TSA Cooks the Books on its operations.
The entire Homeland Security “scam” is an effort to create a secret police as far as I can tell.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a letter to Transportation Committee Chairman John L. Mica (R-FL) that confirms the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has used faulty data and withheld information when evaluating and comparing the costs of the all-federal screening model and an alternative federal-private screening program.
The Screening Partnership Program was established in the Aviation Transportation Security Act (ATSA) after September 11, 2001, to enable airport authorities to “opt-out” of all-federal screening and instead use private screening contractors under federal standards, supervision and oversight. Previously, TSA has misleadingly claimed that the cost of the privatized screening program is at least 17 percent higher than the cost of using screeners who are TSA employees.
“In essence, TSA cooked the books to try to eliminate the federal-private screening program,” Mica said. “GAO found that TSA ignored critical data relating to costs. In fact, according to TSA’s own revised cost study, the cost differential between the two screening models is closer to three percent, likely within the margin of error,” Mica said.
“And that still doesn’t account for various other ignored factors, including the cost taxpayers incur from TSA’s high attrition rate and the full cost of TSA’s bloated and unnecessary bureaucratic overhead. “I am investigating the full cost differential between the two screening models, and I believe the federal-private program model will prove to be less expensive and provide the best model for U.S. aviation security,” Mica said.
War is a racket. Stop the global war on terror. The size of the taxpayer bill to governments and their corporate assigns will go down accordingly.
Certainly if anyone can run a program cheaper than the government it would be a private corporate contractor finding the cheapest labor pool and falsifying records to provide that “for profit” stream to the stockholders. Think a subsidiary of Black Water.
Just another example of what the government does best: giving the lowest wage earners a fair break while private industry would make a profit off the same group.
Or do we think the profit would be rebated?
I’d hit that.
I must admit being a Canadian traveler I am in no haste to travel to the US and go through all of these lovely interrogations
The joke is the last time i went through a scanner there was a girl in a Berka behind me – no kidding
I was interrogated ( politely) by Canada border people on the way out on a flight to the US – not in to the US yet
They would not touch the girl in the Burka – but they go after ordinary people
Who are the victims of Sept 11 ? Not the real villains
Its just all a cash grab at the border and one giant make work project and earn graft by selling such devices
There aught to be a law so to speak
Who needs the trouble and aggravation of traveling any more either by car or air
@Taxed Enough Already Dude
Covertly?! The same guy who just signed an executive order to Hold anyone they want at GITMO even after they’ve been acquitted? Nothing Covert about that it’s pretty much in your face.
#2&4: Alfred,
As usual, you make it sound like Obama is the only one involved. The Republicans are just as much to blame on this crap as the Dems & Obama.
Wow Uncle Dave, talk about cognitive dissonance. Still trying to blame the Republicans two years after Obama took over and had a long run with a democratic House and Senate. Republicans had nothing to do with Obama’s order to hold prisoners at Gitmo in indefinite detention. He even came up with the legal justifications in a speech a couple of years ago.
#5 The TSA Screener?
Here’s a guaranteed way for any Republican candidate to win the Presidential election in 2012:
“I promise, if elected, to completely disband the TSA and eliminate the Department of Homeland Security. Airport security will return to the rules that were in place on Sept 10th, 2001 and the cockpit cabins will be locked.”
Of course, any candidate who made such a promise would never get the party nomination. Too many Republicans (and Democrats) are getting rich from TSA-industrial complex.
I’ve noticed an odd trend of making assertions like that without any logical support. Mostly from Democrats ever since they gained control of the government. Must be tough trying to convince yourself how to blame Republicans these days.
I don’t get it – the TSA was created because the powers-that-be determined for-hire screening (aka – the cheapest folks we can hire) were not up to keeping the skies safe. Now, you want to go back to hiring McD’s rejects?
Keep security in the public sector.
As for the way TSA is handling their job, that is a different debate. Probably a pretty one-sided debate (No – they are not doing their job efficiently nor effectively).
Oh, and @TaxedEnoughDud…
How short is your memory? Who instituted Homeland Security and the TSA? Not President Obama, but your fascist pal GWBush.
As for your link to AmericansFor(Pope’s)Prosperity, that sealed your fate.
the future is going to be strange. no side can be taken
@Taxed Enough Already Dude-
This has nothing to do with the OBAMA administration. At least in so much as it would be no different under the republicans.
However I will agree that reform is needed.
As for others that somehow think that the Republican or Democrat party is somehow any better than the other you are also wrong.
The lists for both sides are quite long in listing problems. The real problem lies in the fact that the sides get further and further apart. Because of that, things like an out of control TSA exists.
I’m shocked.
SHOCKED, I tell you!
A full analysis of the economic costs and benefits of the TSA (this study was measuring something different) should be undertaken.
Such an analysis would include many costs directly attributable to the TSA: hundreds of millions of wasted hours spent waiting in line at TSA checkpoints, the cost of travelers missing their flight because of unpredictable security delays, the cost of TSA theft of luggage and valuables, and so on. It would also include indirect costs, like the cost of discouraged travel because of the TSA.
Were there a tallying of all the costs with which the TSA burdens the public, I have no doubt that they would exceed the supposed benefits of the intrusive and embarrassing, yet grossly inefficient and incompetent, TSA security theater.
Is anyone surprised that Bureaucrats will do whatever they need to do to make their “Bureau” bigger ?
You think this is bad, just wait until they get collective bargaining rights, and can’t be fired. That should make for some nice flying experiences.
The TSA was pushed by Senator Ted Kennedy right after 9/11. The concept was to take the screening away from the airlines as the airlines were doing what they could NOT to piss off customers.
Initially the White House didn’t like the idea but were convinced by McCain and Lindsey Graham it was a good idea; the status quo had to change. BUT, the WH insisted, along with the Republican led House, to deny the TSA bargaining rights.
So, what we ended up with was instead of the “police” agency to screen air passengers, was a poorly educated group led by law enforcement wannabees and rejects. For any politician to now want to change the TSA would appear to be soft on terrorism. A definite bad thing.
The outrages of the TSA are not JUST a Republican or Democrat problem. Democrims and Repubrobates are two sides of the same corporate lobby control system.
NEW BOSS OBAMA is same as OLD BOSS BUSH
Kick ALL of them out! Vota against ALL incumbents who can’t show that they are fighting for your constitution.
KICK OUT ALL INCUMBENTS
Hey John
Hi from way back in the ZDTV days…I am 46 years old and when I watched You, LEO and company I didn’t know much …however thanks to 12 14 years of broadband I understand CONSPIRACIEs! THIS HIGH SPEED INTERNET STUFF IS GREAT..thanks I just wondered what you think about the Bohemian Grove? I asked LEO on his live show once he said just “a bunch of stuffed shirts blowing off steam” I disagree..Alex Jones at infowars.com filmed something there that CHANGED MY ENTIRE PERSPECTIVE on this world we live in..Anyway thanks john take care