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TSA spending $1,000 per employee on new uniforms!

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(CNSNews.com) - The impending sequester did not prevent the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) from acting in late February to seal a $50-million deal to purchase new uniforms for its agents--uniforms that will be partly manufactured in Mexico. Soon after this new investment in TSA uniforms, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano warned Americans that the lines are already lengthening at airports due to the sequester. (cnsnews.com) Mehr...

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jmilleratp
jmilleratp 21
The problem with insane government spending is that people in government endlessly believe that the money they spend is of absolutely no consequence, as if it were free. They have no concept of where the money came from, and there are no penalties for them when they spend recklessly.
preacher1
preacher1 15
And they must spend it all or they won't get as much next year. No incentive to save or be efficient

[This poster has been suspended.]

sparkie624
sparkie624 1
Can't do that... It is not the American way.
johncook1
john cook 1
Seems you forget just what THE AMERICAN WAY IS !
or you never knew!
cheshire
Cal Keegan 12
Perfect! Long waits in security lines due to the sequester but groping provided by people in sharp, snappy uniforms! More proof the government is optimizing to make the "cuts" as painful as possible to the populace while not cutting any actual waste, of which there is, as always, plenty.
smarsha6
Steve Marshall 11
The government could save billions if they eliminate the TSA. That is the most useless agency in the government. You give someone a little bit of power and the next thing you know they are strip searching 3 year olds.
geofflw
geoff waldron 1
How many terrorists have the tsa caught ? ? ?
RichBixby
Rich Bixby 7
$50M is listed as the contract's maximum. What's the actual cost to the government for one uniform?
sparkie624
sparkie624 5
Experience with the government.. No left overs... If they have left overs, they cannot get as much next time... Rest Assured, it will be 50 MILLION.
cm5299
Chuck Me 2
So what's the actual cost for one uniform?

The contract they got in 2009 was for 3M with a max of 96M. How much did that one end up costing?

