How would pivatizing TSA end grope and gape?

[yurbud]

In theory, when you privatize a government function, the contractor should have to perform to the same standard as the gov't agency they displace.

In reality, we all know that when someone gets the job through cronyism and can recycle our tax dollars into campaign donations to their political tool who got them the contract, they are in little danger of accountability.

 This sounds remarkably similar for the game plan to privatize public education

Make public schools follow rules private schools don't have to like giving endless standardized tests while not giving teachers the resources to do more when test scores are low, then using that ''failure'' as a stick to beat the schools with and demand a switch to less accountable private, for-profit charter schools.

That is also why they want to means test Social Security and reduces payments: make the public program less successful and effective and people won't mind as much when they privatize it.

?

[SoCalNative]

1. It's not about that

it's about the Repugs getting lucrative government contracts for their buddies that own the private security companies that are federally approved to replace the TSA.

[yurbud]

3. that is privatization.

[SoCalNative]

15. I KNOW that's privatization

I meant it's not about the grope and gape

[derby378]

2. Who's talking about privatizing the TSA?

I haven't heard anything about it, and I certainly don't support it - I support getting rid of the TSA altogether.

[Glassunion]

5. +1

[Myrina]

6. Exactly.

If it's privatized, they can act just like the Blackwater/Xe thugs because they're not civil employees - so chances are, the behaviour would be even worse. TSA, and most of Homeland Security (Seig Heil!) needs to just go away. It was part of the Bush/Cheney 8-year nightmare, it's a useless money-hole and a nonstop violation of civil rights.

[TheBigotBasher]

9. Some airport in Florida has done so

however they have to do exactly what the TSA does so this is just an attack on TSA employees. Nothing else.

[yurbud]

13. THE NATION ran a story on who's fanning the flames of this TSA issue

including those who want to privatize the function:

*

Immediately after the launching of the "National Opt-Out Campaign" by Washington grassroots lobbyist and "ordinary citizen" Brian Sodergren, Rep. Mica sent out letters to the heads of at least 100 airports across America advising them to "opt out" of the government-funded TSA program and hand over the job to private contractors. One of the first airports to sign on to Rep. Mica's privatization program, Orlando's Sanford Airport, happens to lie in Rep. Mica's district. The airport also happens to be a client of Rep. Mica's daughter, D'Anne Mica, who is listed as a partner in two lobbying/PR firms consulted by Sanford Airport. One of Ms. Mica's PR firms, "Grasshopper Media," boasts of its "history of success in organizing strategic and comprehensive grassroots campaigns." In other words: astroturfing.

*

According to a recent AP article, "Companies that could gain business if airports heed Mica's call have helped fill his campaign coffers. In the past 13 years, Mica has received almost $81,000 in campaign donations from political action committees and executives connected to some of the private contractors already at 16 U.S. airports." ("Airports Consider Congressman's Call to Ditch the TSA")


http://www.thenation.com/article/156647/tsastroturf-washington-lobbyists-and-koch-funded-libertarians-behind-tsa-scandal

[DCKit]

4. Far more $$$$$ from the Federal budget, record profits for MIC... what could go wrong? nt

[d_r]

7. it wouldn't

Look, they like to say they don't want the government violating their rights. So if they privatize TSA, it wouldn't be the government violating their rights with intrusive searches, it would be some guy working for a rich guy, and that makes all the difference because God wouldn't have let the guy get rich if he didn't love him special. Or something like that.

[Angry Dragon]

8. Don't forget that eye of the needle thingy

[Starry Messenger]

10. It won't.

It will just make it profitable to some rich assholes and take away public accountability.

[spindrifter]

11. You pay extra not to get groped.

[tjwash]

12. TSA agents recently started grumbling about low pay, long hours, and hinting about forming a union.

Then, all of a sudden on just about every news channel, message board, and radio show...they have miraculously transformed into the devils earthly incarnate.

The fact that airport security checks were done by private rent-a-cop firms before 9-11 is conveniently omitted by the way.

[yurbud]

14. and we switched to TSA because the rent a cops weren't checked out at all