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Sunday, July 15, 2012
What happened to Tomas?
Anonymously contributed:
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What happened to Tomas? Heard he's left the lab . . .
107 comments:
Anonymous
said...
I heard that Tomas was involved with a female post doc.
An involvement with a post-doc sounds suspiciously like a pretext for something else. Being escorted out by security tells you that there is more to this episode.
Wow some of you seem very angry. Isn't he one of the pioneer minority scientists to work his way up into the upper echelons of the weapons community based on his technical excellence and hard work? Aren't you all sending a message to black and Hispanic scientists that they can expect a similar "takedown?" His CV and publication record look impressive too. Unless you actually point me to something like misappropriations, security violations, or conflict of interest, or a criminal act, I'm not sure how his relationship with another employee is at all relevant. I am so furious, I think i'll try of find his official CV and post it here just to show you all how petty some of you sound. Maybe you don't like his personality or the way he treated you. Welcome to the real world. Point to something concrete and actionable, otherwise shut up.
He would be deeply insulted if you called him "minority" or "Hispanic." He is from Spain. That is part of Europe, BTW for those of you who don't get around much, and is hardly considered a third world/disadvantaged country.
his·pan·ic/hiˈspanik/ Adjective: Of or relating to Spain or to Spanish-speaking countries, esp. those of Latin America. Noun: A Spanish-speaking person living in the US, esp. one of Latin American descent.
Wow, isn't July 17, 2012 12:43 AM an ignorant racist? Doesn't know Spain is in Europe and Tomas is a European. Imagine a day when security shows all racists out the gate. We don't need them or want them at LLNL.
Could he be characterize as being Hispanic descent? Yes
Would Latin Americans characterize him as being Hispanic? That depends on the definition and context being applied
Is he a disadvantaged minority? No
But a lot of you are right! 12:43am doesn't realize that Spaniards are NOT minorities. Tells you how ignorant some people are.
So from the tone of the responses, I'm guessing that some of you are implying that somehow Tomas is misrepresenting his ethnic background, or at least milking some people's ignorance in not being able to tell the difference between a Spaniard and a Latin American.
Get your information straight!!! YES TOMAS IS MARRIED!!! He ONLY just two months ago moved out of his house with his wife of over 10 years...and YES the postdoc DID get special treatment for working with TOMAS and I believe that there were misappropriations of government funds.... GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT!!!
AND for any of you who think that Tomas is of or even representative of a minority culture are completely WRONG!
All the people who did Tomas's bidding will have to answer for the crimes they knowingly engaged in. They will pay for this too. If they had a half a brain, they should get a lawyer and fess up Immediately. Prison time would be fitting punishment for Tomas, and those who protected him for so long.
So what is wrong with a white man being a strong advocate for minorities and helping promote minority education in math, science and engineering? All I see are admirable qualities. I'm really not sure what the problem is. There seems to be something that everyone wants to say but isn't saying it. If you're not willing to lay it out, then all you are doing is supplying innuendo and veiled accusations. Think more carefully about WHY you are angry at him. Does the greater Hispanic community hate him for his support? Or is you who hates him for his slights against you? Do you speak for the greater Hispanic community?
Tomas scandal includes LLNL staff in travel, budget, property, human resources, finance and accounting, cyber security, etc. Everybody knows if you don't do ULM's bidding, you get a bad performance appraisal, no raise, or worse. Government now wondering if LLNL has any internal management controls. Fall out from this could hit a lot of LLNL.
Basically Tomas is playing the race angle as a publicity stunt to promote himself and his own career. I remember a few years back, i think it was for a Habitat for Humanities publicity event or something similar, where he only stayed for the initial photos with the hardhat and all, then bolted after the press left. That's not exactly the kind of behavior that makes you suspicious about whether he really cares about certain causes, or whether he's just doing it because he's a selfish ass.
Don't know what's true or false re: Tomas, but I do know this: the longer Lab Mgt delays in putting something out publicly, the wilder speculation will become and the darker the innuendo. Bring it out to the light! Address it / move on.
