UC regents open discussion on laboratories
By ROGER SNODGRASS, Monitor Editor
Meeting in San Francisco Wednesday, the University of California Board of Regents heard disagreements about the university’s role in the nation’s nuclear weapons program.
Criticism came this time not only from students, who are often vocal during regents’ meetings, but also from California Lt.-Gov. John Garamendi, a Democrat and an ex officio member of the board, who said he was “deeply disturbed” by what he heard.
An audio webcast of an open session of the Committee on Oversight of the Department of Energy laboratories began with a complaint by the board’s faculty representative, Michael Brown.
Also the chair of the Academic Senate and an advisory member of the laboratory oversight committee, Brown said the faculty was concerned about the federal government’s plan currently under discussion to increase pit manufacturing from 50 to 80 nuclear triggers a year at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and that the university was locked into a long-term contract with the DOE from which it could not escape.
Later, in the brief segment of the three-day meeting, the regents heard a report led by Norm Pattiz, the new chairman of the board of the limited liability corporations that own Los Alamos National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Pattiz is the chairman and founder of Westwood One, the largest radio network in the country.
He reported that the National Nuclear Security administration was pleased at the “proactive approach of the lab and their communication network” during recent public hearings in New Mexico on the transformation of the nuclear weapons complex. He also passed along compliments from meetings in Washington that “our two lab directors are extremely highly regarded.”
During Pattiz’ report, Garamendi was recognized. Posing a series of 20 or more probing question, Garamendi began by wanting to know who was actually in charge of the partnerships that run the weapons labs.
Pattiz said that the governing boards, one for each lab, were composed of six members, three from the university and one each from the three principal industrial partners.
“In a tie-breaking situation,” he said, the university’s chairmanship, “gives us the ability to prevail.”
So, when there is bad press about lapses of security, Garamendi concluded, “the university will be splattered by the mud, because we are in charge.”
During the ensuing discussion, UC Vice President Robert Foley affirmed that the contract was binding on the university.
“We knew going in that we had given up the right to unilaterally withdraw from the contract,” Foley said.
While the contract might be extended for as many as 20 years or as few as seven, he added, “The university does not have a guaranteed right to withdraw during that time.”
"Garamendi also established from an answer to his questions that certain top managers of the weapons laboratories were employed by the limited liability corporations, but that UC paid their compensation.
Meanwhile, a student group protested a number of university issues during the meeting, including the university’s involvement in making parts for nuclear weapons, according to news reports today.
Pattiz promised to schedule a full discussion on issues related to the laboratories “at the appropriate time.”
By ROGER SNODGRASS, Monitor Editor
Meeting in San Francisco Wednesday, the University of California Board of Regents heard disagreements about the university’s role in the nation’s nuclear weapons program.
Criticism came this time not only from students, who are often vocal during regents’ meetings, but also from California Lt.-Gov. John Garamendi, a Democrat and an ex officio member of the board, who said he was “deeply disturbed” by what he heard.
An audio webcast of an open session of the Committee on Oversight of the Department of Energy laboratories began with a complaint by the board’s faculty representative, Michael Brown.
Also the chair of the Academic Senate and an advisory member of the laboratory oversight committee, Brown said the faculty was concerned about the federal government’s plan currently under discussion to increase pit manufacturing from 50 to 80 nuclear triggers a year at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and that the university was locked into a long-term contract with the DOE from which it could not escape.
Later, in the brief segment of the three-day meeting, the regents heard a report led by Norm Pattiz, the new chairman of the board of the limited liability corporations that own Los Alamos National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Pattiz is the chairman and founder of Westwood One, the largest radio network in the country.
He reported that the National Nuclear Security administration was pleased at the “proactive approach of the lab and their communication network” during recent public hearings in New Mexico on the transformation of the nuclear weapons complex. He also passed along compliments from meetings in Washington that “our two lab directors are extremely highly regarded.”
During Pattiz’ report, Garamendi was recognized. Posing a series of 20 or more probing question, Garamendi began by wanting to know who was actually in charge of the partnerships that run the weapons labs.
Pattiz said that the governing boards, one for each lab, were composed of six members, three from the university and one each from the three principal industrial partners.
“In a tie-breaking situation,” he said, the university’s chairmanship, “gives us the ability to prevail.”
So, when there is bad press about lapses of security, Garamendi concluded, “the university will be splattered by the mud, because we are in charge.”
During the ensuing discussion, UC Vice President Robert Foley affirmed that the contract was binding on the university.
“We knew going in that we had given up the right to unilaterally withdraw from the contract,” Foley said.
While the contract might be extended for as many as 20 years or as few as seven, he added, “The university does not have a guaranteed right to withdraw during that time.”
"Garamendi also established from an answer to his questions that certain top managers of the weapons laboratories were employed by the limited liability corporations, but that UC paid their compensation.
Meanwhile, a student group protested a number of university issues during the meeting, including the university’s involvement in making parts for nuclear weapons, according to news reports today.
Pattiz promised to schedule a full discussion on issues related to the laboratories “at the appropriate time.”
Comments
The board is there for LLNS and NNSA.
There it is. In as deep as you can get and evidence of special treatment. I say it time for those who got this special treatment to pay back every dime with interest, their contracts to be terminated as well as their UCRP retirement terminated for fraud and misuse of public / tax payers funds.
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Garamendi called our local SPSE UPTE office and wanted to Know if about the massive layoffs at LLNL where true, are rep informed him that NNSA had given the green Light to dump 1200 people by the end of 08. so far 500 went out the gate january another 700 are to leave by june. are rep also stated that Garamendi is concerned about LLNL's future as a national lab. I am glade some one from the governers office is questioning why the directors are geting uc benifits when the rest of us where dumped out of the system.
UPTE local 11 LLNL Skill crafts
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It seems like LLNL employees should be contacting Garamendi Office with their concerns on the death of LLNL and LANS mismanagement/cost of the transition. LLNL, the national lab that UC founded (Not DOE or NNSA) is bleeding to death...
916-445-8994.
http://www.ltg.ca.gov
Love the link to Westwood One, just look what megacorps did to the local radio stations.
Anyone notice the story in the news about how defense contractors have managed to electrocute a number of soldiers by using substandard water pumps from China? Another case of money over mission.