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LANL employees are not government employees, but are private-sector employees.
Should be entertaining to watch McMillan reconcile this official lab release with his statments that the Lab works in the public interest.
"Steve Sandoval, a LANL spokesman, said lab employees are not government employees.
“We are employees of Los Alamos National Security LLC and thus considered private-sector employees,” he said."
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/hatch-act-sidelines-would-be-candidate-for-county-commission/article_66741fd0-8129-5b9f-a7ce-21f44db2f219.html
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Anonymous said...
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Of course the LANS and LLNS workers are "private sector." And a whole
host of applicable laws and regulations prove it. By the way, there are
no "LANL (or LLNL) employees." LANL and LLNL are facilities owned by the
government, not employers. The contractors hired to run these
facilities are the employers.
Lots of private-sector employees work in the public interest. Most government contractors, including military, NWC, the US Postal Service, plus communications workers, health workers, etc. Hell, you could argue that anyone providing goods or services needed by the public is working "in the public interest." I suggest you get a broader, more correct view of the situation.
Monday, April 21, 2014
LANL employees
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61 comments:
The pride is gone.
Never did understand how a LANL employee could run for elected office, since the only source of funds is the taxpayer. It wears thin to claim private employeer for some areas and public servant for others.
You think Mayors can't run for US Representative? Senators can't run for President? Do you realize what percentage of the US workforce gets it's funding ultimately from the government?
Hatch Act.
End of discussion.
Hatch Act.
End of discussion.
April 22, 2014 at 9:26 AM
Not quite. The Hatch Act (including 2012 amendments) restricts political activity and running for office of people (non-federal employees) whose salary is "completely paid, directly or indirectly, by a federal loan or grant." Doesn't apply to employees of a federal contractor. No loan or grant involved.
Times have radically changed. LANL employees are now little more than common sub-contractors who work at a for-profit company (of which they are not allowed to share in any of the annual profits they help to secure!) and can be replaced with a cheaper new hire with much smaller benefits at any time.
Bummer, but it's true.
LANS can only make "profit" by achieving the science-based DOE/NNSA Performance Objectives. They can't do that with "cheaper new hires." By the way, there are no "LANL employees." LANL is nothing more than a collection of buildings and equipment on a chunk of government land. It doesn't "employ" anyone. LANS does that.
Most lab employees are an odd bunch and very confused who their employer is. The plants have a much better grasp of reality, they know they work for Honeywell, B&W ect... The labs and plants have the exact same M&O contract arrangement, but you will never hear a lab employee saying I work for Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company or I work for LANS or LLNS.
"Most lab employees are an odd bunch and very confused who their employer is"
Indeed, the lab employees are there to give a Protemkim village appearance that things are being done. The management believes that they are the reason that the labs exits and the profit is the only real motive to work. The workers are fools who believe in some outdated and silly notion of value, mission, honor, and work. They are weak and could not make it as corporate managers. The non management have no value and can only cut into the profit. The people who do the work are liabilities to profit and need to be eliminated. The labs are only perception sat the end of the day and he who gets the most money wins. Honor is for the the pathetic and broke.
The non management have no value and can only cut into the profit. The people who do the work are liabilities to profit and need to be eliminated.
April 24, 2014 at 10:02 PM
You really have no idea how LLNS makes "profit." Please explain how LLNS will demonstrate achievement of the NNSA performance objectives, and therefore get award fee (i.e., "profit") with no one to do the work.
with no one to do the work.
April 25, 2014 at 8:59 AM
What is this thing called 'work'?
Something you get paid for doing, but apparently feel is beneath you.
"Something you get paid for doing, but apparently feel is beneath you.
April 25, 2014 at 7:09 PM"
Spoken like LLNLs manager.
"You really have no idea how LLNS makes "profit." Please explain how LLNS will demonstrate achievement of the NNSA performance objectives, and therefore get award fee (i.e., "profit") with no one to do the work.
April 25, 2014 at 8:59 AM"
A significant portion of the bonus comes from safety and security. Science is never really defined and one manager told me that if half the science was done at the lab that that portion of the bonus would not change. Where work counts is on milestones but many in management see this a grunge work that can be done by anyone. Held said it himself, we cost much more money and get much less done.
