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Monday, June 25, 2012
LANL all-hands meeting
Anonymously contributed:
Has anyone heard about Wed's all hands meeting at LANL? Someone mentioned that there could be changes to the pension as one of the additional actions.
From what I could make out, it sounds like the tax on projects that was being used to help fund the pension has resulted in a surplus of funds laying around.
Not to worry, though, as Charlie says that surplus of money (or whatever it is) of about $50 million has now been authorized by NNSA to be de-obligated from supporting the pension and can be spent on programmatic needs for the rest of the year. You know, for critical things... like Charlie McMillan and Brett Knapp's recent trip to Russia and stuff. That sort of thing. No travel allowed for the regular science staff, though. Cutbacks in spending and all, you know.
No more layoffs for the rest of FY2012, LANL is "well positioned for the future", yada, yada, yada.... I'm sure you've all heard this stuff many times before.
He did put up a graph that showed a rather dramatic drop in hires this fiscal year but I think most people already know that. Who wants to come work at LANL anyway these days?
There was talk of reducing the cost of science by increasing the burden on large construction projects (of which there are none with CMRR and the Science Complex effectively dead!). Also talk of looking at slimming down the number of managers since LANL has now lost 12% of the workforce since this spring.
No promises in regards to keeping LANL at the same size for FY2013. That all depends on whether the Super Committee automatic cuts hit on Jan 1st. If they do, then watch out!
"No promises in regards to keeping LANL at the same size for FY2013. That all depends on whether the Super Committee automatic cuts hit on Jan 1st. If they do, then watch out!
June 28, 2012 12:32 AM"
This is what it is really about. I think these cuts are going through. Everyone agrees we need to cut somewhere but no one has the will to do it and this is the only way it can happen. Indeed watch out.
Let's see if sponsors hang on for another year. This time last year, tax was increased to pay for fire. Oops, collected too much tax. This year, tax was collected for pension. Oops, too much tax. Just makes you wonder what the next "oops" has in store for sponsors.
"This is a disturbing trend and hints at a deeper issue. Either it is waste, fraud and abuse resulting from willful deceit, or it is dereliction of duty resulting from gross incompetence. Which is it?"
Don't forget Charlie's comments about LANL's plutonium work.
After giving a large portion of LANL's stockpile stewardship work (and funding) to other NNSA labs, he indicated that now the plutonium work will, likewise, be spread out to other labs beyond LANL.
LANS is the "shut-down crew". LANL is Rocky Flats II. It's undeniable at this point in time.
Plan on a rapid cut of around 10% more staff if the Super-Committee cuts hit on Jan 1st. And that will only be the RIF needed for FY2013.
Additional staffing cuts will be needed in all the outlying years after that to handling the funding reductions.
It will be brutal. Of course, the huge reduction in accumulated severance that LANS implemented last month will help buffer the financial pain of making those cuts.
Is McMillan, through Carl Beard, still going after contractors in PADOPS? Why isn't the rest of the Lab sharing in the pain? Answer: Carl Beard has "Napolean's Complex" and is just trying to make a name for himself.
That $50 million from the pension "kitty" that Charlie will be using for programatic stuff (like his trip to Russia) will be sorely missed by TCP1 in a few years.
Not to worry, though, because when the $50 million is needed, it will simply be extracted from the hides of the staff and their declining salaries, per the usual.
Sounds like McMillan is taking lessons in speaking or speech therapy. That number is dramatically down from the few hundred during his VRP announcement.
When the time is ripe, LANS will quickly dump the TCP1 pension like a piece of rotten fruit by freezing further accumulations and shoving staff over to the TCP2 (defined contribution) system. That time is getting closer as the lab budgets continue to deteriorate.
Charlie McMillan's willingness to hand over a huge $50 million in pension funds to the program side is a hint of things to come.
McMillan claimed that while the $50M was intended to cover any pension liabilities however indicated that these were already "covered". He is therefore deciding to spend this money wherever and whenever wants. My preference is that he place this money in reserve to cover pension liabilities when they occur, and they will. Mark my words, this is a bad decision, but who is going to stop or question McMillan from doing whatever he wants. Certainly not the employees, we are powerless.
By the way, Jas Mercer-Smith asked McMillan what would happen to LANL when LLNL doesn't meet the NIF Ignition goal next month. McMillan said that "LLNL doesn't have a chance in hell of surviving this". Too bad Parney wasn't in the audience to see and hear McMillan kiss X-Division asses with his response. It's what LANL X-Division wanted the hear, i.e., "LLNL is going down in smoke next month".
It's what LANL X-Division wanted the hear, i.e., "LLNL is going down in smoke next month".
