With all of the concerns about the TSA there has been some discussion about the airports that are currently contracting private companies to handle the TSA duties. One of the biggest supporters of this change is Republican Rep. John Mica of Florida. He claims that a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report shows a "statistically significantly better". Mica also claims that using private companies gets a "better cost for the taxpayers".
This sounds great right? Except that the opinions that Mr. Mica is presenting as facts are exaggerated at best and out right lies at worst. The GAO suggested that the performance by the private company employees "was equal to or better than that of Transportation Security Officers". Equal to or better than is not nearly as positive of a review as "statistically significantly better". Additionally, if something is actually statistically better in a significant way, the best argument to make is using the statistics that prove your point. Without an actual number as a comparison the statement becomes and arbitrary judgement based on ones opinion. I assume this was done intentionally be Rep Mica given that the facts seem much less compelling than his belief.
As far as the "cost to taxpayers" is concerned, this same GAO report that Rep Mica is happy to quote when the information supports his opinion, shows that the cost of private employees doing the same job as public employees INCREASES costs by 17%.
Facts be damned. Rep. Mica has an agenda and he will say what ever makes his argument stronger regardless of the reality.
This also points to a bigger issue. Republicans believe that without a shadow of a doubt that private industry is cheaper than their public sector counterpoints. This is an obvious example of how wrong they are. And this is certainly not the first. But that won't stop Republicans from lashing out against the best public sector employees in the world to push their agenda. Very patriotic of Republicans, eh?
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