Thoughts from the NAC

U.S. Rep. John Mica (R-FL) was on hand at last week's F. Russell Hoyt National Airports Conference in Tampa, speaking of the need to not bail out failing air carriers and to hit hard once again on one of his favorite topics: the Transportation Security Administration. Rep. Mica, whose district sits between Orlando and Jacksonville, says the answer for the airlines is for them to have viable businesses, to increase fares. Regarding TSA, Mica says he wants to encourage airports to participate in the opt-out passenger screening program and seeks to alleviate airports of liability by way of wording in federal legislation expected to be unveiled this week in Washington. The U.S. needs to move from a centralized, Soviet model, says Mica, to one that is more efficient. Mica also wants to encourage more private sector participation in the security battle, which he says will lead to quicker implementation of new technologies  thus leading to even more efficiency. One other comment from Rep. Mica: The federal government needs to pay 100 percent of the costs to install in-line screening systems at U.S. commercial airports. Thanks for reading. Comments are welcomed. Please fill out the form below.