Manchester Airport was the backdrop for warring press conferences that took up the question of how the federal government should address airport security reforms.
With a baggage carousel as her backdrop, first district Congressional hopeful Martha Fuller Clark did her best to pillory the current house of representatives for not supporting a Senate plan to federalize passenger screening at the nation's 420 commercial airports. Clark said the house?s rejection of a measure that won unanimous support in the senate was unconscionable, and indicative of skewed priorities that place corporate profits before not only national security but also the welfare of low-wage workers.
'What we are talking about is to make sure that the people who are working here are well paid well trained. Have the benefits that they need so we get qualified people who are willing to fill these jobs. I have little faith in private industry at this point even since September 1tth they haven?t been able to step up to the plate and do the job.'
Several hundred yards away, second district congressman Charles Bass used an airport conference room to assure reporters that private industry was indeed well equipped to ensure safer skies. To buttress his claims, Bass pointed to privatized security?s strong track record in Europe and Israel. He also stressed that an already existent market based system would be better equipped to make needed changes now, rather than the many months it would likely take the 28,000 strong federal force envisioned by the senate.
'It?s more flexible it can be implemented more rapidly and bottom line it provides the kind of security that would give passengers the kind of peace of mind that would and b to assure that the airline industry in this country recovers and prospers in the future.'
Bass?s concerns about rapid deployment were shared by Manchester airport manager Kevin Dillon.
'Think about the mechanics that would be involved with hiring 28,000 federal employees I think the quickest way to make improvement is to take the system you have today and make the changes, make the improvements that are needed.'
Dillon says central among those needed improvements is enhancing outdated airport security technology. But unlike Bass, who says market forces should dictate pay scales, Dillon says federally mandated wage hikes are an absolute necessity.
'Let's face it a lot of this comes down to compensation level. On average most screening people are making between six and eight dollars an hour. If your going to pay wages like that you are nor going to get the best qualified staff.'
Washington lawmakers will begin committees of conference to hash out a compromise in the coming days.
