Why do people keep bashing the TSA?

[cstone]

The founding fathers didn't have to predict the future. Name one thing that they couldn't have possibly known about that isn't covered by Article 1, Section 8 or the 10th Amendment. The federal government is meant to have limited powers, and that is why they are and must be explicitly spelled out in the constitution.

The Civil War, end of slavery, and making former slaves into full US citizens. I named three. Many of the Founding Fathers foresaw these things but they were not able to address them without compromise. If the northern states had insisted on what they saw as inevitable, the Union would not exist.

The US Constitution was created to replace a very weak government originally founded under the Articles of Confederation. When eleven states decided that they wished to return to that weaker form of government, the rest of the Union resisted and forcibly returned those states to the Union despite what you read in the 10th Amendment.

We are where we are and going back doesn't seem to be an option unless you would choose to sacrifice the Union of our country. So where we go from here seems to be a function of what kind of People are We and where do we want to go. This is the will of the people and it is as fickle as any other kind of popularity.

I hope you are enjoying the discussion as much as I am.

I will list another agency I like:
Bureau of the Public Debt
http://www.publicdebt.treas.gov/

[TSOTSI]

Classic TSA candidate

[Sharpienads]

The Civil War, end of slavery, and making former slaves into full US citizens. I named three. Many of the Founding Fathers foresaw these things but they were not able to address them without compromise. If the northern states had insisted on what they saw as inevitable, the Union would not exist.

The US Constitution was created to replace a very weak government originally founded under the Articles of Confederation. When eleven states decided that they wished to return to that weaker form of government, the rest of the Union resisted and forcibly returned those states to the Union despite what you read in the 10th Amendment.

We are where we are and going back doesn't seem to be an option unless you would choose to sacrifice the Union of our country. So where we go from here seems to be a function of what kind of People are We and where do we want to go. This is the will of the people and it is as fickle as any other kind of popularity.

I hope you are enjoying the discussion as much as I am.

I will list another agency I like:
Bureau of the Public Debt
http://www.publicdebt.treas.gov/

The end of slavery and making former slaves US citizens were added to the constitution by the 13th and 14th amendments respectively, not by a change in culture or circumstance. This would be an example of the federal government abiding by the constitution and doing things the right way.

Embracing federalism doesn't mean sacrificing the Union or going back to anything except more liberty and more responsive government. If where we are is where we want to be, why doesn't the federal government do things by the book? The FDA, EPA, Dep of Education, Energy, Agriculture, Social Security, Obamacare... all unconstitutional. If we want these things so bad, why weren't amendments added to make them constitutional? Should be pretty easy since they're so popular and everybody thinks they're such a good idea.

[Ronin13]

The Coast Guard is part of DHS. Is the Coast Guard bad? Does anyone like the Secret Service? They are part of DHS.

I'm just trying to find out if there is anyone here who likes any federal government agency.

DHS has a few good agencies- CG, SS (not just because of protection but their original reason for creation, to keep funny money out of circulation)... I also think with a few more restrictions and limits the FBI can be good, CIA, and again more restrictions the NSA is very useful. Here's my short list of what I think are pretty decent agencies:
USGS, USFS, US Geo-spacial Intelligence Agency, DOD, DIA, NOAA, FWS, NPS and that's about all I can think of right now...
Here's what need to go, preferably now:
MPAA, and RIAA(not gov but still needs to go away), FCC, TSA, NDIC, DEA, MBDA, and a few more but these top the list. And with the money and people let go by the now defunct DEA I'd say put that money into the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

[cstone]

The end of slavery and making former slaves US citizens were added to the constitution by the 13th and 14th amendments respectively, not by a change in culture or circumstance. This would be an example of the federal government abiding by the constitution and doing things the right way.

Embracing federalism doesn't mean sacrificing the Union or going back to anything except more liberty and more responsive government. If where we are is where we want to be, why doesn't the federal government do things by the book? The FDA, EPA, Dep of Education, Energy, Agriculture, Social Security, Obamacare... all unconstitutional. If we want these things so bad, why weren't amendments added to make them constitutional? Should be pretty easy since they're so popular and everybody thinks they're such a good idea.

What are your thoughts on the US Supreme Court? Is the federal judiciary an equal branch of government?

I consider myself a strict constructionist when it comes to the Constitution, however, I don't believe every agency of the federal government needs a Constitutional amendment to exist. I am guessing we would disagree in that area.

