As the wave of protest against purportedly out of control government agencies continues to influence the public conscience, one agency in particular is taking a beating in the news. The TSA has come under heavy fire recently for its use of full-body scanners that have the potential to expose and embarrass airport patrons as well as its practice of rough and invasive pat-downs for those who opt out of the scans. One Florida congressman, Rep. John Mica, who is the ranking Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and is likely soon to be its chairman, has stepped up to advocate for airports to drop TSA agents in favor of employing private contractors.
"I think we could use half the personnel and streamline the system," Mica said Wednesday, calling the TSA a bloated bureaucracy.
The primary argument cited by Mica and his fellow critics is that TSA agents lack the incentive to treat passengers humanely, as they see no additional compensation for their efforts and the TSA bureaucracy is slow to respond to allegations of misconduct by their employees. Throwing more private contractors into the mix could add an element of competition and accountability that critics argue the TSA lacks.
Of course, airports can’t just hire anybody they wish – the TSA still needs to screen, select, and pay the contractors. In addition, contractors would have to follow all TSA regulations, which would still include the body scan (where available), shoe removal, and pat-downs. How is this much better than just having the TSA supply its own agents? Some proponents are arguing that these private contractors would be more responsive to patrons because they “would need local support to continue…business with the airport.” Contractors would also have more freedom to bring in part-time staffers during especially high-traffic periods, helping to prevent bottlenecks at security checkpoints.
If Rep. Mica gets his way, 100 of the largest airports in the nation might soon be weighing the costs and benefits of such a switch.