As I heard it, George was aware of the romantic relationship Tomas and the Post Doc were having, but when Parney learned of it last week he wanted it ended. He meet with Tomas, who said no. Parney immediately called security, when they arrived at B111 he fired Tomas on the spot and had them escort him off of Lab property. Pretty ugly and fast downfall for the number 3 at the Lab.
Have no idea if this story is all rumor or fact, but Tomas could be a bit of a jerk sometime when you ran into him inside the Lab. Some of the comments appear to be in response to those interactions. If you ever saw him together with his LANL counterpart, you would be proud of how he represented LLNL. Time afer time, he was professional and knew his science, whereas LANL came off as a bombastic buffoon. Would be good if his successor was able to continue to maintain the upper hand. It appears that he gave in to an age old human failing. If true, sad all the way around.
As I heard it, George was aware of the romantic relationship Tomas and the Post Doc were having, but when Parney learned of it last week he wanted it ended. He meet with Tomas, who said no. Parney immediately called security, when they arrived at B111 he fired Tomas on the spot and had them escort him off of Lab property. Pretty ugly and fast downfall for the number 3 at the Lab.
July 18, 2012 4:44 PM
Atta boy Parney. That's the Bechtel way.... clean, fast, cost-effective, and surgical......
Wonder if this might be a tipping point to see a change in the makeup of the LLNS, and LANS, Board of Directors? Looks like a pretty homogeneous white male crowd.
George knew of the Tomas affair and allowed LLNL staff across the lab unknowingly (though some had some suspicions)be part of the scandal. Parney is pissed off because he started a crusade against unnecessary DOE oversight not knowing George had allowed this scandal under his nose. Imagine telling Congress how tight your LLNL operations are and how unnecessary DOE oversight is when the S&T Deputy and the previous LLNL Director had secretly authorized many LLNL systems for a sex scandal. Think we will no longer see George around LLNL?
It is a private matter. Really, with all the problems of the world, we have time to concern ourselves with someone else's sex life?
Now, harassment is different, it has a victim. But if both parties engage in a bit of friendly whopee, what business is it of mine? It should concern the local parson, with concern for their eternal souls, but not business operations.
In my 30-plus-year career, I have heard of perhaps 15 different affairs of various randy lab folks. None mattered to lab operations. To the individuals yes, but not to lab business and not to DOE business.
What's Parney gonna do now when that starstruck young thing, overcome with hormones and a bit too much alcohol, sidles up to him, purring? ("Sorry, my dear...Rules, you know.")
This is one of the benefits of being a powerful, elder statesman; helping those Lewinsky's find their place in life.
If she whispered that she loved him as he entered her, and later gasped and tensed slightly as he died in her arms; then no scorn of Parney's matters. It was worth it.
Did she get LDRDs and awards as a result of her relationship with Tomas?
Did she go on tax-payer financed trips to sensitive foreign countries like China, with Tomas because she had the appropriate technical background over all other postdocs that could have been selected?
Did the other managers turn a blind eye when these kinds of questions come up, because of the environment of fear and intimidation due to Tomas?
You have a national security problem if you have someone at that high of a level abusing their authority, behaving inappropriately, and being cavalier about his own actions. If he thinks that he is above the law, think about how inappropriately he will deal with FIS influences.
Isn't he required to report any significant relationships in his life, as part of maintaining his clearance and trust with the U. S. Government? He can be nailed just for not complying with security reporting requirements.
I don't really care about his sex life, or as it seems the rest of yours. It's not a race issue it's an ethics issue. He use a lot of people in this incident, without caring for anyone but himself. There are a lot of people struggling right now, and paying their taxes so we can earn a living, he should know better. If he wants to fool around with a Post doc, that's his business, but don't ask the lab to pay for it. What else has he done.
No matter what the true story is, and I do not know it, it is a sad way for both Tomas and his detractors to end the situation. It punishes the Lab and employees. If Tomas is being treated wrongly, he will win in a court and be richer for it. If he is guilty of something egregious, one would think he and management would have better sense than to make a public display of this because of the impact on our reputation, management's reputation, and employees will pay the price one way or another, as always. No matter who is right, the big boys play tough at the expense of others.
