by Aero-News Contributing Correspondent Kevin O'Brien

Let's recap the history of the Transportation Security Administration:

The TSA...

...was created because of the public perception that weak security contributed materially to the 9/11 attacks. Has done much to increase its own size and power, but nothing material to make flying safer.

...blew through budget ceilings time and again with spending on such things as luxury office space and lavish salary and benefits packages for behind.

...was enjoined to increase the number of air marshals. When its mall-cop hires couldn't pass shooting tests, TSA dropped the tests. These unsafe marshals are still flying today, and have been involved in cases of gratuitous gun-display and passenger intimidation. Net effect on safety: negative.

...was enjoined to increase the security of airports, and blew the money paying six-figure salaries to managers and assistants -- mostly military and police retreads who sit in offices (when they're not getting busted themselves, as one just did for DUI). Net effect on safety: negative.

...was enjoined to create a professional, federalized screener force. Reason: screeners in place were no good. First hiring decision: new screeners could only be selected from the pool of (no-good) old screeners. As a result, the new screeners, despite being a huge drain on the public treasury, are no more effective than the old in preventing boarding of persons with prohibited items than the old screeners (despite being six times more costly). Reaction from TSA HQ: an attempt to suppress this bad news. Data on the ineptitude of screeners is "classified."

...now has arrogated to itself the power to fine, which it does, as TSA does all things, haphazardly. Complete with lawyers making threatening calls to the victims of TSA random fines, doubling fines for no accountable reason. Scheduling a hearing before an ALJ on the opposite side of the country over a $150-no-what-the-hell-let's-make-it-$300 fine is a "fine" touch indeed.

The TSA clearly needs a house cleaning. It seems that no one in the agency is accountable to anyone. Unless they get a handle on the accountability question, which they have shown no interest in doing, then any accountability will have to come from Congress and the media. They are not going to like that, but then cockroaches don't like bright lights, either.

FMI: www.tsa.gov