TSA Shuts Door on Private Airport Screening

I was angered when Congress and the Bush Administration violated the Constitution by eliminating an entire segment of the free market by replacing the nation's airport security screeners with government employees. This egregious and wasteful power grab by the central government did nothing to improve airline security. In fact, the screeners who passed the hijackers of 9/11 complied with federal guidelines in effect on that day when they allowed box cutters through.

The TSA (Transportation Security Agency) has developed a well-deserved reputation for heavy-handed treatment of airline passengers -- as one would expect of any Nazi-like big-government entity. News reports are common of screeners presuming authority far beyond their role of protecting airline security. We have far too much of a police state already!

Now, the news comes out that the TSA will stand in the way of restoring the airport screening function to the private sector where it belongs.

Congress and the Whitehouse must immediately direct the TSA to phase out its airport screening role and transfer that function entirely to the private sector within one year. Congress must permanently end any and all funding for airport screening at that one-year point. The TSA must retain no authority or power over airport security screening other than to establish non-mandatory standards for screening. Instead, standards must be established, controlled, supervised, and enforced solely by the airline industry. It is they who should manage the risk not unaccountable bureaucrats.