July 2, 2012 5:40 PM
It's exactly what LANL's X-Division has been waiting for since NIF was built. Jas Mercer-Smith looked like a cat that just swallowed a fish after McMillan gave his "doom and gloom" answer about LLNL's future following the Ignition Failure. McMillan also bragged about recent toasts in Russia anytime Los Alamos was mentioned. He indicated that the Russians "just lit up" anytime Los Alamos was mentioned.
4:39 AM must be too young to appreciate history. Of course the Soviets "lit up" at the mention of Los Alamos. They have a soft spot for the place where they got their first nuclear bomb information.
If McMillan could raid the whole TCP1 pension to pay for his programmatic "luxuries" like 1st class trips to Russia for his LANS executive team.... don't doubt it, he would.
The sleazy corporate raiders have taken over this once proud lab!
Too bad that the applause line from the all hands was to celebrate an anticipated LLNL failure. Would be nice to think that there would be some LANL accomplishment to celebrate, such as a new weapons program. Since LLNL has bested LANL for weapons programs for the past several years, it may be a long wait for the celebration. How did this happen? Charlie was AD for weapons after transition, then PAD for weapons for about a year and a half, and now has been Director for a year. He should know how it happened.
If the Kalifornia Karpetbagger McKompany continues to hand LANL stockpile systems over to LLNL, then LLNL will continue to "best" LANL. This will continue until LANL is reduced to a Rocky Flats like pit factory, producing a miserable few pits per year, until it is shut down (like Rocky) because it is environmentally unsound. Then it will become a ghostly old folks community. Party on, UC and Bechtel.
LANL won't be doing much pit research and production in the future.
With the CMRR project killed off thanks to McMillan's assistance and the filthy, 60 year old facilites at Los Alamos on their last days, plutonium work will now be shifted to other labs.... like LLNL.
The plutonium R&D will go out the door along with the stockpile stewardship work that McMillan has been so eager to give away.
So sad to watch this play out. LANL is, indeed, being slowly killed off by the LANS crew.
"Charlie says he's working on that one. He'll get back to you in a couple of years.
July 8, 2012 10:15 PM"
No, in a couple of years Charlie will be hightailing it back to his California home with a carpetbag full of booty, leaving final destruction of LANL to his attack dog Knapp.
No, in a couple of years Charlie will be hightailing it back to his California home with a carpetbag full of booty, leaving final destruction of LANL to his attack dog Knapp.
July 10, 2012 8:05 PM
Your giving too much credit to Knapp. At least an attack dog serves a purpose. Anyone with his eyes so tightly spaced has no brain either.
By the way, Jas Mercer-Smith asked McMillan what would happen to LANL when LLNL doesn't meet the NIF Ignition goal next month. McMillan said that "LLNL doesn't have a chance in hell of surviving this". Too bad Parney wasn't in the audience to see and hear McMillan kiss X-Division asses with his response. It's what LANL X-Division wanted the hear, i.e., "LLNL is going down in smoke next month".
July 2, 2012 5:40 PM
McMillan made this comment about Livermore's decline to make the folks at LANL feel better about their decline. McMillan doesn't realize he's in the same sinking boat. Question is, what side of the boat will sink first.
McMillan doesn't realize he's in the same sinking boat.
July 11, 2012 4:37 AM
You don't realize that McMillan has a big Bechtel "personal flotation device" just like all top LANS managers. You will sink. He will float. Not the same boat at all. If you persist in thinking top managers will suffer the same fate they bring upon you, you are delusional.
You don't realize that McMillan has a big Bechtel "personal flotation device" just like all top LANS managers. You will sink. He will float. Not the same boat at all. If you persist in thinking top managers will suffer the same fate they bring upon you, you are delusional.
July 11, 2012 9:31 PM
I wonder how that "personal floatation device" does when a few hundred staff, that are without one, grap onto it (and hum)to save themselves. No, but your right, he'll cut the bait (Los Alamos) when his bank account "is just right".
The flotation devices are substantial for the UC holdovers that became key personnel at transition. Would look at McMillan, Knapp, Wallace, Bishop, Gibbs, Seastrom and Marquez to each have 250K per year lifetime pensions. Not bad, eh?
40 comments:
Brutal
Synopsis?
From what I could make out, it sounds like the tax on projects that was being used to help fund the pension has resulted in a surplus of funds laying around.
Not to worry, though, as Charlie says that surplus of money (or whatever it is) of about $50 million has now been authorized by NNSA to be de-obligated from supporting the pension and can be spent on programmatic needs for the rest of the year. You know, for critical things... like Charlie McMillan and Brett Knapp's recent trip to Russia and stuff. That sort of thing. No travel allowed for the regular science staff, though. Cutbacks in spending and all, you know.
No more layoffs for the rest of FY2012, LANL is "well positioned for the future", yada, yada, yada.... I'm sure you've all heard this stuff many times before.
He did put up a graph that showed a rather dramatic drop in hires this fiscal year but I think most people already know that. Who wants to come work at LANL anyway these days?
