The TSA’s Failure Rate and Insurance Commissioners

TSA Failure Rate

The TSA is estimated to miss 70% of prohibited items brought on board airplanes.

Fellow in Regulatory Studies Ryan Young says that what’s interesting about the failure rate is that prohibited items were brought on board without incident–because terrorist attacks are extremely rare.

“Terrorist attacks are twenty times rarer than deaths by lightning strikes. If policymakers were rational, they would give twenty times more attention to lightning strike prevention than to terrorism. But they aren’t, and they don’t. That means the TSA’s $8.1 billion budget, by using up resources that would save more lives elsewhere, will continue to cost more lives than it saves for the foreseeable future.”

Insurance Commissioners

Twenty-five new governors will soon have the authority to elect new state insurance commissioners.

Policy Analyst Michelle Minton emphasizes the importance of picking good state insurance commissioners.

“New insurance commissioners can have a profound effect on the regulation of insurance and on their states’ economic environment, because the ready availability of reasonably priced insurance is vital to a prosperous economy. Therefore, it is crucial for the new governors to determine how to appoint commissioners who are willing and able to enact policies that promote long-term economic development and consumer choice.”