U.S. to cut 6,000 airport screening jobs

[Madison]

good to see they haven't forgotten where the priorities lie. this will free up more money to 'liberate' people and wave flags. or maybe fund a "faith-based initiative" or two. if people have to wait longer, or air travel isn't as safe, well, freedom does have its costs, you know.

U.S. to cut 6,000 airport screening jobs
Reuters, 04.30.03, 3:00 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. will cut 6,000 airport screening jobs -- 11 percent of workers who clear passengers and luggage through security checks -- over the next five months to comply with congressional demands to limit staffing and save money, the Transportation Security Administration said Wednesday.

James Loy, the agency's director, said most of the cuts would come through attrition, but some workers would be let go for performance reasons.

Loy said the work force reduction would yield a budget savings of $280 million.

There are 55,000 full and part-time screeners at more than 420 U.S. airports. Congress has sought to limit the screener work force to less than 50,000.

"While we still live in a dangerous world, it also is time to assess our workplace requirements in relation to budget realities," Loy told reporters at a news conference.

 

[bungrider]

the more terrorist attacks there are against US citizens, the easier it is for people to ignore the facts completely about this whole bullshit administration, and line up blindly behind president dipshit regardless of how corrupt or incompetent he proves to be.

 

[BeastWithNoName]

We need to "liberate" more people in countries where the oil is. Somebody better get Mohammed down in the mailroom to put on the Osama bin Laden costume and proclaim he's in Syria. By the way, don't put away your anti-terrorist suits just yet, surely the kindergarten color code system will surely be making a triumphant return.

Remember we need to make the world more Christian, damn these heathens walking the earth, don;t they know that the Lord Jesus Christ is the one and only and we need to kill all those who oppose him. No lets all get some guns and ammo and lets do it for Jesus!!! Gimme a Hell Yeah.

 

[AAAintheBeltway]

I am of two minds about this. On the one hand, I wonder why we need even 50,000 morons seizing nail clippers and harassing grandmothers. On the other hand, this is pure Washington bs, in fact it's the old Washington Monument ploy--if your agency is threatened with a budget cut, announce that you will be forced to cut the most visible, useful part of the agency, ie close the Washington Monument rather than cut loose a few overpaid desk jockeys.

Homeland security has managed to spend a stupendous amount of money and create an enormous bureacracy, without much in the way of actual improvement in safety. But at least those Minnesota grandmothers are not sneaking any nail clippers onto planes now.