So only LLNS managers are so despicable as to expect employees to actually do work for the money they receive? Did you ever have a boss or manager in your life that did not? Where? I want to work there! Can you say self-absorbed, self-entitled, and victim-obsessed? Me, I prefer to work for my salary, and detest the slugs around me who seem to think they are above all that. It's all about self-respect. Grow up.
Where work counts is on milestones but many in management see this a grunge work that can be done by anyone.
April 25, 2014 at 9:25 PM
No one counts "milestones" except LLNS management. DOE/NNSA looks at overall progress on performance objectives.
Me, I prefer to work for my salary, and detest the slugs around me who seem to think they are above all that.
April 25, 2014 at 9:29 PM
You should resign from the lab then, if you have not already left. There is nothing there for you if you feel this way, except bitterness and ulcers.
There is nothing there for you if you feel this way, except bitterness and ulcers.
April 25, 2014 at 10:57 PM
Caused by people like you?? What a joke! In case it is a foreign concept to you, I actually enjoy doing my job. A sense of achievement and fulfillment is important to me. It's the slugs who think sitting around and bitching is the answer to their problems who disgust me.
In my experience, it is the folks who, at the end of their careers, have no achievements to look back on who are the bitter ones.
I think you miss the point 8:43 AM. Life is too short to be disgusted every day by slugs who surround you.
Actually, my life is good. Theirs sucks. The disgusting part is their absolute refusal to take responsibility for their lives and do something for themselves. Wasted lives is the most disgusting waste of all. Life is too short to be lived that way. Besides, I'm not "surrounded" by slugs. There are still quite a few who "get it" and haven't fallen for the "woe is me" crap. Those are the colleagues that make the job good.
"So only LLNS managers are so despicable as to expect employees to actually do work for the money they receive? Did you ever have a boss or manager in your life that did not? "
What are you talking about LLNL, and LANS managers do little work. NNSA is starting to get that point. The workers do the work and resent management that does nothing but siphon off money and give nothing in return. We need some management but about 1/5 of what we need now. DOE, NNSA, everyone is getting this point, where have you been? The managment does care if the workers get the job done, they never interact with the workers, the management does not care about the mission, they only care about the money. The management at the NNSA labs, well at least LLNLs and LANS has taken a nose dive since the contract change.
April 26, 2014 at 9:12 PM
I suggest you re-read the post you claim to be responding to. The question was did you ever have a boss or manager that did not expect employees to actually do work for the money they receive? I don't know what you thought you read, but you were wrong.
Actually, my life is good. Theirs sucks. The disgusting part is their absolute refusal to take responsibility for their lives and do something for themselves. "Wasted lives is the most disgusting waste of all. Life is too short to be lived that way. Besides, I'm not "surrounded" by slugs. There are still quite a few who "get it" and haven't fallen for the "woe is me" crap. Those are the colleagues that make the job good.
April 26, 2014 at 10:57 AM"
I am calling troll on you.
You are a fake and not who you say you are. Every single person I know at the labs who actually work hard and enjoy the work that they do absolutely detests what the labs have become due to the contract change and the new attitude of the management that came with the contract change. No sane hard working human can look at what has become of LANL and LLNL and not be disturbed at what they see. NNSA and DOE are starting to get it. Every review, report, external committee, and outcome keep saying the same thing and they can no longer ignore it. LLNS and LANS are on their way out. It may take a few years but things are going to change.
"I suggest you re-read the post you claim to be responding to. The question was did you ever have a boss or manager that did not expect employees to actually do work for the money they receive"
If you work at LLNL than you dam well know the answer to this or you are a fake. Before the contract change people had a passion and a love for their work, it is a mission, a greater calling, a feeling of being part of something special. Now it is just a job and not a particularly good job. To the management it is about and bonuses not about if the employees work or accomplish something.
Explain how LLNS gets award fee, from which "bonuses" come, if employees don't do work. How will the performance objectives be met?
