3 ms·

This sounds like the latest "mission creep" by the TSA in order to justify their budget and possibly ask for a budget increase. This would not be the first inst

This sounds like the latest "mission creep" by the TSA in order to justify their budget and possibly ask for a budget increase. This would not be the first instance of "mission creep" by them. See: https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/06/us/tsa-expands-duties-beyond-airport-security.html https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/06/us/tsa-expands-duties-bey... and https://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2012/02/29/the-tsa-is-coming-to-a-highway-near-you/#29ee469ddbee https://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2012/02/29/the-tsa-is-... They are basically an entrenched part of the security-industrial complex at this point. It seems to be a vicious circle of "expand the mission to justify a bigger budget and ask for a bigger budget in order to meet the self-directed increase in scope." There seems to be very little practical oversight of this agency.

neom 8y ago
Another good summery: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-air-marshal-program-scathing-report-response/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-air-marshal-program-sca...
avs733 8y ago
What I particularly loathe about TSA's constant mission creep is that at no point have they proven even minimally competent at any of the existing missions. Nothing they do provides any meaningful security. They fail 90% of tests run by their own agency. They are useless and ever expanding. By a medical definition, they are cancerous.
betterunix2 8y ago
There has been some pushback to the mission creep; my favorite is the response from freight railroads to a proposal by the TSA to have their agents show up unannounced at rail yards: https://www.cnn.com/2012/02/06/opinion/don-phillips-tsa-vipr-teams/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2012/02/06/opinion/don-phillips-tsa-vipr... "You might just lose a leg" and "some of our employees carry guns" is a pretty bold way to turn down the TSA...

neom 8y ago

Another good summery: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-air-marshal-program-scathing-report-response/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-air-marshal-program-sca...

avs733 8y ago

What I particularly loathe about TSA's constant mission creep is that at no point have they proven even minimally competent at any of the existing missions. Nothing they do provides any meaningful security. They fail 90% of tests run by their own agency. They are useless and ever expanding. By a medical definition, they are cancerous.

betterunix2 8y ago

There has been some pushback to the mission creep; my favorite is the response from freight railroads to a proposal by the TSA to have their agents show up unannounced at rail yards: https://www.cnn.com/2012/02/06/opinion/don-phillips-tsa-vipr-teams/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2012/02/06/opinion/don-phillips-tsa-vipr... "You might just lose a leg" and "some of our employees carry guns" is a pretty bold way to turn down the TSA...