OK, I get the concerns about the TSA, but when Repugs start screaming 'privatization'.....

[marmar]

.....something reeks.



ATLANTA – In a climate of Internet campaigns to shun airport pat-downs and veteran pilots suing over their treatment by government screeners, some airports are considering another way to show dissatisfaction: Ditching TSA agents altogether.

Federal law allows airports to opt for screeners from the private sector instead. The push is being led by a powerful Florida congressman who's a longtime critic of the Transportation Security Administration and counts among his campaign contributors some of the companies who might take the TSA's place.

Furor over airline passenger checks has grown as more airports have installed scanners that produce digital images of the body's contours, and the anger intensified when TSA added a more intrusive style of pat-down recently for those who opt out of the full-body scans. Some travelers are using the Internet to organize protests aimed at the busy travel days next week surrounding Thanksgiving.

For Republican Rep. John Mica of Florida, the way to make travelers feel more comfortable would be to kick TSA employees out of their posts at the ends of the snaking security lines. This month, he wrote letters to nation's 100 busiest airports asking that they request private security guards instead.

"I think we could use half the personnel and streamline the system," Mica said Wednesday, calling the TSA a bloated bureaucracy. .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_airport_security_private_screeners

[liberal N proud]

1. I am sure they have a buddy who is going to get rich

That is the motive behind their smaller government.

[csziggy]

2. In the story about the Orlando-Snaford airport moving to private security

It said they still have to use TSA mandated requirements, including the same scanners and "enhanced" pat downs. And I would guess that once private companies got in place, it would be much, much harder to call them to account than the bureaucrats in charge now.

[sally cat]

3. Fear of Repugs shouldn't keep us from trying something better than TSA abuses.

[marmar]

5. Perhaps, but I don't think privatizing security is the answer.

nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. They can get the TSA to work better

as I said yesterday it is a problem of changing direction.

But privatized security will only make more people rich and be even LESS effective.

TSA with all it's problems is actually better than pre 9.11 security, and you know I am a critic.

[customerserviceguy]

11. In what way are they better?

They're still jackbooted thugs who harass Americans because they have zero opportunity to catch any real terrorists.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. I'll give you a VERY CONCRETE and real example

back in the day we took a patient from one of our cancer clinics to Lindberg Field in San Diego.

Well this is WELL BEFORE 9.11... so I go through the Magnetometer, and of course it beeps... I am wearing steel toe boots.

So I am forced to leave my boots behind, but take into the sterile area of the airport, and INTO the craft my six inch blade rescue knife, and my trauma shears. No, quite honesty I did not even think about it. They are also part of my equipment, but that should have never happened. Oh did I mention my two way radio? Again, I should have not been allowed into the sterile area with that.

Now in less obvious ways... they check about 20% of all cargo. No, far from gold standard, but it is better than zero.

The problems you are seeing come from really bad leadership and management. I will give you another example. One of our issues was drug dealers trying to buy people, and I must say most of my guys never even considered that. Yet, the cops showed evidence that one of my guys might turn, well we had no tolerance for even the might turn since we were in a position of trust. For the record, TSA has zero tolerance for that crap, but people need to press charges. (I know it is a hassle)

But a lot of the obvious customer service problems, leave the security aspect to the side. is imho poor management and leadership.

Now to the entry into the secured area, and a contrast with a foreign airport... we had a medical call in Tijuana at the airport, again before 9.11... I kept my shoes! But they kept my radio, my knife, and they carried the rest of my equipment... we were, after all, in the sterile area of the airport. Yes, we had two people from the security team, well armed mind you, hovering over us, until we reached the checkpoint, I got my crap returned and we left.

In fact, if you remember back in the day you could meet a relative at the gate... in the United States... that was not practiced anywhere else I was familiar with.

And yes, the problems can be solved, They have the PR from hell, and they need to change a lot of procedures, and training. Even perhaps, change upper and middle management or retrain quite a bit of it. But they are better than the private security. Also since they get good pay and beanies, they are harder to buy... see my kid who almost was turned by the drug dealers. That also reduced turn over.

[KILL THE WISE ONE]

4. guess, i will have to be prepared to be molested to fly this weekend

good thing I am a dirty old man.....will they at least turn down the light?

[ProSense]

6. Too late, they've already whipped up a frenzy

Ron Paul is a hero and Republicans can now push for privatization.

It's not like they didn't do the same thing in 2006:

Heritage Foundation: Time to Rethink Airport Security

Jan. 2010: O’Reilly Tonight: Privatize the TSA

People have very short memories.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. Union Busting, pure and simple

that is what concerns the GOP.

Oh and lining the pockets of a few more friends.

[Starry Messenger]

9. Yes it does reek.

The last thing we need in all this mess is a company that is totally out of public control. The "bad touching" is a part of regulations anyway, a private company would have to adhere to the same guidelines. Being fondled by McSecurity© isn't going to fix this.

[bluestateguy]

10. Those private security companies were sure effective

A bunch of incompetent twits: ex-felons, people who spoke no English, employees hired straight from the welfare office, with 15 minutes of training.

No thanks.

[xultar]

13. Straight from the welfare office? WHAT THE FUCKITY FUCK?

[jmowreader]

14. Don't you mean REprivatization?

The thing no one is pointing out in all this is, before 9/11 ALL airport security was privatized. It worked pretty well, too--there were very few hijackings or other crises.

Then came 9/11 and the first thing the Repukes decided was private security companies can't properly keep the airways safe, the government has to do it.

Now think about this: we have, ever since Reagan was in office, heard about the grandeur of the private sector. It's great in every other instance but this?

I thoroughly expect full cavity searches before the end of next year.

[TorchTheWitch]

15. private firms still have to do the scopes and gropes

as they are required to use TSA guidelines. This would make things WORSE. The private firms will not pay the agents as well, not do decent hiring diligence and background checks, the benefits will suck, they won't use enough agents, etc. Since a private firm still has to follow TSA guidelines, nothing about using a privite firm does shit to stop the nudie scopes or genital gropes and will likely make them an even worse experience than they already are.