Or we should just trust you? lol
joelwiley
joel wiley 6
X * Y =50,000,0000.
X & Y will be adjusted so the contractor gets the full 50M.
cm5299
Chuck Me 2
Stop bringing facts in to this.
THRUSTT
THRUSTT 14
Well fabric is expensive, and she's a behemoth...
bishops90
Brian Bishop 1
We're gonna have to get you some sensitivity training. ;-)
preacher1
preacher1 1
THRUSST - sensitive - :):):):):):).LOL
lroscioli
Meanwhile, they are closing roughly 173 towers... I guess that's okay, that only affects safety... no big deal! Unbelievable! The person that made that decision should be fired on the spot!
preacher1
preacher1 1
Different account, different department. Somebody different controls those accounts. Towers are FAA. TSA is Homeland Security. Ain't that special.
lroscioli
Still, it's all my money that I'm spending...
eckstrombryan
Bryan Eckstrom 9
TSA is a joke
sparkie624
sparkie624 5
"Thousands Standing Around", "Totally Stupid Agency", and my favorite "Tub Stackers of America"
Pilotguyr6
Pilotguyr6 4
I had to pay for my own uniform at the airlines, but oh wait i did not work for the government. Why would they have to pay for their own, that would just make sense.
fllkap1
kirsten parker 3
Color has nothing to do with it. It's waste and that's our taxes being improperly used and govt disregard for regular folks trying to put a roof over their family's head .
jimcander
Jim Anderson 1
Hate to tell ya, Kristen the waste started a looooooooonnnnnngggggggg time ago... Were you this indignant and upset about it all 6 years ago? I was. I am now.
sparkie624
sparkie624 3
If it were not for the Sequestor, I would how much they would have cost :)
preacher1
preacher1 3
The part that gets me is that TSA policy provides uniforms for new employess only. Old ones are responsible for upkeep and replacment. Are we hiring that many new folks or are they going to sell these to their existing employees? Gotta Go.
joelwiley
joel wiley 4
Maybe they are changing the uniform. Shirts non-white, pants different shade of dark? Perhaps a result of a $5m research contract in how to present a better image? Is that too cynical, or too low ball number?
Moviela
Ric Wernicke 6
I think uniforms should reflect the job being done. I am having trouble picking between Bozo and Chucko the Clown.
kenmartin23220
Kenneth Martin 7
TSA is more like Crusty the Clown from the Simpsons.
mtnpilotdiver
Bozo the clown outfits would be okay!
RobDover
Rob Dover 2
Including all Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents (Transportation Security Officers, VIPR teams, Federal Air Marshals, National Explosives Detection Canine Teams, and Transportation Security Inspectors), there are 58,401 employees of the TSA= $58,401,000 for a bunch of jerkoffs that make a descent salary and shouold buy them out of their own pockets
djc61
Dennis Cummings 2
Your really wondering why it isn't in any of the news outlets? Really?
You won't find anything in the main stream media that is negative toward this administration. If you do, please inform me.
Donnytoots
Don Levine 2
How does the TSA guess the exact measurements of employees yet to be hired for this big order? What happens to the money that older employees pay for the replacement uniforms? If a uniform costs one grand, how much is the replacement amount the older workers pay apart from the TSA allowance? Expenses incurred by employees for uniforms are tax deductible, I guess the workers are informed of this. How many days of work is needed to cover the cost of a uniform? HAVE 100% of the uniform made in Tennessee or other US factory. Putting more Americans to work=more taxes paid. The company should be able to do this and still make a sufficient profit. Free enterprise OK, but we also have to expand work opportunities at home, (unions be willing.)
suz
suz 3
People always feel better in new clothes ...
THRUSTT
THRUSTT 4
I bought new uniforms a couple of months ago, and I swear I'm flying better now...
sandylns
Brian Lager 1
The Emperor likes new clothes.
AWAAlum
AWAAlum 2
Put on your thinking cap - "The Emperor" was parading in front of his subjects in the nude. Surely you aren't suggesting ... nah!
sandylns
Brian Lager 1
Please, don't go there!!!LOL
fllkap1
kirsten parker 3
7 million to play golf . 100 k salary for Obama's dog handler to pick up shi# and TSA spending.
I see a lot of jobs that could have been saved.
I love my country and would not want to live anywhere else but I really hate our govt.
jimcander
Jim Anderson 2
What did they pay W's dog handler? Pay no never mind the TSA was create on W's watch, either... blame it on the black guy... right?
SootBox
SootBox 3
Think he thinks things were supposed to get better, based on Obama's ego & bravado.... but they're worse.
jimcander
Jim Anderson 1
It's a symptom of the polarization of America. There are factions of each side that have such visceral hatred of the other that it prevents any dialogue at all. "Your guy" is right and "my guy" is wrong and there you have it.

In the end, until there are term limits in Congress and true campaign finance reform the rat race will continue.
joelwiley
joel wiley 2
You sound Anglo-Saxon. But are you Angle or Saxon.
(my favorite polarization joke)
if offense taken, please accept grovelingly politically 'correct apology.
8-)
jimcander
Jim Anderson 2
I'm obviously not a minority if that is your point. If it's not, its lost on me...
joelwiley
joel wiley 1
My point is you can polarize most anything if you try hard enough. Your point on the polarization of America is a good one. I feel it worsened in Nov 2008 when certain quarters began a scorched-earth policy against any Obama accomplishment in order to make him a 1 term president. Damage to the country seemed to be acceptable collateral damage.
skitchen8
Eric Spittle 1
One internet handshake for you sir. Political parties are the problem, we should vote based on what a candidate believes in rather than what color they wear. Not every dem is a communist and not every repub hates women; this polarization is what keeps us circling the bowl. I wish we would stop being friend and foe and just be Americans.
cm5299
Chuck Me 1
Here's somebody else trying to bring facts into the discussion. There's no room for that here.

The dog handler thing is comical. Amazing how bullcrap like that makes it's way around the internet. Just like this 50M nonsense.

I'm all for some good discussions on things like this. But let's try to keep things based on reality and not imagination land.

