Tri-Valley Cares needs to be on this if they aren't already. We need to make sure that NNSA and LLNL does not make good on promises to pursue such stupid ideas as doing Plutonium experiments on NIF. The stupidity arises from the fact that a huge population is placed at risk in the short and long term. Why do this kind of experiment in a heavily populated area? Only a moron would push that kind of imbecile area. Do it somewhere else in the god forsaken hills of Los Alamos. Why should the communities in the Bay Area be subjected to such increased risk just because the lab's NIF has failed twice and is trying the Hail Mary pass of doing an SNM experiment just to justify their existence? Those Laser EoS techniques and the people analyzing the raw data are all just BAD anyways. You know what comes next after they do the experiment. They'll figure out that they need larger samples. More risk for the local population. Stop this imbecilic pursuit. They wan...
Comments
www.davidappell.com/articles/PWApr12Appell-Obayashi_SE.pdf
During his comments, he mentioned that LANL, in addition to the $300 million in budget cuts this fiscal year, will be looking at another $100 million in cuts for FY2013.
Rumors about involuntary layoffs will startup again once these cuts get closer to realization. The budget cuts that LANL has suffered have been enormous! But, not to fear, those cuts don't seem to have hurt Charlie McMillan's big salary (see the recent ABQ Journal report on April 19th).
By ABQ Journal Staff on Thu, Apr 19, 2012
www.abqjournal.com/main/2012/04/19/north/
lanl-director-makes-1m.html
April 20, 2012 9:19 AM
Does anyone know how many uuuhhh's and uummm's McMillan used during his testimony to Cpngress? The man is an embarrassment to LANL while speaking in public.
April 20, 2012 12:26 PM
Mikey was in way over his head but was well coached until he found his "sea legs." Plus he had Mara for adult guidance. Mcmillan is in way over his head and doesn't see the need for any coaching. Plus he has Knapp. Enough said?
Uh, well...uh... I uh agree .... uh with, the...the NNSA. ohI am uh NAS...? what they said. We can do better...uh hmmm, yes the relationship is good, mmm, (very low voice)" what the hell is the NAS?" oh er, things are great, a thousand points of light, a new world order...don't cry for me Argentina...uh, uh was Madonna really president of Argentina?
Huuuhhh, what! What an absolutely unclear and vague statement to conclude what was a debacle of a testimony! McMillan is a real disappointment to the Lab and community.
Are you kidding me McMillan? This guy has PhD in physics from MIT and he provides us with a kindergarden explanation of risk. Oh my God!
And in case people haven't notice, neither of the Livermore boy's, McMillan or Knapp, have much love for LANL or the surrounding community. They'll be leaving the destruction and mess they leave behind in a few years.
Digest the carcass and grow something productive.
April 26, 2012 9:22 AM
Of course not. After October you can plan on an involuntary RIF to balance the workforce with the slashed income for FY13. (With only 26 weeks severance.)
The fact that those to be laid off will be stuck with a much lower amount in their severance payment now that LANS has slashed the accumulated severance that was earned is going to give this RIF a particular putrid taste to the older staff who are targeted for this layoff.
LANL is going down, down, down..... and the safety net is being taken away from the regular staff.
May 2, 2012 10:27 PM
The only people to whom this is news are the public (who don't give a flip anyway), and those few LANL staff who are still deluding themselves that THEIR jobs are safe because the Lab will always need someone to do what THEY do. A lot of those folks are in security and safety organizations. And managers who think they are safe need only consider this: Enough layoffs among technical and support staff and massive consolidation of existing organizations and functions will occur, and voila! Superfluous managers!
Heckuva job!
May 4, 2012 9:50 AM
And long overdue, in both cases. As a LANL retiree (fairly recent) I can attest that the "deadwood" is rampant, at all levels. LANL could accomplish its current output with 40% of its current workforce, if they all gave a shit.