With the recent cancellation of thousands of airline flights allegedly due to the partial government shutdown it is instructional to review how the Transportation Security Agency came into being. The TSA was established (as was the Department of Homeland Security -DHS) as a knee jerk reaction to 9/11. After witnessing the attacks on TV I opined to my fellow workers at the U.S./Mexico border that our government will do two things in response: throw money at fixing the problem and establish another bureaucracy in response – neither of which will make America any safer. And they haven’t.
By publicly misidentifying the causes of 9/11 it allowed the government to throw hundreds of billions of taxpayers’ money into another feckless layer of federal bureaucracy and avoid culpability for their insanely depraved indifference that allowed 9/11 to happen (see blog Clinton’s “Wall” and 9/11″ dated 2018/01/05; and read the 9/11 Commission Report).
As part of the Homeland Security hydra the TSA was ostensibly created to enhance security at America’s airports. It also conveniently ballooned the unionized federal bureaucracy – a vote buying sop giving us the feckless organization we have today. What many taxpayers do not know is that TSA airport security is “voluntary”. When Congress passed the Homeland Security bill in 2002 it included the Screening Partnership Program allowing airports to contract with private security firms provided they met federal standards. Initially the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued licenses to 5 airports opting for private security (San Francisco being the largest). No sooner had the stark difference in customer service and security efficiency from private firms been proven than the FAA stopped issuing airports licenses for private security. This made America less secure!
This is similar to the airline industry demanding through the State Department down to the Immigration & Naturalization Service “DON’T F@#K with the 7As!” (student visas) that allowed the 9/11 terrorists to enter the U.S. (see 9/11 Commission Report).
At about the same time Congress began cutting the TSA budget covering both TSA staff and private contractors. Guess who got paid and who didn’t. Due to public pressure Congress recently told the TSA to start issuing airport private security licenses and to have their certification completed within 12 months. But a major roadblock is the cost analysis required of the airports – much like the laboriously time-consuming environmental impact statements of the EPA. Airports are neither allowed to participate in the contract bidding process nor have any control over the operation of the contract. Many are fearful they will incur the wrath of the federal government and jeopardize FAA-issued operating licenses by applying for privatization. The primary culprits in the student visa non-enforcement policy (half the reason 9/11 occurred according to the Commission) – American, Delta, and United- are “cooperating” with the TSA to reduce wait times by adding more TSA inspectors (like putting new wine in old bottles) refusing to side with airport managements’ growing putsch for privatization.
The reason may be the airline industry was already bailed out at least once by the federal government (meaning by you the taxpayer) in the early days of the industry and continues currying favor should conditions require another bailout in the future.(see blog TSA! GO AWAY! dated 2016/06/10.
For more examples of TSA incompetence see: Investors Business Daily “After Trump Gets His Wall Funding, He Should Fire The TSA” dtd 1/17/2019 http://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/tsa-government-shutdown-trump-airport-security
If President Trump wants to improve government efficiency and lessen the impact of the government shutdown, he should order the FAA to eliminate roadblocks to airports receiving licenses for private security. If you want more efficient, cheaper airport security contact Congress and demand the FAA ease the restraints and increase licensing of private airport security.
