The Pentagon recently held a ceremony honoring their employees who acted heroically in the face of the terrorist attacks.  Since September 11^th we have witnessed the recognitions of a multitude of heroes in our country.  All of America has celebrated the heroic actions of the New York Police Officers and Fire Fighters in the hours, days and weeks following the collapse of the World Trade Center.  Public opinion of New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and New York State Governor George Pataki in light of this crisis has catapulted them to hero status as well.  And the most recent addition to the growing list of “every day” heroes are our postal employees who deliver our mail through rain, sleet, snow and now even an anthrax scare.  There is one commonality shared by all of these heroes – they are all government employees.

            That is why I was so amazed when Republicans in Congress objected so strenuously to making the security personnel at our nation’s airports government employees.  Every day, Republicans offered seemingly sincere appreciation and praise for the heroic work performed by a myriad of public servants on September 11^th, and then almost without taking a breath railed about how government workers are inept “slackers” and therefore unable to provide adequate airport security.  They offered these arguments even though as Members of Congress we are protected by Capitol Hill Police, who are government employees.  Our nation’s borders are patrolled by federal workers.  The highly trained, well-skilled military personnel and the FBI that are fighting terrorism around the world are all arms of the federal government.  So why is it that all of these security forces should come under government oversight, but we let airport security be controlled by the lowest bidder?

            The recent incident in Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport is a prime example of the enormous failings of privatized security.   Employees of Argenbright Security Inc. screen baggage and passengers in the United Airlines terminal.  Earlier this month a man went through a security checkpoint with seven knives, a stun gun and a canister marked tear gas in his carry-on bag.  Two other folding knives were discovered in his pockets after he set off a metal detector, but he was not detained. The man was only detained and all the weapons confiscated after United employees at the gate checked his bag. 

            This enormous breech of security is all the more disturbing since they occurred at a time when everyone is under the heightened state of alarm.  One would imagine that baggage screeners would be especially sensitive to anything resembling a weapon, and yet an arsenal of weapons passed through scrutiny without a second glance.  And the Republicans preferred this approach over government employees many of whom lay down there lives time and time again?

            Those opposing federalizing airport security might point to this as an isolated incident.  But in fact it is not.  Argenbright Security has previously been fined $1.5 million for not doing background checks and many other violations.  And last month the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation announced an audit of Argenbright’s screeners.  The Atlanta-based firm provides security in 14 different airports nationwide. 

            It would seem the privatization has resulted in the inept security that we all fear.  Government employees have proven to be resilient, hard working, dedicated and even heroic.  It is time to get rid of minimum wage for minimum security, and bring the security of the flying public under the auspices of the federal government and the watchful eyes of dedicated public servants.  And after weeks of wrangling, finally everyone on Capitol Hill agrees.

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