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I think you and others miss the big picture about TSA and the Department of Homeland Security.
The day is rapidly approaching in this country when choices, stark choices, are going to have to be made with respect to our budget. We can't keep spending the way we have and whether republicans or democrats are in office its going to be the same thing. The issues are going to be: Do we cut Medicare and Social Security by 20% or do we cut out other wasteful and inefficient spending?
I think the very marginal value that exists from the type of intensive screening of passengers that TSA conducts is not worth it. It is inefficient to the extreme. TSA's present budget is approximately $10 billion per year and increasing. DHS has a total budget of $52 Billion a year.
My suggestion for effective and cost reducing security is the use of K9 units. One dog can do the work of 5-10 TSA screeners and this is already done by TSA's sister department, CBP. In other words, this is already been deployed in the field.
Most people are choosing to see this problem merely in terms of personal convenience, privacy, or in other selfish ways. I'm saying with Medicare, Medicaid, student loans, and other critical government programs on the chopping block that is difficult for me to justify the cost and expense of this level of airline security. If forced to choose, I'll pick these programs over the security that TSA offers the traveling public.
In the not-very-distant past, airline crashes and disasters were not uncommon. Ordinarily, we'd see one airliner a year a crash, usually killing everyone on board. That risk was accepted by society and the traveling public as a sort of "price" that had to be paid in exchange for having rapid transportation through the country and our world. If we lighten up security its not impossible that at some point terrorists might bomb an airliner.
This may sound harsh, but its a price that I think we should be willing to pay to save $10 billion a year.Even if we maintain the current level of security I can still think of many ways around them that a determined terrorist can make use of:
1. Hiding plastic bombs in cavities by suicide bombers.
2. Bribing TSA screeners and law enforcement (Mind you, the former has already been done by drug dealers)
That's the way this needs to be looked at. We can't everything we want. At least not anymore. I'm so sick of people who keeping trying to justify any possible intrusive security measure in terms of its marginal ability to prevent a terrorist attack.
Considering that it is pretty much my occupation to know the "big picture" about the DHS; I think I have a good grasp on that. You seem to think you know a lot, but you should look in the mirror and ask yourself if you really know the "big picture" yourself or if you are merely speaking on topics that you only have public knowledge of.
I am going to just address a small part of your post: do you have any idea about what it takes to put, hide and maintain explosives in a person's body? I doubt you have knowledge of the background of that, but I will say that it is not as easy as you seem to think it is.
Your post was all over the place and I don't see how much of what you said relates to any "big picture about DHS." If you want to talk about spending and how the country needs cuts, fine. However, that told me nothing about the "big picture of the DHS."
All this talk about dogs ... yada, yada, yada. You guys make it seem like you know what it takes to implement such. Well, if you do ... why aren't you in the position to do so? Why aren't you working for the government? Airport security based solely on dogs ... what?
"SEATTLE - Transportation security agents have discovered two handguns during screening of carry-on baggage over the past two days at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Transportation Security Administration officials said Thursday.
Both passengers with the firearms were arrested, and both now face charges and possible fines. One of the guns was loaded, with a round in the chamber."
Are you a TSA employee or simply determined to convince others to blindly trust a poorly trained and selected government agency to ensure their safety?
Are you a TSA employee or simply determined to convince others to blindly trust a poorly trained and selected government agency to ensure their safety?
Nope, just find the hatred for people doing an admiral yet thankless job ridiculous and will continue to post threads every single time they do there job well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank DeForrest
Guns were being confiscated from bags long before there was a TSA.
Did you have another point to make?
My point is that they typically do a good job. The hate is irrational.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HurricaneDC
you should join the TSA since you have this unhealthy obsession with it
No obsession. I just like to stick it to the haters. The thread about cupckes has like 25 pages or more but I'm obsessed. OK
Quote:
Originally Posted by Little-Acorn
TSA finding two guns in luggage, is indeed news.
Usually they miss them.
Do you have evidence for this? Of couse you don't.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Backspace
Before the TSA existed airport security found loaded guns in luggage all the time.
People on this board have claimed that airport security is not needed. They're obviously delusional. Unfortunately, the delusional wheel is usually the loudest.
i wanna work at TSA so I can grope women and take leg braces off of cripples
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TSA finds 2 guns in carry-on baggage at Sea-Tac
