Originally Posted by
onlyairfare
I think most people in the US have positive viewpoints of many government agencies. Most people on Medicare seem very satisfied with their insurance, and the only complaints I've heard about the Social Security Administration are from those whose approval for disability benefits takes too long. They are very anxious to be part of the program ASAP. Popularity is not limited to those agencies that give out money or health care: most Americans love the National Park System, even though admission fees are required.
A couple things here.
Of course people want into Social Security and Medicare ASAP - We've been paying for it all of our lives! So yes we want that return on what we've paid.
Keep in mind that many also need private insurance still even with Medicare to supplement what it doesn't pay for.
Only problem is, it's likely going to be bankrupt by the time I'm eligible in 30 years. I'm not counting on it being there for me despite dumping tens of thousands of dollars (or more) into it. And depending on what happens with health care reform, that positive perception may change if it gets gutted.
There are some things that the government can do well - National Park System is a good example as you mentioned.
However, there are a lot of things that it doesn't do well. Security tends to be one of them (and I'm not just talking TSA here).
Generally, frequent flyers approve of the concept of airline security; even more than the TSA, we do not want WEI on our flights. However, the way in which TSA executes "security" is flawed - the rudeness, the foolish knee jerk responses, the theater, the thievery - and that is what we object to. As others have noted, my experiences with airline security in other countries has largely been positive. No one likes being searched, but if the agent is professional, respectful and fair, we appreciate the value, despite the inconvenience.
Security and respect need not be mutually exclusive.
Agreed. IF there is value added and it's done professionally, people will be happy. That's true whether it's private or public. However, it's definitely a fair question to see if we really are getting the value (especially for what we pay for TSA), especially considering the inconvenience and often rude service we get..