And maybe Janet Napolitano should have been standing at the gate in Amsterdam, you think? The policies of Homeland Security that are BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO WORK, are what was in place. Gee, maybe we all should have seen through the Bush/Cheney Faux Homeland Security the day DUCT TAPE became a priority.
If pilots need to be notified across the entire North American continent to secure their cockpits and planes than maybe the Homeland Security initiative needs to be rethought completely.
...Quite right. For one thing, Lieberman (click here), as chairman for the last two years, barely used his committee to actually explore domestic security policy. For another, it's not as if Lieberman has such a unique expertise that Americans would be at risk if, say, Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) chaired the same committee. Or Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) or Thomas Carper (D-Del.) or Mark Pryor (D-Ark.)
It's one of those rare arguments from Lieberman that combines arrogance, incompetence, and demagoguery, all at the same time. A rare feat, indeed....
Demint from South Carolina needs to be impeached and brought before the Ethics Committee. It is time to deal with political 'operatives' that see their power as toys for political volleys rather than the protection of the public.
Sen. Demint Voices Concern Over TSA (click here)
Demint Blocked Senate Vote On President's Nominee To Head Agency
POSTED: 6:47 am EST December 30, 2009
UPDATED: 11:22 am EST December 30, 2009
Demint objected to a senate vote on the nominee to head the TSA, he said, because he wants to know where he stands on unions....
Unions? I would think unions would be a REQUIREMENT in any government funded agency. It is SOP for government agencies in many instances to have unions to protect their employees because of the 'cold' nature of the administration of any government agency. The government is an entity that is completely removed from human capacity and is a DISTANT manager to operations of its systems.
The more distant a manager is from actual 'work place dynamics' the more arbitrary and inefficent a work place becomes and fails in its purpose. By placing unions within the government structure as a private operation that supports the employees, it 'gives voice' to those employees that facilitates better operation and the 'human dynamic' that is needed for SUCCESSFUL purpose of any government agency.
So, Demint is completely wrong to even question that. He is wrong both in theory and practice. A unionized worker is an empowered worker and feels safe to file greivances about their work place. Union workers, believe it or not, like to contribute to their work environment to be sure they are delivering the best service for the 'excellant' pay they earn. They value their jobs, the quality of life it brings to their families and they want their employers happy with the product to be sure it is highly esteemed in the market place, even if it is service related. If the product isn't worth the pay, it won't last for long.
In the case of Airport Security, the workers should be proud to deliver high quality service to their employers as the people they are securing, on any given day, in any given airport, could be their family members.
Unionized workers within government structures should be mandated as 'experience' enhances the ability to secure airlines. Seniority should count and there should be chances for advancement.
Demint is an obstructist. It is the priority of the RNC. He needs to be seen as a 'threat' to our national security along with anyone else 'playing games' with lives, including Lieberman and Senate Ethics Committee needs to act.
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