and doesn't have over 25,000 people to spare for airport security. Over the past 9 years, over 200,000 people were cut from the Air Force but the job was never reduced. People are stretched pretty thin.

The current system is broken and needs to be improved. They're already raising ticket prices to pay for better security so that means there should be enough money to hire better personnel and give them better training and equipment. That's a good start.

Airport security is far more than the people checking carry on luggage. Security has to also consider the thousands of people who work at the airports and have unescorted access to the planes. That means everyone from the flight crews through the mechanics to the baggage loaders all the way to the food service people and the cleaning personnel has to be checked. Any one of those people could smuggle a weapon or bomb onto a plane, so all of them need to have a background check and tighter scrutiny.

You also have to consider the airport perimeter and all facilities. That means you need police-like personnel to make sure people don't sneak onto the grounds to damage planes or tamper with critical equipment (navigation devices, radar, communications facilities, fuel storage, etc.)

There also needs to be a comprehensive set of rules in place and someone at each airport who is definitely in charge of all security issues. All of this costs money, but I guess it's time for us to pay. I still don't think federalizing the screeners will do anything to improve security, especially if they don't address the other issues.