There was talk of reducing the cost of science by increasing the burden on large construction projects (of which there are none with CMRR and the Science Complex effectively dead!). Also talk of looking at slimming down the number of managers since LANL has now lost 12% of the workforce since this spring.
No promises in regards to keeping LANL at the same size for FY2013. That all depends on whether the Super Committee automatic cuts hit on Jan 1st. If they do, then watch out!
Oh, THOSE automatic cuts. - Charlie (MIT) McMillan
"No promises in regards to keeping LANL at the same size for FY2013. That all depends on whether the Super Committee automatic cuts hit on Jan 1st. If they do, then watch out!
June 28, 2012 12:32 AM"
This is what it is really about. I think these cuts are going through. Everyone agrees we need to cut somewhere but no one has the will to do it and this is the only way it can happen. Indeed watch out.
Let's see if sponsors hang on for another year. This time last year, tax was increased to pay for fire. Oops, collected too much tax. This year, tax was collected for pension. Oops, too much tax. Just makes you wonder what the next "oops" has in store for sponsors.
Can almost hear the question now.
"This is a disturbing trend and hints at a deeper issue. Either it is waste, fraud and abuse resulting from willful deceit, or it is dereliction of duty resulting from gross incompetence. Which is it?"
Maybe not, but can almost hear it.
Don't forget Charlie's comments about LANL's plutonium work.
After giving a large portion of LANL's stockpile stewardship work (and funding) to other NNSA labs, he indicated that now the plutonium work will, likewise, be spread out to other labs beyond LANL.
LANS is the "shut-down crew". LANL is Rocky Flats II. It's undeniable at this point in time.
Plan on a rapid cut of around 10% more staff if the Super-Committee cuts hit on Jan 1st. And that will only be the RIF needed for FY2013.
Additional staffing cuts will be needed in all the outlying years after that to handling the funding reductions.
It will be brutal. Of course, the huge reduction in accumulated severance that LANS implemented last month will help buffer the financial pain of making those cuts.
The fish rots from the head.
19 ums
16 uhs
Newly added 3 coughs
BOHICA, TCP1ers!
In TCP1, got 1.8% COLA for the year.
Better than a poke in the eye....
Composite LA/SF february11/Feb12 CPI deflator was 2%.
Is there a 10% maroni?
Is McMillan, through Carl Beard, still going after contractors in PADOPS? Why isn't the rest of the Lab sharing in the pain? Answer: Carl Beard has "Napolean's Complex" and is just trying to make a name for himself.
That $50 million from the pension "kitty" that Charlie will be using for programatic stuff (like his trip to Russia) will be sorely missed by TCP1 in a few years.
Not to worry, though, because when the $50 million is needed, it will simply be extracted from the hides of the staff and their declining salaries, per the usual.
19 ums
16 uhs
Newly added 3 coughs
June 28, 2012 8:26 PM
Sounds like McMillan is taking lessons in speaking or speech therapy. That number is dramatically down from the few hundred during his VRP announcement.
It's not the "ums" and "uhs" that matter. It's the bald-faced lies!
Does anyone trust the executive management running LANL these days?
It looks like we've come to a pivotal point where it's either the programs or the pension.
Choose which you feel is more important. LANS choice has been made.
When the time is ripe, LANS will quickly dump the TCP1 pension like a piece of rotten fruit by freezing further accumulations and shoving staff over to the TCP2 (defined contribution) system. That time is getting closer as the lab budgets continue to deteriorate.
Charlie McMillan's willingness to hand over a huge $50 million in pension funds to the program side is a hint of things to come.
Are not some ex-CEOs presently serving soft time for these kinds of shenanigans? Just sayin.
McMillan claimed that while the $50M was intended to cover any pension liabilities however indicated that these were already "covered". He is therefore deciding to spend this money wherever and whenever wants. My preference is that he place this money in reserve to cover pension liabilities when they occur, and they will. Mark my words, this is a bad decision, but who is going to stop or question McMillan from doing whatever he wants. Certainly not the employees, we are powerless.
By the way, Jas Mercer-Smith asked McMillan what would happen to LANL when LLNL doesn't meet the NIF Ignition goal next month. McMillan said that "LLNL doesn't have a chance in hell of surviving this". Too bad Parney wasn't in the audience to see and hear McMillan kiss X-Division asses with his response. It's what LANL X-Division wanted the hear, i.e., "LLNL is going down in smoke next month".
Do not recall hearing George run LANL down in an all-hands. At least some Lab Directors have class.
4:55 PM
Oh, you mean THOSE ex-CEOs, as in Enron, Madoff, etc.
It's what LANL X-Division wanted the hear, i.e., "LLNL is going down in smoke next month".
