The Photo Behind the Blog Title:
I just realized this. The photo
used behind the title for this blog looks like a tombstone, since the
date says "1952-2007". Was this photo doctored and made to look like a
"tombstone"? I only realized the irony just now (yes maybe I'm slow).
The anger against Bechtel and the state of the lab (versus many decades
ago) seem to reflect this idea.
11 comments:
You are a noob for not realizing that
I keep hearing about how Bechtel wrecked LLNL but I beg to differ. Bechtel and the other partners came in to manage a distressed organization. On top of that the lab would have been on about the same condition it is now even if Bechtel was not onboard. The lab does as it wants. It tells Bechtel what to do and not the other way around.
None of the national labs should be managed by private industry.
The consortiums don't have a great track record unfortunately. Maybe if it was a single large private sector corporation as the managing agency then the parent company might take a more active role in ensuring success. An LLC as agent is a mistake since liability (and therefore accountability) does not extend to Bechtel.
First you have to have a mission and so far you've failed to deliver on clean alternative energy each time given a chance and then think you can fall back on weapons to save you. Those days are gone and should be forever. Now we need more support for NSA and global security. Then we need to have the Mossad find Edward Snowden and do what they do best using him as an example to what will be done to anyone who choses to do the same. Our tax dollars need to go wher they'll do us the best good
Detractor: "Mission? What is your mission?"
Lab: "We don't need no stinkin mission."
July 19, 2013 at 2:20 AM is right. The consortium LLC model has to be thrown out completely.
The tombstone and the current zombie craze are apropo symbols for the labs - those employed there are now the walking dead.
NIF still has a small chance of paying off, no?
As far as the tombstone - the REAL death year was 1992 when underground testing stopped...
I have to react to the second posting which is nothing short of ignorant. "Bechtel and other partners came to manage a distressed organization". What a bunch of blarney. What type of fiction are you writing. LLNL was just fine. LBL avoided this disaster and they avoided what we got. A contract with fees, state taxes, and bloated promises of some sort of cost savings because of the expertise of the likes of Becthel. Those items alone cost us 500 employees immediately, and another 500 later. None of the promises were met, and we got about 50 senior imports that have done just what? I challenge you to back your phoney claim up. What did Becthel and the partner bring to the Lab? Incredible claim. Do we have new business? Are we growing? Do we have rock solid pensions? Do we get regular raises? Is our real salary growing? Do we have fusion? OK that one is not Bechtel's fault, that is the rat pack. I am not saying we did not have management issues before, but it sure as hell is worse by any measure. The consortium idea is NNSA's biggest failure in judgement. Bechtel simply responded and took the money, but NNSA gave them an opporutnity to get a lot from doing nothing. Travisty, travisty
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