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But people, including reporters, conduct such audits all the time. I'm not sure I see the connection between private security and an increased outcry; people wh

But people, including reporters, conduct such audits all the time. I'm not sure I see the connection between private security and an increased outcry; people who don't like the current level of security wouldn't be necessarily be more vocal if it was a business instead of a government agency. In fact, I'd bet a lot of people who get extremely exercised about privacy are generally not the biggest fans of the government (understandably).

grandalf 15y ago
If a private firm failed to keep passengers safe, the motive for doing so would be perceived as capitalist greed. The CEO of such a firm would be paid extremely well, and failures at the airport would be viewed as the result of cost cutting measures, poor working conditions for employees, cronyism, etc. The privacy issue is interesting, but I don't think it has much to do with the initial creation of the TSA. The main goal at the time the TSA was created was to create the appearance that leaders had things under control and to prevent disruptions caused by knee-jerk reactions (spiking market prices, etc.). In reality these would not likely have lasted long w/o government intervention, but they are the kinds of things that planners fear most.