I'm still not understanding why so many people pine for the good old days of UC management. Yes, benefits were better and there was a certain pleasant arrogance associated with being a UC employee, but they were very distant hand-off managers. LLNS and LANS have attempted to play a more direct role, but this is what DOE/NNSA wanted - and to a large extent they failed, which is what Helds comment refer to. They could not change the culture of arrogance that still exists, left over from the days of huge budgets and distant UC non-management. What has really changed, regardless of who manages the labs, is a nebulous mission (has been going this way for years) and reducing budgets (also has been going this way for years). It might feel good to blame the LLCs, but it's much bigger than that - and it will probably only get worse. We're Apollo engineers, folks, and our days are coming to a close. What the labs will morph into, no one knows, but they certainly won't go back to what they were, ever.
"They could not change the culture of arrogance that still exists, left over from the days of huge budgets and distant UC non-management. "
What culture of arrogance? There never was a culture of arrogance. It was just some term that was made up. Prove there was a cultural of arrogance before you make this empty characterization again.
It appears that a return to the Cold War is not completely out of the question.
Mr. anal "Prove it!" is back, throwing out statements he himself doesn't bother to "prove", and perfectly making 11:30 AMs point about arrogance.
April 27, 2014 at 3:10 PM
You clearly are not a scientist.
In science, when you make a statement, you are expected to prove it's validity. Not the other way around. I do not have to prove that your theory is wrong, you have to prove you are right.
April 27, 2014 at 2:30 PM is asking for proof of your statement. Bring some supporting evidence of the statement of arrogant culture. Is that so much to ask for?
Admiral Nanos said it was so. QED
UC ignored the Wen Ho Lee problem until they were told by the Justice Dept that UC managers could go to jail if they didn't fix the security holes that allowed him to download SRD files to his open unclassified account and transfer them to tape. They only got "religion" when they were forced to replace John Browne for no good reason except DOE and DOJ said do it. UC was both arrogant and clueless.
"UC ignored the Wen Ho Lee problem until they were told by the Justice Dept that UC managers could go to jail if they didn't fix the security holes that allowed him to download SRD files to his open unclassified account and transfer them to tape. They only got "religion" when they were forced to replace John Browne for no good reason except DOE and DOJ said do it. UC was both arrogant and clueless.
April 27, 2014 at 7:17 PM"
Even if this is true, than why did LLNL also have to labeled as a lab with a cultural of arrogance? The whole cultural of arrogance thing just does not hold water. I would also add that the Wen Ho Lee issue was just that a single issue, it did not represent a culture of arrogance, it represented a security issue coming from one individual. I would say that their special was special interest groups that wanted to make profit out of the labs so the pushed this as hard as they could. In the end can anyone say that the labs are more productive, more secure, and serving the nation better? No.
April 27, 2014 at 7:17 PM
I fail to see how this proves a cultural of arrogance at the labs. At best it could mean UC acted arrogantly, however even this point is questionable. UC is not the lab. So again please provide proof of a culture of arrogance.
Only someone who has worked at places other than the lab will understand how thigh-slappingly funny Mr. Anal is.
"April 27, 2014 at 11:03 PM"
I highly doubt that someone like you is employed or ever was employed.
This entire blog is routine, continual, and repetitive evidence of the "culture of arrogance" at LLNL and LANL. Every thread devolves to: "I don't care if you're my boss, I'm a scientist and you can't tell me what to do."
"Every thread devolves to: "I don't care if you're my boss, I'm a scientist and you can't tell me what to do."
April 28, 2014 at 9:17 AM"
I don't recall ever seeing a single thread say anything like this. Are you delusional?
It was a descriptive paraphrase, used to indicate mood and intent, you idiot. Yeah, delusional to think someone on this blog would understand a simple rhetorical device.
But, but...My 5th grade teacher said if it had quotation marks, it was a direct exact quote.
"It was a descriptive paraphrase, used to indicate mood and intent, you idiot. Yeah, delusional to think someone on this blog would understand a simple rhetorical device.
April 28, 2014 at 3:04 PM"
Again even as a paraphrase I do recall there ever being posts even implying what you have said. On the other hand you keep posting over and over again, " I am pathetic loser who hates anyone with an education or who has accomplished something with their lives". I an just paraphrasing of course.
Well, since I have a PhD in physics and worked at LANL for 30 years, ending up in middle management, I'd guess you are a terrible judge of people.