[This poster has been suspended.]

jimcander
Jim Anderson 1
I think the point that as trying to be made is that there are those that seem to imply this is a NEW thing to happen in government. What about all the no bid Hallibuton contracts? Is everyone that is so outraged by this TSA situation just as outraged by the BILLIONS wasted there???
mtnpilotdiver
TSA would need to create a new department in that worthless agency: The Department of Uniforms Dispersement and Replacement. They'll keep the costs for that department down by hiring no more than 10,000 employees making about $80,000 a year, plus benefits. They'll be Department Heads, Managers, Sub-Managers, and of course the very few people who actually do the work.
AWAAlum
AWAAlum 1
did you know "the black guy" has a name?
mrbeech
mrbeech 0
Your not alone...
dunnwedding
Heinz Apfl 1
totally stupid a.....,is there anybody who can turn the money OFF
markstokes
Mark Stokes 1
If this was any other time or any other administration in the Whte House I wouldn't believe it. This is the kind of continuing insanity and rhetoric that we, unfortunately, should expect from our current government.
AWAAlum
AWAAlum 1
That makes no sense at all. If it HAD happened at any other time or administration, you'd have no choice but to believe it. Clearly not you, but the majority of Americans apparently wanted the current government. We the people chose it.
flyacuna
Those uniforms cost a $1000 each? Or is somebody playing budget subterfuge ?
jpkubalak
John Kubalak 1
What the American people don't understand is; sequester meant a reduction in the rate of GROWTH. They all still spent more money than last year. Don't let them fool you, there hasn't been REAL cuts in the federal budget in decades.

Most likely they spent $800 per employee last year, and they PLANNED on spending $1200 this year. So really they've saved $200 per employee! Yay! You see how that works?
mtnpilotdiver
Don't let those fancy uniforms impress you. The uniforms have nothing to do with the intellect of the TSA agents nor their qualifications to do the job. I heard a rumor that not even a GED is required to get the job? I wonder if that's true? They'll still be doing the secondary frisk and/or detailed searchs of old grey hair ladies, while allowing young Arab men to bypass the secondary searches. Also, burka covered women still don't get the full searches? That makes absolutely no sense?
TWA55
TWA55 1
This is just the kind of thing that should make peoples blood boil...typical
impaladon61
don tallman 1
Absolutely unbelievable...congress should look at a few more of
these foopaaas. Who the hell needs $1000 uniforms.
Someone's head should roll.
L
Stefan912
Stefan Zoellner 1
straight jackets would be worth the investment
geofflw
geoff waldron 1
Sir, you are a genius. Now we just have to splice you into the supply chain.
joelwiley
joel wiley 1
A little hard to grope when your long sleeves are tied behind your back. Aside from that, . . . .
rmchambers
rmchambers 1
Buy them all the new uniforms and then fire them all, starting with Napolitano and go all the way down the line. Biggest waste of time and not security enhancing at all.
caddysrx3
Dale Minter 1
Time to protest contact your congress person we just spentb$100,000,000 on their current uniforms so that they looked more in charge. TSA agents should pick up thir own costs.
caddysrx3
Dale Minter 1
Does anyone know how to send all these comments to Janet Napolitiano what she approved is BS
AWAAlum
AWAAlum 1
I have to admit to being confused. I've never been hired into a job and had my employer tell me the company is going to buy me a "starter wardrobe" ... I don't get it.
joelwiley
joel wiley 1
I did, sort of. They provided me all the clothes the felt I'd need in the term of the contract. 2 years or life, whichever came first. It was called the Army Uniform allowance.

AUS SP4 91B20, survived
AWAAlum
AWAAlum 1
Yeah....lol....my son pointed out to me (he was in the Seabees) he received a uniform allowance in his paycheck AND for cleaning, as well. Silly me.
Twincom1
Gene Ciri 1
Every enlisted man in the military receives a monthly clothing allowance. Every officer in the military receives a ONE TIME $400 clothing allowance when he/she is commissioned.

