Asymmetrical Information

Private sector failure? - Federalize, Public sector failure? - FUND!

Glenn Reynolds gets it right, as usual, commenting on The New Republic's take on airport security. First, pre-9/11 it was perfectly acceptable (although suspicious) to take five boxcutters on a plane. Secondly, if we are all so anxious for accountability, why are public agencies exempt?

it's not a question of whether screening is done by federal employees, but whether the standards are good ones, and whether they're strictly enforced. Yep. It's worth noting that industrial security is often better than that at military bases. And the people who actually dropped the ball with the hijackers weren't at Argenbright, but at the FBI, CIA, and INS. That keeps getting glossed over. If we were treating Argenbright like those agencies, we'd be doubling the value of its contracts while not firing any of its management. That's what's happening at the FBI, CIA and INS, and it's a disgrace.

Of course, airport security at the moment remains a complete joke: intrusive so that passengers will think they're being protected, but basically ineffective. The question is, will it get better if it's run by the federal government? Not unless they're willing to hold people accountable -- and the experience with the agencies that dropped the ball on the 9/11 hijackers doesn't bode well for that.

It reminds me of the school debate. In some people's eyes, public schools never fail - they just need more money (see the current debate raging in Pennsylvania).