If the 'private contractors' are paid appropriate (minimum) wages to stack tubs and stand guard in front of a closed WTMD, sit guard at an exit or check IDS, then it could help. These are minimum wage tasks and the TSOs currently performing them are vastly overpaid for what they do. How much skill does it take to stack tubs? Does it really require academy training? And any good bouncer can do a better job of checking IDs.

The private contractors would be unnecessary if TSA would emulate the practices of non-US checkpoints, where everyone is expected to work and there are no clusters of security people standing around jacking their jaws or playing with their cellphones instead of working.

I would like to know the connection between Neffenger/TSA brass and any private contractors who might be handed special over-priced-for-the-taxpayer contracts. Is Neffenger going to fund his retirement by making sweetheart deals with private contractors instead of buying new hardware?