A smarter, leaner approach to homeland security

[Geee]

Washington Times:

President Reagan had it right when he said, “The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program.” The unchecked growth of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is one of today’s most striking examples.

In the 11 years since Sept. 11, 2001, DHS has grown into the third-largest department in the federal government. With more than 240,000 employees and an annual budget of $40 billion, it is the epitome of government bureaucracy. Although spending on security is essential, DHS‘ massive size has unintentionally caused it to become flat-footed and complacent.

Given our deteriorating fiscal situation, we must come to terms with the fact that endless spending is not the right solution to the evolving security challenges we face. DHS cannot continue to waste taxpayer dollars in failed attempts to buy down risk. We need a smarter, leaner, more agile approach to homeland security.

The prime target of this improved philosophy is the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). I think there are three concrete steps that can be taken to make not only TSA, but also the rest of DHS smarter and leaner without compromising security: