Posted on 10/28/2001 8:03:49 AM PST by Daryl Hunter
The Airport Security Solution
By Daryl L. Hunter
The debate over who should operate airport should be a no-brainer. Common sense and historical data indicate the private sector with government oversight should prevail. This way airport security would be paid for by the industry that benefits, the airlines, instead of the taxpayers.
The key to safety in this scenario is getting qualified people. If Congress passed a federal law requiring a $25 Dollar minimum wage for qualified security workers, Making this a high paying job would remove high employee turnover from the equation as security workers would value their well-paid positions. Security contractors would factor this into their contract bids therefore negating the liberal lowest bid argument. Regular covert government security tests could determine if a security worker could retain their high paying job.
Our governments energy facilities are run by private contractors who bid on them for ten-year contracts. The employees at these facilities are well paid, and this fact is not lost in the bidding process. Once every 10 years a new contract is awarded and the new contractor goes through and cleans out the dead wood increasing efficiency; something that could never happen by a government operated bureaucratic organization.
The potential exponential growth, expense, and inefficiency of a government run security bureaucracy scares hell out of me. Liberals like to compare how we wouldn't put the CIA an FBI out for bid, how could we not federalize airport security? Well they must be very proud of how well the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has run our airports and airspace. But my idea about private industry creating the Private Aviation Administration (PAA) as a competitor for the FAA is a whole different subject.
1-I think $25 is a little overkill for 90% of these positions.
2-having the focus on these positions being bonded, US citizens only, trained, etc. is more to the point of need.
3-having proper penalties for random test infractions would be a good gov't oversight role.
When our goal is to NOT have gov't do the job but we result in the gov't dictating the minimum wage for the job, we have accomplished nothing.
We need to gov't to regulate, make airport minimum standards and enforce. A minimum wage will accomplish nothing but cause a minimum "higher" cost.
All desicions and responsibilities for airline and airport safety would belong to the individual airlines and airport owners...
Travelers would reward those airlines with the best safety procedures with their business...
The free market always solves problems better and faster than any government entity...
I hear that there are about 2800 security workers, I don't believe that tripleing wages for security workers after replacing them with competent ones would dent the Airline revenues percentage wise. The Sky Marshal program is only going to ad about $2.50 per airline ticket.
I agree with most of what you say but the government can play a watch dog position. As much as I am in the cheerleading position for the private sector I have often observed BEAN COUNTER MYOPIA get in the way of common sense.
And that is probably a wasted $2.50 considering that they sky marshalls are carrying empty weapons (i.e. no bullets) ... I guess they could club the terrorists to death! ;-)
Rediculous! $25 in Sioux City, Iowa ain't the same as $25 in NYC. Let the f'in market decide. Set some SANE guidelines and private industry + checks will do a fine job. Inspectors who are responsible for multi-million$ space equipment follow MIL-standards quite well. To date, one fatal mistake (O-ring in rocket took life of astronaut)!
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