“The whole thing is a complete fiasco,” Mica said.
“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.”
As for keeping the American public safe, Mica says, “They’ve failed to actually detect any threat in 10 years.”
“Everything they have done has been reactive. They take shoes off because of [shoe-bomber] Richard Reid, passengers are patted down because of the diaper bomber, and you can’t pack liquids because the British uncovered a plot using liquids,” Mica said.
“It’s an agency that is always one step out of step,” Mica said.
It cost $1 billion just to train workers, which now number more than 62,000, and “they actually trained more workers than they have on the job,” Mica said.
I totally agree with you on that one!
It is a security theater, a spectacle to make the public feel like the government is doing something to protect them. Because every time something happens the media asks "why didnt the government do something?" and then the people demand that the government does something. The smart thing to do would be to invest all that money into intelligence to uncover plots and threats before they even reach the airports.
It is good money for certain lobbies though and a government jobs programme of some sorts, if you want to call it that. Personally, I am not for privatizing it, I am for getting rid of it all together. It does NOTHING to improve our savety, so why keep it going, private or not?
Skipjack wrote:I totally agree with you on that one!
It is a security theater, a spectacle to make the public feel like the government is doing something to protect them. Because every time something happens the media asks "why didnt the government do something?" and then the people demand that the government does something. The smart thing to do would be to invest all that money into intelligence to uncover plots and threats before they even reach the airports.
It is good money for certain lobbies though and a government jobs programme of some sorts, if you want to call it that. Personally, I am not for privatizing it, I am for getting rid of it all together. It does NOTHING to improve our savety, so why keep it going, private or not?
If it were privatized, the decision to keep it or eliminate it would be up to those people paying the bill. As it is now government ran, the people who are paying for it (taxpayers) are not permitted to object to the waste of their money.
‘What all the wise men promised has not happened, and what all the damned fools said would happen has come to pass.’
— Lord Melbourne —
Doesn't seem like the most efficient use of said money, but the last pat down I got was fairly thorough. The president that privatizes TSA orgs which inturn leaves open the door to an airport choosing to save money by cutting corners, which results in an air bombing would get the boot real fast. That is a political monster I wouldn't want to tackle.
Doesn't seem like the most efficient use of said money, but the last pat down I got was fairly thorough. The president that privatizes TSA orgs which inturn leaves open the door to an airport choosing to save money by cutting corners, which results in an air bombing would get the boot real fast. That is a political monster I wouldn't want to tackle.
Nothing the TSA has done in the past 10 years has prevented anything. If they scrapped it and something happens, I am 100% convinced it would have happened with the TSA as well.
A private company with the powers of the TSA scares me. The TSA is already very hard to go after, but at least there is some oversight (I personally know someone in Langley who is prosecuting TSA workers that cross the lines and that happens, very very often.
With a private company, who is going to look after them? The government wont have a handle? The public can go and try to sue a private company with that many powers, that much money and that much political backing? Good luck with that!
I say get rid of it!
ScottL wrote:Doesn't seem like the most efficient use of said money, but the last pat down I got was fairly thorough. The president that privatizes TSA orgs which inturn leaves open the door to an airport choosing to save money by cutting corners, which results in an air bombing would get the boot real fast. That is a political monster I wouldn't want to tackle.
I have observed that Airport security is more political theater than it is effective. During my own flights I have noticed numerous and sundry ways to get around the security (which I will not mention) if that were my desire. TSA simply creates the illusion of security, it does not create the real thing.
‘What all the wise men promised has not happened, and what all the damned fools said would happen has come to pass.’
— Lord Melbourne —
I agree its a lot of smoke and mirrors security, but from a political stand point, my previous statement holds true. If you do away with TSA and something does happen, the people in office at the time will be on the receiving end.
KitemanSA wrote:"Does you pistol have aircraft tolerant frangible ammunition loaded?"
(looks over tazer / mace disguised as a gentleman's cane.) I'd say my self defense equipment is aircraft safe.
/sarc
Seriously, I expect an intelligent and creative person could find a multitude of ways to slip in explosives under the noses of inspectors. Fortunately we don't see so many intelligent creative thinkers among terrorists.
That's because most intelligent, creative individuals are intelligent and creative enough to want to make something other than a smoking crisp of themselves.
I still miss the days I could bring my knitting with me to work on during the flight (16 ga 1/4" diameter metal rings and two 4" needle nose pliers with which to "knit" them). Twill be nice when those days return.
krenshala wrote:That's because most intelligent, creative individuals are intelligent and creative enough to want to make something other than a smoking crisp of themselves.
I still miss the days I could bring my knitting with me to work on during the flight (16 ga 1/4" diameter metal rings and two 4" needle nose pliers with which to "knit" them). Twill be nice when those days return.
I used to make chainmail too. I still have a couple of chainmail shirts lying around somewhere. Swords and Crossbows too.
‘What all the wise men promised has not happened, and what all the damned fools said would happen has come to pass.’
— Lord Melbourne —
ScottL wrote:Doesn't seem like the most efficient use of said money, but the last pat down I got was fairly thorough. The president that privatizes TSA orgs which inturn leaves open the door to an airport choosing to save money by cutting corners, which results in an air bombing would get the boot real fast. That is a political monster I wouldn't want to tackle.
If they are gonna charge you that much for a full body massage, the least you should be able to expect is the happy return as well...
I still have a couple of chainmail shirts lying around somewhere. Swords and Crossbows too.