...at
Best
The TSA says all its efforts at spying on FAA
certificate-holders are for just about nothing.
In a letter that is supposed to explain away its totalitarian
attitude towards FAA certificate-holders, the TSA says that its
"...review to date of 1.2 million cetificate holders... has
determined that only eight individuals... pose a security threat."
That's .00067% -- and they're all non-resident aliens. And none has
been convicted of anything.
There are several points that need to be made here:
- If that's an expected rate, then it must surely be such a small
percentage that it's insignificant. Don't forget -- none of these
individuals has been publicly identified; but none, apparently,
misued his/her FAA certificate privileges, either. Hence, there is
a huge bureaucracy that's set up to do... nothing.
- Consider that the TSA itself admits that all its "suspects" are
non-resident aliens. In other words, every single US citizen and
resident alien, of the 1.2 million, checked out OK. The TSA, if it
were to persist in its jihad, might find it more-effective to limit
its search pool.
- Also, consider that an error rate of 2/3000 of 1% should
statistically be considered "acceptable error," for anything but a
rifle shot at Pluto.
- Oh -- and the TSA is lying, or at least doing its best to
mislead. It nabbed the eight last Fall, before the program was even
enacted. (It was announced in February.)
Let's move on.
The
TSA wrote the letter to the AOPA, to try to justify its decree that
says it alone will decide who is a security threat, and tell
the FAA, which agency must revoke the holder's certificate. There's
at least two things wrong with that explanation.
- First is a blatant deception. The letter says that, "The
authority to issue and revoke airman certificates rests with FAA."
That is true; but it fails to acknowledge that the FAA is TOLD by
the TSA that so-and-so's certificate must be revoked -- and the
airman's agency MUST revoke it (pending an impossible
'appeal').
- Secondly, the TSA will not let anyone know how to appear on its
'hit list,' or what criteria are used, or how, perforce, to avoid
getting blacklisted. Therefore, 'appeal' is a worthless
construct.
Somehow, it's supposed to be OK?
The TSA, in its late-April letter, just released by the AOPA,
tries to assuage the effect of its rude proclamation by now saying
that it is 'considering' that 'a final appeal review' (after
the accused's funds are used up, and after he's been out of work
for months, and after his reputation has been ruined)
might be made to the Department of Homeland Security. [The
February decision, still not amended, said 'appeals' could be
made only to the TSA --ed.] Since the DHS is the parent of the TSA,
it is unclear what additional expectation of fairness that would
offer. Oh -- the reasons for the blacklisting, and the witnesses
and evidence against the certificate-holder, are still secret, even
from the defense attorney.
The TSA's argument against one's right to
self-defense against its charges remains circular as ever:
"...we believe that national security concerns warrant leaving the
matter to the expertise and discretion of the agency charged with
making the determination." In other words, 'you're guilty, because
we said so.'
So, we're left with empty promises from a totalitarian entity,
that holds our livelihoods and reputations in its hands, and claims
infallibility; and which claims the "expertise" to remain outside
the constraints of basic fairness and judicial revue. Failing that,
it still retains the "discretion" to whatever it feels like, so,
well, tough.
Your Congressman and Senators started this --
is it time, yet, to tell them what they've created, and demand that
they dismantle it?
Bolen Gives Congress a Rare Thumbs-Up
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