TSA Replaces Security Chief As Tension Grows At Airports

HughPickens.com writes: Ron Nixon reports at the NYT that facing a backlash over long security lines and management problems, TSA administrator Peter V. Neffenger has shaken up his leadership team, replacing the agency's top security official Kelly Hoggan (Warning: source may be paywalled) and adding a new group of administrators at Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Beginning late that year, Hoggan received $90,000 in bonuses over a 13-month period, even though a leaked report from the Department of Homeland Security showed that auditors were able to get fake weapons and explosives past security screeners 95 percent of the time in 70 covert tests. Hoggan's bonus was paid out in $10,000 increments, an arrangement that members of Congress have said was intended to disguise the payments. During a hearing of the House Oversight Committee two weeks ago, lawmakers grilled Mr. Neffenger about the bonus, which was issued before he joined the agency in July. Last week and over the weekend, hundreds of passengers, including 450 on American Airlines alone, missed flights because of waits of two or three hours in security lines, according to local news reports. Many of the passengers had to spend the night in the terminal sleeping on cots. The TSA has sent 58 additional security officers and four more bomb-sniffing dog teams to O'Hare. Several current and former TSA employees said the moves to replace Hoggan and add the new officials in Chicago, where passengers have endured hours long waits at security checkpoints, were insufficient. "The timing of this decision is too late to make a real difference for the summer," says Andrew Rhoades, an assistant federal security director at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport who testified his supervisor accused him of "going native" after attending a meeting at a local mosque and that TSA's alleged practice of "directed reassignments," or unwanted job transfers were intended to punish employees who speak their minds. "Neffenger is only doing this because the media and Congress are making him look bad."

Comments

How about declaring 'Mission Accomplished'?

[schwit1]

And have the TSA pull out?

Re:Heck of a job, Brownie.

[xxxJonBoyxxx]

>> It isn't a power play to increase their budget

I disagree.

First, the whining about Congressional budget:
"Long airport-security lines are a symptom of Congress' budget-cutting mantra" - April 18, 2016
https://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2016/04/long-airport-security-lines-are-symptom-congress-budget-cutting-mantra
"With many travelers missing or nearly missing their flights, we can fix this problem in the long term by increasing the funding for TSA to do its job..."

Then, when Congress forks over some taxdollars, a half-hearted "this might help but we could use more" with most of the money going to pad existing employees paychecks in the form of overtime
"Help is coming for long airport security lines"
http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/12/pf/tsa-reallocation-approved-airport-security-lines/
"TSA, asked Congress last week to be able to shift $34 million to increase the number of officers at airports... Around $26 million would pay for additional overtime and part-time hours, and around $8 million would go toward the hiring of 768 officers"

Which is followed by more whining:
"T.S.A. Offers New Measures Intended to Cut Airport Gridlock This Summer"
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/14/us/tsa-airport-security-lines.html?_r=0
"The long wait times we're seeing now are a direct result of Congress’s failure to give T.S.A. the money it needs to do its job," said J. David Cox Sr., the president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents airline screeners.

Which is why it still looks like the game was to shake down the travelling public until they asked Congress to open up the checkbox. Only they fucked up this time by getting too greedy and pissing too many important people off.

Re: Corruption + security theatre == profit

[DarkOx]

No I would not the thought would not even occur to me to try an hold anyone responsible other than the F*ing hijackers and the people they work for.

I might very well be on the steps of the capital trying to talk congressmen into talking military action against the terror groups. If its a domestic actor I might be writing my prosecutor encouraging him or her to seek the death penalty.

The correct response to terror is swift brutal retaliation. Where by we effect the opposite result of what they terrorist seek. What we SHOULD have done after 9/11 is invaded Saudi Arabia, replaced their government with a military governor of our own and banned the practice of Sharia Law. Then you start handing drivers licenses and firearms to the women. Next you put the entire place under our law code and aggressively prosecute anyone found to be doing something like trying to harassing women who don't want to wear the hijab, charge them with assault and send them to slam for the nice long mandatory minimum.

If we should the darn terrorist that provoking us actually result in the opposite of their aims and under took a policy of systematically undermining their culture to supplant it with our own whenever attacked we could win this thing. Its not politically correct to say so but American Hegemony resulted in a better world for almost everyone in the late 20th century. We should be seeking to preserve and expand that. multiculturalism has been and will always be a failure. Our culture is superior and it should replace inferior cultures like Islamic monarchies.

Re:Corruption + security theatre == profit

[Archangel Michael]

Actually, private contractors are the second worse option, the worst option, which the TSA went for is Unionized Government Employees. The union protects everyone, especially the lazy, evil, and corrupt members, and makes it nearly impossible to fire anyone for anything. You practically have to be on camera raping little girls before you can be fired (suspended, tried convicted and sentenced before actually being "fired") And you can't fire the TSA and replace it when it proves itself absolutely worthless (as in this case).

The fact is, the TSA is worst case scenario, and another fine example of "government" working hard to extract as much tax payer money as possible.Private contractors would do a much better job, cost less, and have better accountability than the current TSA does. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and in this case, the pudding tastes like shit.