No one in this entire thread has proven a single statement, therefore every single post should be ignored as worthless tripe. Without mathematically supported proofs, no statement has meaning. (rolls eyes)
If you are unable to judge a statement on it own merits, without "mathematically supported proofs" you are a very strange person, and not particularly well socially adjusted.
"Well, since I have a PhD in physics and worked at LANL for 30 years, ending up in middle management, I'd guess you are a terrible judge of people.
April 28, 2014 at 5:15 PM"
First why should we believe? If it is true than you appear to be an ex-employee, and there are a few well known ex-lanl employees that rabid bitter nutcases and never should have ever been hired at LANL or any other place for for that matter. Just saying.
"If you are unable to judge a statement on it own merits, without "mathematically supported proofs" you are a very strange person, and not particularly well socially adjusted.
April 28, 2014 at 7:17 PM"
Rolling eyes, ROFLOL, LOL!. Nuance is not your strong point is. You must be a joy to be around. You are a sad, sick, demented person. The fact that you cannot see this just further proof about you false reality. You do know that people in the real world are laughing at you.
April 28, 2014 at 7:44 PM
You are your own worst enemy. Your comment precisely corroborates my point in all respects. Thank you!
First why should we believe?
April 28, 2014 at 7:39 PM
No one is asking you to "believe." This isn't a religious exercise; it's an anonymous blog. Do what you want. Just saying.
"You are your own worst enemy. Your comment precisely corroborates my point in all respects. Thank you!
April 28, 2014 at 8:52 PM"
Your point is that you are a sad bitter POS, that could not make it at the labs, or any other job. Has it ever accord to you to own up to your failures as your own? Instead of blaming others you should look at yourself. You can rant all you want on the blogs but it will not change what you are. Although you cannot go back and make your life worthwhile you can at least stop blaming others.
You can rant all you want on the blogs but it will not change what you are.
April 28, 2014 at 9:12 PM
Didn't see any rant but yours.
Paraphrasing a friend of mine:
"wrestling with pigs in the mud is a waste of time. You never win, and the pigs kinda like it."
Paraphrasing a friend of mine:
"wrestling with pigs in the mud is a waste of time. You never win, and the pigs kinda like it."
April 29, 2014 at 12:34 PM
Of course, as you probably know, there is a proven way to catch a pig in the mud (or grease). Most country-bred schoolboys learn it in order to win at the county fair.
Well, the guy who keeps calling people a "sad bitter POS, that could not make it" is indeed a "pig in the mud (or grease)" (or other odious substance).
Well, the guy who keeps calling people who work at the lab as "arrogant scientists, that have no social value, or worth" is indeed a "pig in the mud (or grease)" (or other odious substance).
I have no idea to whom you are referring since that statement appears nowhere in this thread. Care to elaborate?
I have no idea to whom you are referring since that statement appears nowhere in this thread. Care to elaborate?
April 29, 2014 at 9:02 PM
It was a descriptive paraphrase, used to indicate mood and intent, you idiot. Yeah, delusional to think someone on this blog would understand a simple rhetorical device.
Uh, okaaayy...
Hey April 29, 2014 at 5:39 PM:
What's the trick? I'm a city boy and don't know it.
(You can really learn a lot from this blog, if you pay attention!)
Uh, okaaayy...
April 30, 2014 at 8:14 AM
I agree, the blog gets some very sick sad people who hate the workers at the lab. Who knows what went wrong with these people, maybe they where where fired because they where so awful, maybe they knew that they should have never been hired in the first place, maybe they knew they where frauds and the bitterness ate them up, maybe they knew they failed but just kept blaming others. The old LANL blog had a number of these people, some where had real mental problems, others where frauds who sold their souls, some where just downright batshit crazy. The LLNL blog is no exception. The world is filled with people who think the world failed them, however it is they who have failed the world. OK indeed my friend, Okaaay indeed.
What's the trick? I'm a city boy and don't know it.
(You can really learn a lot from this blog, if you pay attention!)
April 30, 2014 at 9:17 AM
Look at your thumb, then look closely at a pig. The rest is obvious.
May 1, 2014 at 3:37 PM -
Thanks!!!!
That may be the best post ever on this blog!
I am so glad I asked. I was right - you really can learn things on this blog if you pay attention!
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