It isn't easy to amend the Constitution. It also isn't easy to alter any government bureaucracy. Historically it is easier to do the latter rather than the former. Congress can and does (occasionally) dissolve government agencies. Getting back to the topic of the TSA, I actually foresee a day when the makeup of Congress will change and the TSA will either change drastically or go away completely. I won't shed any tears on that day, as I'm sure many of you won't either.

Should aviation specifically, and transportation in general be protected from attack? If you think it should, then who should be entrusted with that mission and who should pay for it?

[cstone]

DHS has a few good agencies- CG, SS (not just because of protection but their original reason for creation, to keep funny money out of circulation)... I also think with a few more restrictions and limits the FBI can be good, CIA, and again more restrictions the NSA is very useful. Here's my short list of what I think are pretty decent agencies:
USGS, USFS, US Geo-spacial Intelligence Agency, DOD, DIA, NOAA, FWS, NPS and that's about all I can think of right now...
Here's what need to go, preferably now:
MPAA, and RIAA(not gov but still needs to go away), FCC, TSA, NDIC, DEA, MBDA, and a few more but these top the list. And with the money and people let go by the now defunct DEA I'd say put that money into the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Thanks for sharing your list. It is nice for some of us to know that not every federal employee is useless and that the entire federal government isn't a wasteland full of corruption (only parts of it ).

For anyone else considering what if any government agencies are useful, I would caution that what you consider to be valuable says as much about you and what you value as it does the agencies you choose.

Every agency (federal, state, and local) exists because someone thought the agency would be valuable and necessary. Every law exists because someone, somewhere did something stupid and harmful to someone.

[Sharpienads]

What are your thoughts on the US Supreme Court? Is the federal judiciary an equal branch of government?

I consider myself a strict constructionist when it comes to the Constitution, however, I don't believe every agency of the federal government needs a Constitutional amendment to exist. I am guessing we would disagree in that area.

It isn't easy to amend the Constitution. It also isn't easy to alter any government bureaucracy. Historically it is easier to do the latter rather than the former. Congress can and does (occasionally) dissolve government agencies. Getting back to the topic of the TSA, I actually foresee a day when the makeup of Congress will change and the TSA will either change drastically or go away completely. I won't shed any tears on that day, as I'm sure many of you won't either.

Should aviation specifically, and transportation in general be protected from attack? If you think it should, then who should be entrusted with that mission and who should pay for it?

Yes the Supreme Court is an equal branch of government.

Not every agency needs a constitutional amendment, but it still needs constitutional authority. For example, the second enumerated power:

"The Congress shall have the power to... borrow money on the credit of the United States"

Under this enumerated power you could have the Treasury Department and the Bureau of the Public Debt and probably a couple of other agencies. Nowhere in the constitution do you find anything related to education, energy, agriculture, pollution, etc.

You're right, it's not easy to amend the constitution. It was designed that way. Unfortunately, instead of that being a roadblock to bigger government, it encourages congress to just bypass the amendment process.

Of course aviation should be protected from attack. Again, just because I don't want the federal government to do something doesn't mean I don't want it done. The States can figure that one out. If each State had it's own "TSA" at their airports that would be fine and totally constitutional. Or they can contract it out. I don't really care how they do it, but the TSA has to go.

[Sharpienads]

I just looked it up... 480 federal departments and agencies. 11 pages worth of departments and agencies, Times New Roman font, size 12, single spaced, one inch margins.

All this from 18 enumerated powers...

Ridiculous.

[TFOGGER]

Thanks for sharing your list. It is nice for some of us to know that not every federal employee is useless and that the entire federal government isn't a wasteland full of corruption (only parts of it ).
On the other hand, most services the government administers could be done more efficiently by the private sector

For anyone else considering what if any government agencies are useful, I would caution that what you consider to be valuable says as much about you and what you value as it does the agencies you choose.

Every agency (federal, state, and local) exists because someone thought the agency would be valuable and necessary. Every law exists because someone, somewhere did something stupid and harmful to someone.
Yet not every wrong should require a new law, particularly when it was against laws already on the books. This is why the United States Code is now over 45,000 pages.

I'm a big believer in federalism and the 10th Amendment. DHS is an illegal, unconstitutional conglomeration of mostly unconstitutional agencies, given sweeping and overweening power by the Patriot act and other legislation in the wake of 9/11. W's regime was no less adept at taking advantage of crises than Oblowme's. In my opinion(worth even less than what you're paying for it), Federal power needs to be rolled back to about where it was in 1910. Obviously, there would need to be updates to the responsibilities of some departments (transportation and technology have evolved), but the USG has exceeded its authority in asserting control over almost every aspect of our lives.

[tonantius]

I would say that we could eliminate a bunch of federal agencies and whole departments and this would positively impact our economy.