M3D2: Transportation Security Costs and Benefits

M3D2: Transportation Security Costs and Benefits

 Question 1: Is Holmes’ approach to the issue of funding for the “No-Fly” list accurate?

The Transport Security Administration (2020) defines the No-Fly List as a subdivision of the Terrorist Screening Database or the terrorist watch list of the U.S. government. The list contains the names of the people who are barred from flying particularly because they are considered threats to national security. To date, it is difficult to quantify the gains that this system of combatting terrorism has gained over the years. Admittedly, running such as system has such significant challenges especially because the number of people deemed to be involved in activities that may foster terroristic tendencies increases perpetually. This fact is supported by Holmes (2009), who avers that the list had only sixteen names of people perceived to threaten the safety of the United States on September 11, 2001. He notes that currently, the list has over 755,500 names, which is undoubtedly challenging the capacity of the U.S. government to handle such a huge number of threats effectively.

To this regard, Holmes provides a distinctive security benefit and financial cost evaluation of the no-fly list of the U.S. government.  I agree with Holmes on the importance of not only addressing the social costs of the no-fly list, but also focusing on what benefits the list provides relative to the costs associated with running it. Owing to the high number of names on the list, it is almost impractical to have a cost-effective strategy to run all the names and realize any positive benefits by thwarting the potential dangers that the people on the list could be posing to the country. If an assessment of the list presents any practical benefits, it is then easier to create a funding strategy to support the program. However, as Holmes suggests, there is a need to know how much of the national security funds are being spent in this program and how such money is helping in the design and effective implementation of security strategies and anti-terrorism policies, if any..

Question 2: Do the costs of the “No-Fly” list outweigh its benefits? Why or why not?

            The costs of the “No-Fly” list outweigh its benefits because as aforementioned, there is no clear indication of how security finances are invested or the benefits realized from such spending on the no-fly list program. For example, the bureaucracy involved in examining the picked individuals is too long, too costly and invariably done without any hope of thwarting any real security threat posed by such individuals. The implication is that the government continues to expend vast resources to detain and question people already confirmed as innocent, which is counterproductive to the country’s security. Moreover, the ineffective and mostly flawed No-Fly lists results in innocent passengers being picked out from airports on erroneous presumptions. These passengers are then subjected to unlawful interrogations, delays and even detentions, which often results in massive losses to the justice system as such people seek redress in courts. Thus, the government continues violating the constitutional rights of people who are presented with no means of defending themselves as noted by Kahn (2015).  Ultimately, there are many losses associated with running the fly-list, first in the costs encountered in the criminal justice system as individuals try to prove their innocence and secondly, the vast financial losses associated with running the list.

Question 3: What types of criteria should be used for prioritizing budgets for protecting different transportation modes?

            Transportation denotes an expansive array of structures, systems and vehicles for moving people or things between different places. Considering the critical role played by transport and especially in the contemporary high-paced era characterized by intense transportation, governments have a serious mandate to prioritize their budgets and apportion substantial funds to protecting the various transportation modes. Accordingly, there must be a change in how public resources and funds are used and ensure adequate protection of these systems. Hence, the type of criteria that must be used to prioritize budgets in the interest of securing varied transportation modes include creating adequate road spaces and investing in space-efficient modes as noted by Walker (2018) and assessing the safety and security requirements in these systems and availing them accordingly. Other such criteria should include the best traffic management strategies, investing in the necessary security infrastructure and implementing the needed institutional reforms.

References

Holmes, M. (2009, January). Just how much does that cost, anyway? An analysis of the financial costs and benefits of the “No-Fly” list. Homeland Security Affairs, 5(1). https://www.hsaj.org/articles/111

Kahn, J. (2015). The ‘No Fly List’ operates in secret, and its power to exclude is vast. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/dec/23/no-fly-list-operates-in-secret-power-to-exclude

Transport Security Administration (2020). DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program. https://www.tsa.gov/travel/passenger-support/travel-redress-program

Walker, J. (2018). Space efficiency and the technology of transportation. http://scagrtpscs.net/Pages/Walker.aspx