What a sad state of affairs when a major airport is begging passengers to bring gifts for those working at the airport…
In this post:
Denver Airport requests grocery & gas gift cards
Denver Airport has taken to social media to ask for donations for TSA agents. Specifically, the airport is asking passengers to “support the dedicated TSA employees working without pay by donating $10 and $20 grocery store and gas gift cards.”
It’s noted that Visa gift cards can’t be accepted, and that’s because federal employees can’t accept gifts of cash or cash equivalents. You’d think a grocery store or gas gift card would be (sort of) cash equivalent, but the restriction is specific to cards issued by credit card companies or other financial institutions.
These requests come amid a partial government shutdown, where the roughly 50,000 TSA agents around the country aren’t receiving their full pay. This is leading to an increase in sick calls, and in turn, an increase in wait times at many airports.
No matter how you slice it, what a sad state of affairs
Politics aside, it’s incredibly unfair to see frontline workers being the ones suffering most from a partial government shutdown, as their livelihoods are essentially being held hostage by politicians.
What’s so nuts about this situation — and I understand the general concept of how government funding works — is that passengers are paying the $5.60 per person September 11 Security Fee with their tickets, and then that’s supposed to be remitted to the TSA.
So TSA at Denver is doing work that’s generating well over $100 million in this revenue annually, but now that money is being withheld from those actually doing the work. It just shouldn’t be that way.
Bottom line
Denver Airport is asking airline passengers to bring gift cards for TSA agents, specifically for groceries and gas. This comes as many TSA agents are struggling to pay their bills due to a partial government shutdown. This is a well intentioned initiative and TSA agents deserve our support and appreciation, though it’s sad that something like this even has to happen in the first place.
This just seems like something that Russian state media would eat up, to show what life in the United States is like — “life in the United States is so bad that airport security screeners need donations to pay for gas.”
What do you make of this request from Denver Airport?
They can have my thoughts and prayers.
How about a donate $100 and get TSAPrecheck for a year promo?
So who is going to donate to passengers as air fare rises due to an unnecessary war? They will get paid, eventually. I've been in that boat and survived.
I mean, it they let me skip to the front and I’ll be happy to make a donation! Welcome to the new SE Asia! (It’s a joke before someone comes for my head).
Fast track security!
Most members of Congress fly multiple times a month. It would be a shame if all of them were to be randomly pulled aside for additional screening each time they go through security. Just sayin'.... that would be a real shame.
Ok I can sympathize with working and not getting paid. I'd know that I'd be really, really pissed off. But didn't they get a $10K bonus not too long ago? All this being said the fact that our government waste somewhere between $1 trillion and $1.5 trillion in fraud, waste and abuse and the sheer number of NGO scams going on is unbelievable. And now they can't even pass a budget. We really do have idiots in control.
"...our government waste somewhere between $1 trillion and $1.5 trillion in fraud, waste and abuse..."
What's the source for this statistic, please?
Thanks Democrats. Your shutdown is doing nothing but starving our hard working federal workers.
The shutdown is in response to ICE operations. TSA is a collateral effect. As a conservative, I note that certain Republicans joined the Democrats in objecting to ICE operations. If all Republicans were on board, we wouldn't be having this discussion.
It's quite interesting to see that Republicans don't even support Democrats in confirming a constitutional protection, and instead call it "unnecessary legal hurdles".
@ Jim Narrows - you're obviously very "Narrow-Minded"!!
@ JS
Narrow -minded.... Why are you insulting narrow mindedness?
You are probably trying to be charitable but there are times when willfully ignorant people should be called out for who they are.
Jim Narrows - maybe Hegseth can donate some fruit baskets and lobster. I hear he has PLENTY to share. :)
This administration itself cut intelligence funding, disaster preparation and relief funding, etc. This administration is still withholding approved disaster relief funds for the 2024 Carolinas hurricane. Don't flick that booger on the Dems.
Lol. The people get the govt they deserve.
I'm surprised DEN airport doesn't just provide some funding to get them gas and food coupons.
This sort of "help us fund our airport security" always seems a bit like a tip at taco bell or at an airport gift shop. "help us pay our employees more by tipping them" when the establishment (or DEN airport) could just do it themselves. It's not like DEN airport is bankrupt or lacking in cash.
Considering that all the TSA agents will get back pay when the fat orange Nazi TACOs again, will the TSA donors get their gift cards back, too?
Good grief this "administration" sucks balls. Which is normally a good thing, but not in this case.
^you sound like a sweetheart^ what a happy individual you must be in real life.
It's much more important we spend $1bn per day bombing a country 90% of Americans couldn't find on a map.
Wait, we can bomb countries if Americans can find them on a map? What an odd criteria. Look out Canada and Mexico.
Wars are God's way of teaching geography to Americans.
That's just sad.
When people worldwide hear the country "U.S., United States, States, America, etc.", they think success, prosperity, a better future, the American dream, etc.
Just like the long lines of cars with their trunks open waiting for food or vaccines at Dodger Stadium during COVID 6 years ago, this is not something you would expect to see.
For the average worker, they would think that if you work hard, you do the...
That's just sad.
When people worldwide hear the country "U.S., United States, States, America, etc.", they think success, prosperity, a better future, the American dream, etc.
Just like the long lines of cars with their trunks open waiting for food or vaccines at Dodger Stadium during COVID 6 years ago, this is not something you would expect to see.
For the average worker, they would think that if you work hard, you do the right thing, you'll be okay. Unfortunately that doesn't appear to be the case anymore. If anything, more people are moving to the likes of Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines as everybody is getting priced out of their homes, healthcare, etc.
Another thing that's sad is plenty of people would look at TSA workers as props with no value to them rather than as human beings. They're still human just like you & me going to work, making a living like everybody else. There's no reason to look down on anyone.
"There's no reason to look down on anyone."
Unfortunately, we have a whole political party in this country that is currently premised on looking down on many different groups of people. That's not the craziest thing, though.
It's crazier that everyone who reads this comment knows which party is the party of looking down on many different groups of people. But again, even that's not the craziest thing.
The *absolute* craziest thing is...
"There's no reason to look down on anyone."
Unfortunately, we have a whole political party in this country that is currently premised on looking down on many different groups of people. That's not the craziest thing, though.
It's crazier that everyone who reads this comment knows which party is the party of looking down on many different groups of people. But again, even that's not the craziest thing.
The *absolute* craziest thing is that the adherents of that party take wild offense at the accurate characterization of them and their party as looking down on many different groups of people, even as they draw breath to explain why this or that group deserves to be treated poorly, to lose legal status, or to be punished by the state.
WHEN THEY ,AKE MI FLYING EXPERIENCE EVEN MORE HORRIBLE THEN IT ALREADY IS. How do they HAVE THE AUDACITY. ?? WHEN THEY ARE SENDING JETS (THAT COST MILLIONS TO GO AND KILL PEOPLE, THEY ARE BEGGING FOR FOOD) that country has become a joke.
The country is not a joke anymore, and it is a fact that it is in the gutters, as are the majority of the commenters on this blog.