Col. Gene Cirillo, USAF (Ret)
Lindsaybkk
Lindsaybkk 1
Well I guess you wanna look good while touching peoples genitals.
But then again, maybe they should wear Doctors and Nurses uniforms
then it wouldn't look or feel so bad. :)
highflyer59
I hope the employees of VF Imagewear Inc. producing these uniform parts also get this 16% increase on their contracts. Otherwise I would have to suspect that the team around Ms Napolitano negociating this one year contract is in for some kick backs on the expense of the regular tax payer.
AWAAlum
AWAAlum 1
When Napolitano was named Secretary of Homeland Security I was completely flummoxed. Here's a Governor of the State of Arizona who is unable to keep the border of her one state secure being named to do that job for all of the U.S. Go figure!
Crash501
Les Ede 1
can you say sequestration ???? no whitehouse tours for kids but we can buy with our tax money new uniforms ????
mikedickson
John Dickson 1
How can we take these folks seriously when they pull this kind of issue. Give them a badge and tell them to wear regular clothes like the rest of us when we go to work. Most of these folks are happy to have a job.
royschalk
roy schalk 1
I would like to have my country back please!
fllkap1
kirsten parker 1
Right with you Jim . I was, still am as life gets
harder just to make ends meet. I guess it doesn't
help social media rubs it all in even more than the past when we were limited to tv and newspaper.
dirktanis
dirk tanis 1
Why complain-nothing will be done about this expenditure. This is chump change compaired to the $$$$ being wasted on the F35.
jtomandl
TERM LIMITS!
jamesmejuto
James Mejuto 1
This is both disgraceful and amazing! Another example of insensitive bureaucrats liberally spending our tax dollars. There is no logical reason why employee uniforms should cost $1000 for each employee and there is no justifiable reason why these uniforms would be made in Mexico. While we're trying to get jobs back here in the USA, our gov't is working against us at every turn. WHY CAN'T WE DO THE RIGHT THING? Hold the TSA to an austerity budget!
kd6ygp
John Moses 1
Talk about a waste of our tax payers money. TAS makes enough money to buy their uniforms, just like I have to do.
BenKFIT
Ben Lillie 1
Well, what are they supposed to do with all the excessive money the government gives them?
mrbeech
mrbeech 1
I wonder when the(spending) train, is going off the track; it's going to be messy.
caddysrx3
Dale Minter 1
I think Potus needs to pull this one back. Did not the TSA get new uniforms cpl yrs past. Hey let them pay for their own at a discount like the flight crews do. And mad in Mexico that's absolute BS
caddysrx3
Dale Minter 1
What off shore TSA uniforms that r not needed. WTH
alleno
allen anderson 1
....uniforms that will be partly manufactured in Mexico.....?
So much for the "Buy American Act"
wendellsmith1964
Wendell Smith 1
Leaked Email: Obama Caught “Faking” Impact of Sequester



http://www.capitalisminstitute.org/sequester-leak/
sfontain
steven fontaine 1
Something's fishy here. The attached web site (cnsnews.com) seems to be the only outlet carrying this story... It has a brief mention in NBC news article but beyone mentioning the thing - nada.

Is there something I'm not seing>?
jimcander
Jim Anderson 1
Google cnsnews. They call themselves the cyber cast news service. They started as the conservative news service. Consider the source IMHO.
Glick
Paul Glick 1
She is such an idiot. I just went through security and their uniforms look fine. More Omama scare tactics.
JetMech24
JetMech24 0
Several good points made throughout this discussion, BUT, why is nobody throwing a fit about the company(ies) CHARGING this insane amount of $$$$ for the uniforms? Everyone LOVES to whine about governtment spending, but nothing is ever said about the ones that charge way too much to "serve" the government, makes me sick.
AWAAlum
AWAAlum 1
It's called capitalism. Companies charge what the customer will pay. I guess they'd be silly not to, right?
sfontain
steven fontaine 0
I think someone's yanking some chains here. If you check out the story it's from a questionable source. If you google the story, you'll find references to the original story by some off center righteous blogs.

I think everyone here who's haclkes have been raised have fallen victim to a PRANK. There are no references in NEWS land about this. There are no documentary evidence about this.

