Americablog: Airport Screeners Cuts Show RW Favoritism

[Hissyspit]

Commentary is courtesy of Americablog's Michael in New York: "The Republican-controlled House and Senate are getting ready to cut up to 15% of the entire country's checkpoint screeners at airports. The Senate wants to cut 6000 of the 45,000 screeners; the House wants to cut 2000. USA Today details which airports are hit hardest with cuts. (Some, in fact, gain). Among the big losers: Detroit (black people), Puerto Rico (dark-skinned people and Ricky Martin) and JFK in New York (lots of liberals and besides, it's in Queens and that makes them feel icky). Among the big winners: Arnuhld's Los Angeles, Houston (naturally) and -- no surprise here -- Washington-Dulles. Shameless.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2005-07-28-tsa-screeners_x.htm

Airport chiefs: Proposed screener cuts a bad idea
By Thomas Frank, USA TODAY

Airline passengers will face longer airport security lines starting this fall if Congress goes through with plans to cut up to 13% of the nation's checkpoint screeners, a top Transportation Security Administration official said Thursday.

Thomas Blank, TSA's acting deputy administrator, said the Homeland Security Department is fighting a Senate spending measure that would cut 6,000 of the agency's 45,000 screeners. The House voted to cut 2,000 screeners in the budget that takes effect Oct. 1, Blank told a Capitol Hill hearing.

Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., chairman of the House subcommittee that oversees Homeland Security funding, disputed Blank's figures and said the House is not cutting any screeners but is cutting unnecessary management costs.

Airport directors predicted enormous lines if 6,000 screeners are cut as air travel hits record levels.

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