What exactly is TSA?

I always wonder, especially as a Government Employee, what exactly is TSA.

TSA is a name that everyone know, and yet everyone hate.

TSA stands for Transportation Security Administration, an agency under the "supervision" of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. If you want to know more, you can read the following first:

Transportation Security Administration - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

TSA | Transportation Security Administration | U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Why do I want to talk about TSA today?

Because TSA is simply a monster, that is "monster" enough that is complete out of control.

Personally, I did not experience any negative from TSA (except a Freedom of Information Act / Privacy Act information request). But still, in my view, TSA is an perfect example of government waste.

Yes- you heard me correct- it is a waste.

So what exactly is TSA?

1. TSA is not a law enforcement agency.

In most of the cases, TSA does not have to authority to investigate and arrest.

How about their employees? Most of them are basically under a special pay grade that are not even classified as law enforcement (Based on the U.S. Government's design, all law enforcement Federal Employees are paid under General Schedule - Law Enforcement, known as GL, which will give them an automatic 25% premium from a regular General Schedule, or GS employee, to settle overtime issue and early retirement.)

2. "Our failures are known, our successes are not..."

It is a line spoken by Al Pacino in "The Recruit", a movie that talk about Central Intelligence Agency, or CIA.

Well, even people now know the success of CIA, how about TSA?

As always, their failures are known, like allowing live ammo, loaded gun, butcher knives into secured area.

Have they ever success? I will rather say the counterpart of TSA in other countries do a better job than TSA.

3. Security Personnel?

Really? Even a Private Security Officer, under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service, has a firearm. What does TSA have? Hands with blue gloves.

4. Security Measures

Are they even work? If you think so, read or watch the following and think again:

Anderson Cooper 360°: CNN: Do TSA body scanners even work?

TSA's Revised Cost Comparison Provides a More Reasonable Basis for Comparing the Costs of Private-Sector and TSA Screeners

Personally, I am a strong supporter of pat-down, as I never believe those body scanners, known as Advanced Imaging Technology, work at all.

5. Oversight?

Based on personal experience (work unrelated), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security does not have its oversight and control over TSA at all.

Basically, Homeland Security do this in one way, and TSA will do it in another way.

So my readers, can you tell me what TSA is exactly?