and more qualified to assume a position of increased responsibility,

Ya.....right! Now instead of low paid morons we'll have high paid morons. BOHICA

[expose]

As recently as Dec. 20, the department said in a news release that "screeners must be U.S. citizens, have a high school diploma and pass a standardized examination."
Notice any article doesn't mention how many moslems are going to be kept ?

[Whilom]

You gotta just shake your head in wonder that nothing seems to embarrass politicians -- of whatever party. First: We must create a Transportation Security Administration and give it billions of dollars to replace the screeners. Second: They keep the billions and the Administration with all of its bloated personnel roster and decide we don't need to replace the screeners. If the public swallows this, they deserve the result. I think the president is going to be "mad as heck" when he finds out that he was sold another scam and then sold it to us.

[hattend]

After stoking high expectations that the federal takeover of airport security would lead to a new breed of airport security screener, one who was better educated and more qualified to assume a position of increased responsibility, the Department of Transportation has decided not to impose rules that would displace thousands of current screeners.

Most significantly, the department will not insist that screeners be high school graduates, a requirement that would have disqualified a quarter of the present work force of 28,000.

The Congress lied, nothing has changed, nobody can be fired for incompetence. Only thing this accomplished was the federalization of aiport security and increasing the staff of federal employees by 28,000, most of whom will vote Dem.

Who wants to bet that in 3 years this will not be returned to the public sector?

[John Jorsett]

My question is why is George Bush allowing the Dept. of Transportation to get away with this? In his capacity as chief executive, he could tell Mineta to institute some real standards instead of this crappola.

[Mr. Bungle]

All this nonsense "federalizing" baggage screeners is particularly absurd given that it was not the screeners that failed on Sept. 11 - but rather, the intelligence community, the INS, and Congress.

This measure will do nothing to protect us. None whatsoever.

Hire air marshals, arm pilots, and secure the cockpit doors. Link the INS/FBI "watch lists" with computers at points of entry on commercial flights. Problem solved.