To save our country from massive debt, I’ve been writing to all my representatives about cost cutting ways to reduce remedial and redundant labor at the TSA that does absolutely nothing to add extra security and all I got was a canned response. Can I ask other posters here to write to their representatives that TSA needs to start cutting back on wasteful spending?

Who here agrees with the following cost cutting measures and other ways to reduce costs? Please no, “just scrap TSA” posts please. I too wish that it could be dismantled on a snap of my finger, but that’s not my point.


#1. Get rid of the schmuck whose sole job responsibility is to cart the trays back to the other side.

Most other countries just use an angled railing or a conveyor belt going the other way. In Canada, they have a larger island space so that the TSO doesn't intrude passengers that are being screened. I can make an angled railing from my local junk yard over the weekend and this should be much cheaper than hiring that TSO that does that job across every terminal at every airport in the US year after year.

#2 Get rid of the "town-crier" whose sole job responsibility is to repeat the same dull redundant thing over and over again.

A large video monitor that displays the screening process in multiple languages and an audio system on auto-repeat does the same job. Case in point: a cheapo CD player from CVS Pharmacy at $19.99 on a CD-R playing on auto-repeat does the same exact job.


These two cost-cutting measures should save BILLIONS in wasted taxpayer dollars each year which could other wise be put to better use that actually does something for the public good, like fixing roads, bridges, highways and rails.

^^^

The death of a million cuts begins with one. Like this because the writer does not come off as "one of those malcontents who just don't understand security�," but makes it clear that the expense of this make-work function is noticed.

How about getting rid of every single TSA employee who doesn't actually contribute to real security?

Oh, wait - that'd be all of them.

Not to mention the cart is a security risk.

Want to get a bomb past the security check point? Have a blue shirt crotch grabber carry it through.

A terrorist could "drop" his bags next to the cart and attach contraband to underside while picking them up.

Eventually the cart needs refilling and a blue shirt crotch grabber will happily transport cart with bomb underside to the "secure" side of the checkpoint.

There, the villian repeats the process to retreive his bomb.

Combined with a remote detonater and/or timer, plus a partner to create a distraction and its an efficient way to have TSA help out a terrorist.

That video is priceless-- like I would really put my wallet, watch and jewelry on top of items for the sticky fingers of the TSA.

Nah, not gonna happen. Manpower numbers are too important an item in the management's resume. Congress itself could ban these activities but then they's simply 'discover' the 'threat' of unmonitored restrooms.

Wouldn't Republicans go for reducing redundant labor costs though to reduce taxpayer waste, especially when that TSO's job responsibility does nothing to add to extra security?

Make-work programs to show manpower numbers are one thing, but hiring a TSO at $20k or whatever they make per year across every checkpoint at every US airport when an angled railing that I can make over the weekend has to be up there of great taxpayer waste like paying $6,000 for a hammer.

Unfortunately all my representatives are Democrats so I have not had enough luck on this. That's why I'm asking other posters with Republican representatives if they can write to their members in Congress on how much TSA can cut its costs down.

I mean really, saving BILLIONS dollars from getting rid of these two redundant/remedial TSA labor tasks could go a long way in funding something more useful, no?

We've had TSA for what, ten years now? We probably could've saved a lot of taxpayer money had we installed angled railing and automated PA AV systems in the first place, which otherwise could've been put to more road and rail improvements and such.


In the end, we have to face that TSA is not going to go away (yes, I groan too), but at least it can be improved upon to make it more efficient and reducing waste of taxpayer dollars.

kebosabi,

have you see the bin return system in boston logan. it is awesome. at the new terminal "A" delta first class checkpoint. tsa should install at every airport.


chicomyman