July 2, 2012 5:40 PM
It's exactly what LANL's X-Division has been waiting for since NIF was built. Jas Mercer-Smith looked like a cat that just swallowed a fish after McMillan gave his "doom and gloom" answer about LLNL's future following the Ignition Failure. McMillan also bragged about recent toasts in Russia anytime Los Alamos was mentioned. He indicated that the Russians "just lit up" anytime Los Alamos was mentioned.
4:39 AM must be too young to appreciate history. Of course the Soviets "lit up" at the mention of Los Alamos. They have a soft spot for the place where they got their first nuclear bomb information.
If McMillan could raid the whole TCP1 pension to pay for his programmatic "luxuries" like 1st class trips to Russia for his LANS executive team.... don't doubt it, he would.
The sleazy corporate raiders have taken over this once proud lab!
Too bad that the applause line from the all hands was to celebrate an anticipated LLNL failure. Would be nice to think that there would be some LANL accomplishment to celebrate, such as a new weapons program. Since LLNL has bested LANL for weapons programs for the past several years, it may be a long wait for the celebration.
How did this happen?
Charlie was AD for weapons after transition, then PAD for weapons for about a year and a half, and now has been Director for a year. He should know how it happened.
If the Kalifornia Karpetbagger McKompany continues to hand LANL stockpile systems over to LLNL, then LLNL will continue to "best" LANL. This will continue until LANL is reduced to a Rocky Flats like pit factory, producing a miserable few pits per year, until it is shut down (like Rocky) because it is environmentally unsound. Then it will become a ghostly old folks community. Party on, UC and Bechtel.
LANL won't be doing much pit research and production in the future.
With the CMRR project killed off thanks to McMillan's assistance and the filthy, 60 year old facilites at Los Alamos on their last days, plutonium work will now be shifted to other labs.... like LLNL.
The plutonium R&D will go out the door along with the stockpile stewardship work that McMillan has been so eager to give away.
So sad to watch this play out. LANL is, indeed, being slowly killed off by the LANS crew.
Looks like there have been more than 10% loss of staff in past several months. Anyone know if there are 10% fewer managers as well?
Anyone know if there are 10% fewer managers as well? (6:07 PM)
Charlie says he's working on that one. He'll get back to you in a couple of years. Don't hold your breath.
"Charlie says he's working on that one. He'll get back to you in a couple of years.
July 8, 2012 10:15 PM"
No, in a couple of years Charlie will be hightailing it back to his California home with a carpetbag full of booty, leaving final destruction of LANL to his attack dog Knapp.
No, in a couple of years Charlie will be hightailing it back to his California home with a carpetbag full of booty, leaving final destruction of LANL to his attack dog Knapp.
July 10, 2012 8:05 PM
Your giving too much credit to Knapp. At least an attack dog serves a purpose. Anyone with his eyes so tightly spaced has no brain either.
By the way, Jas Mercer-Smith asked McMillan what would happen to LANL when LLNL doesn't meet the NIF Ignition goal next month. McMillan said that "LLNL doesn't have a chance in hell of surviving this". Too bad Parney wasn't in the audience to see and hear McMillan kiss X-Division asses with his response. It's what LANL X-Division wanted the hear, i.e., "LLNL is going down in smoke next month".
July 2, 2012 5:40 PM
McMillan made this comment about Livermore's decline to make the folks at LANL feel better about their decline. McMillan doesn't realize he's in the same sinking boat. Question is, what side of the boat will sink first.
McMillan doesn't realize he's in the same sinking boat.
July 11, 2012 4:37 AM
You don't realize that McMillan has a big Bechtel "personal flotation device" just like all top LANS managers. You will sink. He will float. Not the same boat at all. If you persist in thinking top managers will suffer the same fate they bring upon you, you are delusional.
What's with the latest LANS policy changes cutting the time required before layoffs begin to only 30 days from the previous requirement of 60 days?
And why didn't McMillan say anything about this change in RIF policy during his last All Hands meeting?
You don't realize that McMillan has a big Bechtel "personal flotation device" just like all top LANS managers. You will sink. He will float. Not the same boat at all. If you persist in thinking top managers will suffer the same fate they bring upon you, you are delusional.
July 11, 2012 9:31 PM
I wonder how that "personal floatation device" does when a few hundred staff, that are without one, grap onto it (and hum)to save themselves. No, but your right, he'll cut the bait (Los Alamos) when his bank account "is just right".
The flotation devices are substantial for the UC holdovers that became key personnel at transition. Would look at McMillan, Knapp, Wallace, Bishop, Gibbs, Seastrom and Marquez to each have 250K per year lifetime pensions. Not bad, eh?
Would look at McMillan, Knapp, Wallace, Bishop, Gibbs, Seastrom and Marquez to each have 250K per year lifetime pensions. Not bad, eh?
July 13, 2012 12:20 PM
Your substantiation for this outrageously false claim would be...? Your pants are on fire.
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