Make airline security as efficient as Post Office?

"With federalization," says Gleason, "Democrats will try to get the union monopoly bargaining power." Such a move would mean less accountability and fewer choices for dissenting voices in the union.

This doesn't mean private companies don't have their problems. In the wake of the September strikes, it was revealed that Argenbright Security, Inc., had hired criminals to man security checkpoints at Philadelphia International Airport The Department of Justice has cracked down on the company, taking them to court for not adequately doing background checks.

Still, it is far more likely that Argenbright, which successfully runs airport security programs around the world and argues that not enough money was available for security in this country, will right itself before the government does. Private companies have an incentive to make improvements to win contracts, stay competitive, and avoid government sanction.

Compare that to the FAA. The agency was told by Congress to set uniform standards for airline security as far back as 1996. Five years later, there was no such system in place when 19 hijackers smuggled box cutters onto four planes to take control for their suicide runs.

In fact, the FAA is slow even by the federal snail's pace. On September 21, Isaac Yeffet, former head of security for Israel's E1-A1 Airlines, gave Congress a strong "I told you so." "In my previous statement that was presented to the subcommittee 12 years ago," he said, "I am positive that if you review it again you will see that the same problems that lie behind aviation security are still evident and that no significant changes have been made for improvement."

The federal government has a history of failure, high rates of attrition, and mounting inefficiency in other agencies such as the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the U.S. Postal Service, and Customs Office.

What's most interesting, perhaps, is that the federal government doesn't rely on federal workers when it comes to its own security. In the most dangerous and high-risk terror zones, including Belfast, Ireland, and Tel Aviv, Israel, the government insists on contracts with private companies such as Securicor, Securitas, and ICTS.

While these companies are new to American soil they have been hired as private contractors for years to ensure the security and safety of embassies, military bases, and other U.S.-affiliated properties for years. They are also used by NATO, the European Commission, and the European Parliament in Brussels.

Even Israel, the nation with the most experience at thwarting terrorism, has turned to a public-private partnership to ensure the latest techniques, accountability, and newest technology.

Israel used to have all aviation security handled by government. But five years ago, the government asked the private sector for assistance. The government assesses the risk level, sets standards, writes security directives, and follows up with tests and quality control.

Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, a government agency, trains and supplies management, including security oversight and access. But Amishav, a private company, conducts the pre-boarding interviews, searches, and other security functions in response to the government and airport demands.