I think you all need to CHILL!!!!]
sandylns
Brian Lager 1
Going on the US Gov web site under procurement you will find the original contract and the date of its award. Contract # HSTS05-13-OSO002 It was awarded Feb 27 2013. The order will go partially to Lee Jeans and be sub contracted. As for it not being on the main news media, that's anybody's guess. The contract is real though.
cmp5n
cmp5n -1
Would love to see what FlightAware user SteelJaw has to say about this. In past threads (s)he has defended the TSA blindly on every issue.
THRUSTT
THRUSTT 0
I hope SteelJaw wouldn't be a she!!!
w7psk
Ricky Scott -3
No clue, elitism at its worse.
n7224e
BC Hadley 3
Elitism, or hypocrisy?
smokey71247
Mark Robinson 0
All part of Obama's "Make it hurt the people" plan to gain political points from the cuts. So we close control towers, but we can spend $50 mil on uniforms. As I read on another site, we will cut airshow performances in the USA by military units such as the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds, but we are performing shows overseas!!! Time and time again, government employees have sent copies of emails from the top dogs of the different governmental agencies basically stating, don't cut anything smart, cut only programs that hurt or bother the people. We should be smart enough to realize this is all BS. Do any of you believe our government can't cut 1% of the budget without hurting services. Hell, there are many services that need to be done away with anyway. Obama cut the White House tours (not an essential function, but it does aggrivate the people) yet him and his administration keep traveling on our dime like jet fuel is going out of style. wth.


The government at work..LOL. This happens to most governments in the US, state, local and federal for sure. We get so little for the money we pay. We need to hold politicians accountable, term limits, politicians can't work for the government for 15 years after they leave office and politicians can't lobby the government for 25 years after they leave office. No more revolving doors between government and the industry they regulate. We the people are the idiots in all this as we allow this to happen year after year. Too many Americans will vote or support anyone just as long as it helps them personally, no matter what it does to the country.

Now back to the original point of this story, $50 mil for the 1st set of uniforms for new employees for an agency that has 50K workers. Hmmmm. Lets assume 20% employee turnover for the year, that is 10,000 people, $50 mil divided by 10,000 people equals $5,000 per new employee. Dang, those must be some nice clothes!!!! This only works in government people. Like many of you said, if they don't spend it, they won't get the same or more next year, so they will sure the hell spend it, no matter how wasteful.
sandylns
Brian Lager 1
Obama's little jaunt to play with golf Tiger Woods cost tax payers over one million dollars and that doesn't include the jet fuel. More than enough to open the White House for tours for the whole year. Hipocrisy and elitism.
AWAAlum
AWAAlum 1
I'm not doubting what you've said at all, I'm just wondering where in the world you find statistics like that. It's pretty intriguing.
sandylns
Brian Lager 1
These figures come from the Weekly Standard and quote Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama. The ranking Republican on the budget commitee. Also this was in the Huffington Post as well, part of a report on the House trying to stop the golf trips during the closure of the White House to visitors. They quoted Louie Gohmert.(Don't have a clue who he is) I don't make these things up. Just try and report them. Trolling the newspapers, both left and right, sometimes yields very interesting points of view. And, no, I am not a republican or a democrat. As an outsider (I'm Canadian) I just see things from a different perspective.
A cut of 85 billion dollars from a spending bill of 3600 billion dollars doesn't seem all that steep a price to pay. It's akin to a paper cut, it hurts but you won' bleed to death.
Eventually the piper has to be paid, better now than a few years down the road when it will be impossible to rein in any spending.
smokey71247
Mark Robinson 1
Brian,
Amazing how a Canadian seems to understand what is going on but so many Americans don't have a clue or don't care. The government has promised people a free life, yet they know it can't be paid for. Just a means of vote buying using governmnet money. Keep Canada in good shape Brian, lots of us might be heading up that way soon.
sandylns
Brian Lager 1
You are all welcome to come. You have a wonderful country going to pot fast. Don't forget, that as America's largest trading partner we have a vested interest in seing a sound economy and good fiscal principles practised south of our border.
We do have our own proponents of the entitlement culture up north. Fortunateley, they are in oposition and have NO say in how government functions. Otherwise there would be two basket cases to deal with.
AWAAlum
AWAAlum 1
Speak for yourself Mark. America is no doubt hugely flawed - but I still love it and give thanks every day for being fortunate enough to have been born here.
sandylns
Brian Lager 1
You do indeed have a great nation. It just pains me to see it get into this fiscal mess. Both our countries have a huge amount to be both thankful for and proud of. Canada is my home and, like you, I too would not swap my country warts and all.

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