Hey Superman, can you explain this?
 

The meat of the point is between 0:50 & 1:05.

Looks like and improvement of 300-400% to me. :D



<a href="http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-US&brand=msnbc&vid=2c7ac1cf-78c6-4f43-ad1a-0707a578d78f" target="_new" title="Fake bombs slip past screeners"><img src="http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j//msnbc/Components/Video/071019/tdy_costello_airport_071019.vmodv4.jpg" border=0 alt="Fake bombs slip past screeners" width=112 height=84><br />Fake bombs slip past screeners</a>

Link no worky.

I'm curious, though. I have to confess, I probably have the same view of Homeland Security and TSA as you guys, if that's what this is about. It is arguably not our most effective public agency. It was created by gubmit-haters, so what do you expect?

Government haters to blame for government problems? You're breaking new ground here Supe! Is this some sort of legislative self-loathing complex?

Superman,
Please list the top 5 government agencies, in terms of efficacy.

Ok, try this:

http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-US&brand=msnbc&vid=2c7ac1cf-78c6-4f43-ad1a-0707a578d78f

The only government programs and agencies that work are those that are created by Democrats.

Republican programs are mainly just to keep minorities on crack, and to benefit Dick Cheney.

Your post is not clear to me. But, for clarity's sake, there are two types of Republican legislators. My parents and their friends, and many other Republicans I have known in my life are respectful and hopeful in terms of what can be done for society through public policy. I got no problem there. None. But there is another kind that gets elected for the specific purpose of eliminating as much of gubmit as possible, and throwing a monkey wrench into the programs they can't kill. I have seen this with my own eyes. I got a problem with those people.

Oh, and then there is the simple comedy of folks who don't really believe in government attempting to set up programs because they HAVE to, whether or not they know what they're doing. If you've followed the antics of Homeland Security and TSA, then you know what I'm talking about.

It says I need Flash 9.0. I'm fearful of the IT Nazis.

Okay, I found it. I had heard something about this. And again, frankly, I see similarities between TSA and Keystone Cops. But the passage I both expected and found disappointing is this one:
- - - - - - - -
Undercover investigators smuggled decoy explosives through O'Hare International Airport at alarming rates six years after the Sept. 11 attacks, leading to calls Thursday for better training of security screeners, higher job-performance standards and harsh consequences for failure.

- - - - - - - -

In other words, the beatings will continue until morale improves.

If this were true, Hillary would be running as a Republican, speaking at minority conventions telling them how much free money and healthcare she has to offer. And yet, that does not seem to be the case.

It's 5 o'clock somewhere Supe, calm down. Something about your initial statement with government haters running the government amused me. Perhaps I should have written it in green?

Sup,

The point is that the private company did much much better. Do they "love" bomb detection?

What private company? The one that smuggled fake bombs? They were not in the same business as TSA. Very different. Quite frankly, it is hard for me to imagine a system so effective that a fake bomb cannot be placed in an airliner. If someone wants to smuggle a bomb, there are ways. Still, we expect better performance from screeners and we want them to catch as many as possible. Make it unlikely that a bomb, attemtped to be smuggled, will make it into the plane.

??? Did you watch the video? The airport with a private company running security found 80% of the bombs and/or related devices where as the TSA found 20-30%.

I'll believe that. For your edification, when TSA was formed and initial staffing was done, the Dubya "administration" outlined its labor strategy. No unions. Wages mandated, and as low as possible. This agency deliberately staffed itself with "screeners" who have little successful employment experience and no valuable skills. Amusingly, more than 30% were terminated weeks and months later when it was learned they cannot pass a background check. You wanna meet some TSA people? The best place would be a city bus. That's how they get to work. Or anywhere else for that matter, I imagine.

The private company had options. Like I mentioned in the Public Sector Management thread. These two threads are related.

But the funny thing is, the ankle weights are not usually placed on the agency by the people who have the responsibility to administer and manage it. Usually those limitations come from the agency's enemies. This time, they came from the White House. With easily predictable results. One more time......why do we place gubmit haters in charge of running the government? The deck was stacked for this private company against its public sector competitors.

