Majuki

You better not tell that to all of the TSOs I've found sleeping on breaks in various parts of airport terminals. Don't disturb them in the terminals, or the next thing you know they'll be demanding to enter airline clubs at any time to conduct SSI stuff.

Ysitincoach

I'm hoping you'll see a lot less of this busy work when the federal budget cuts catch up with TSA in summer. My guess is you'll have a lot less of the overstaffed check points and in turn, less walk the terminal field trips.

It seems like walk the terminal is the last layer of busy-work theater after gate ID checks and random sterile side liquids screening.

WillCAD

I have little hope of that.

Like all federal agencies, TSA will make cutbacks in the areas which are most likely to inconvenience, endanger, and anger the general public, while keeping useless waste fully staffed and funded. Thus, they'll be able to falsely claim that they absolutely NEED that money restored, that the public is DEMANDING it!

So, I doubt you'll see any reduction in gate checks, roving TSO patrols, or groups of TSOs lounging around doing nothing on the government time, but you will see serious staffing reductions at c/ps, designed to increase lines ans make as many travelers miss flights as possible.

Within days of the sequester, Janet Napolitano was interviewed and said that "the lines are already backing up" in the airports - despite the fact that the sequester hadn't yet taken effect! All of the budget reductions and cutbacks mandated in the sequester were scheduled to be phased in over 30-60 days, including those in DHS, so any reduction in c/p staff and increase in wait times was done by Napolitano and Pistole as a deliberate measure to inconvenience and anger the public, so they could try to squeeze more money out of the federal budget.

For reference: The sequester took effect March 1. Napolitano said this on March 4:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...nes-sequester/

I don't doubt that such BS tactics will continue for the foreseeable future.

Chaos.Defined

.........

Ysitincoach

I understand the sequester to mean no new hires.

So any affect of the sequester wouldn't be seen until the revolving door of TSA-turnaround hits them in the booty.

Nappy's pre-sequester comments of lines already backing up is everything you need to know about the politics of this organization.

WillCAD

A hiring freeze is only one potential aspect of the sequester.

The sequester is basically a budget increase reduction mandated by Congress. The budget is not really going down - it's simply not increasing as much as they wanted it to.

To compensate for the sequester, each cabinet-level agency has a certain amount of flexibility. Most are putting on hiring freezes, most are doing furloughs. Some are actually doing workforce reductions through attrition, by not replacing personnel who quit or retire, and a few are even offering early retirement incentive packages to employees who are near to retirement. I haven't heard of any agencies actually doing layoffs, though it may happen.

Along with the personnel related sequester cuts, there are also material and contractual cuts. Government agencies are purchasing less - or have a complete freeze on - basic office supplies and equipment. Some outside contract work is being eliminated or reduced.

But, like TSA, many agencies are deliberately choosing the most visible and harmful cuts, attempting to anger, outrage, or frighten as many people as possible, in an attempt to cause outcry from both the public and the various labor unions.