Newark Liberty Airport Security Threatened By Bickering Among Agencies

The Road Warrior, John Cichowski writes about the impasse between the Port Authority and the TSA, which threatens the security of the public because of a failure to implement an automated baggage screening system that can detect hidden weapons in baggage. It wasn't implemented because of a squabble over who should pay for it. The TSA claims the Port Authority should pay for it, while the Port Authority wants the feds to pay for the $500 million system, which would install the equipment at Newark Liberty, La Guardia, and Kennedy Airports.

Remedial training might be appropriate for the Port Authority and the TSA, both of which deserve all the heat they're getting. At a Senate committee hearing Tuesday, Sen. Frank Lautenberg held a knife over his head and asked Stone how "something like this could go through."

The admiral argued that a TSA survey shows that 89 percent of airline passengers believe airport security is adequate. But, as the senator surely knows, a knife could go through -at least to some extent -because mom and dad were too busy fussing over money instead of protection.

That seems to have changed since the admiral and the PA chairman resumed negotiating Saturday. Coscia now wants the high-tech fix, and Stone is reviewing a Port Authority "wish list." Who will pay for what is still unclear. The PA chairman insists he doesn't have the money to do it.

At least these two are talking again. Before Saturday, I was beginning to wonder what would have happened a few dozen years ago if my folks had spent their time fussing about cost after burglars broke into our house. Mom and dad didn't fuss much because they couldn't bear the consequences of a broken window and a jimmied front-door lock. They made the necessary repairs, changed the locks, added some security and worried about how to pay for it later.

Yeah, yeah. My comparison isn't perfect. Their costs were a bit less than $500 million. Their loss didn't affect 32 million people.

But focusing on scale misses the point. Good stewards don't leave their houses or airports inadequately guarded for months and years. Doing so undermines public confidence and invites another breach.

We should be glad mom and dad are communicating again. It shouldn't even bother us when dad says he doesn't know where to get the money to pay for safety. We know where. We're not kids anymore. We just don't know which purse it's going to come from.

But I have a feeling that once the adults stop whining and start making a credible case, we'll voluntarily give it up -just like Katrina Bell.

Caught in the middle is the public, who lacks the protections gained by checking all baggage that passes through the airports. This is a potentially deadly gap in airline security and should be rectified immediately.