So more money, higher wages and a union for the screeners?

This, of course, means that they will suddenly become spectacular employees. You know, like most public employees. And most union employees.:D

Supe, I'm a bit dissapointed. I thought you were beyond the "Blame Bush" stupidity. Our government issues go far deeper than one administration.

I don't like Dubya. Never did. From the first time I saw a film clip of him. The term that best describes my impression of him is and has always been "arrogant coward." I don't like him.

I don't know if a union would help or not. And of course, paying those existing screeners more money would cause performance increases, but they would be minor. No, the thing that would have avoided certain failure would have been to consider the qualifications needed, and price those qualifications accordingly. That is what didn't happen. What did happen was an "administration" just didn't have any respect for the local labor markets from which it would draw its workforce. Quite frankly, when this many workers are hired this quickly, the bottom of the barrel is going to be scraped. Everyone who couldn't get a job applied. And were hired. To get folks who are good at their work, you have to offer money that will attract them away from their existing jobs. The Dubya "administration" thought it was much simpler than that. Lots of simple-minded gubmit-critics here, too.

Supe, you're largely talking about menial jobs here. People stand at x-ray machines, take your shoes, and occasionally get to wand and frisk. There's not a huge amount of mental capacity required. I would blame many of the failures on mismanagement and lack of proper training and procedures. That is a job that you can train nearly anyone to do, but you have to properly train and monitor them.

Reardon:

Top five government agencies (as to their efficiency)

IRS: Ever figure what would happen if you didn't pay your taxes? They will find you. And, that is their job and they are darn good at it.

Social Security Adminitration: Checks get out on time to millions of retirees and others. Don't bring up the inadequacies of the laws that govern the SSA; only whether they do their job as defined by hese lows efficiently.

Keep in mind that private industry has the advantage of hiding their goldbrickers behind closed doors while most government agencies operate in a fishbowl environment. With experience working in both sector, I can say with no hesitation that there is very little difference in "efficiency". However, some here with no experience in one or the oher seem to think they are experts. That kind of expert is defined as follows:

[I]"Expert" (X-spurt): X: an unknown ...........Spurt : a drip under pressure. [/I]
The rest of the efficient agencies?

Marines
Air Force
Army
Navy
Coast Guard

Ya gonna be unAmerican and say these last five are NOT efficient in what they are directed to do?

Apparently there is a wee bit of room for improvement for the No. 1 government agency on your list:

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2922484

The agency I worked for was our Labor department. I handled Wage & Hour stuff. For a crew of just sixteen folks statewide to administer and enforce eight different entire law chapters over tens or hundreds of thousands of employers and millions of workers, they did a terrific job. Bear in mind that employment law has got to be among the most commonly violated. A gentleman's game. Violate overtime law and get it thrown out on a technicality......that'll get you high fives and free drinks at any employer association meeting anywhere.

In fact, there were a handful of investigators I would be delighted to stack up against whoever the private sector wants to put in the ring with them, on measures like professionalism, reliability, work volume, sharp mind, creativity and a number of other scales. One particular worker, CH, now retired, would wipe the mat with the blood of all comers, particularly in areas like professionalism, smarts, hard work and reliability. That lady knew her stuff and everybody, including the employers, respected and appreciated her.

So when you're preparing for a meeting with a government agency's management representatives, just assume they won't have any idea what they're talking about. That'll make the meeting more exciting for you than you had anticipated.

Oh, and I'll submit this: Our state transportation agency. WSDOT. Those guys are at the top of their game, overall. I have been impressed with each and every one of the hundreds of contacts I have made there.

Oh, and one more. Besides the switch to a "revenue" focus (I've got a real problem with that), the Washington State Patrol troopers are as professional and as prepared as the day is long. Those guys get ALL my respect. If only they were permitted to return to what they do so well.......motoring and public safety. This revenue focus is massive BS, and a shameful waste of the talents of that agency. And........frankly........it comes from tax cut after tax cut after tax cut where cretins have convinced voters that the best way to improve gubmit service is to cut agencies' revenues. Red light cameras and dedicated laser patrols are a response to that. Wake up, conservatives!