Parney was forced to take action to "save face" in Washington and other audiences.
Tomas deserves to answer to a plethora of unethical and illegal practices he has historically distributed across a diverse range of employees at LLNL. He has willingly involved (intentionally intimidated) good employees to perform his bidding. He has disgraced and disappointed LLNL employees and the institutional reputation.
What happened to Ed Moses??
Another black eye for LLNL. Rumor is, Ed Moses was also told "he does not have a job at LLNL" come Oct 1. This is allegedly due to misappropriation of funds, resources and potential travel expenses he utilized to support a family owned company.
Tomas has demonstrated his arrogant behavior and finally was challenged. Ed Moses has also been exposed and is the next disappointing manager to be released following unethical practices. This is all such sad data for an institution that continuously emphasizes quality and excellence.
Last five years - little or no reward for honest, hard working LLNL employees? Big rewards for unethical, incompetent cronies? LLNS - how is that working for you?
Let's see how Parney's "holds up" through this storm. He thought he was moving away from Washington Beltway "affairs". You dah man Parney...you dah man!
@July 19, 2012 9:58 PM - You want to make this political, it isn't the Democrats who have all the interest in the sex lives of consenting adults. That is purely in the right/wrong wingers corner.
Time afer time, he was professional and knew his science, whereas LANL came off as a bombastic buffoon. Would be good if his successor was able to continue to maintain the upper hand. It appears that he gave in to an age old human failing. If true, sad all the way around.
July 18, 2012 5:19 PM
"Bombastic buffoon", it appears that Bret Knapp was in the meeting with Tomas?
It's too bad that Lab management does protect their "own" and that the real story will never really come out.
It's also unfortunate that the people who worked at the Lab (and still do) who really care about what happens to the research, science and innovation are all suffering because of "burros" like Tomas.
LLNL use to be a proud institution. Great things came out of it. There's still a little of that there, but it is getting harder and harder to decipher the really good eggs (science, etc.) from the rotten ones.
Tomas, over the years, did hurt innocent people who had careers that were important to them and to their loved ones. Tomas didn't care about that. And, it is true that he had his lackeys that catered to his whims.
All of those individuals (you know who you are) who allowed Tomas to get away with unacceptable behavior (there were so many), shame on you.
Let's face it. Every single person that allowed Tomas to get away with not following the rules played a role in Tomas getting away with way too much. Whether you are a finance person ignoring the facts, truth, policies, etc.... or the person that signed for Tomas travel (Spain for a month for how many years? Seriously?) Or possibly the individual who was approving all of the "perks" that Tomas would conveniently state he needed for his visitors, etc. And lastly, the people who were complicit in allowing Tomas to re-assign or get rid of people... WOW! How do you live with that?
I hope this doesn't read like I have an axe to grind. I truly don't. I just don't like to see a grand institution be tarnished by arrogant individuals such as Tomas. And, I don't like that it will hurt the innocent people when the Lab is no longer a National Lab anymore. No jobs, no retirement, no rich scientific successes.
And last, to Tomas' family... it's unfortunate that anyone has to bare the burden of Tomas' crap. Because, in the end it is crap. We hope you come out of this in a better place.
N=53, which must be a record for posts to finally denigrate one of the Kalifornia Karpetbaggers at LANL. Nice comparison: Tomas the dude can get it up, but Brett the buffoon can only rev up his Porsche.
What scares me the most is not the unethical behavior at LLNL that I have seen is dismissed by management and HR; but that the people, management, and HR that act unethically seem to believe that their behavior is okay and/or turn it on the people that report this behavior and cover it up. I think we all deserve an explanation from Parney as to why Tomas is gone. Please be transparent. You will have a better working environment.
Didn't you see the NewsOnline article Reminder regarding conferences and travel? ULM determined that the problem was the LLNL employees. That must be a relief for ULM after reaching that conclusion.
Maybe the best thing for LLNL and its employees is for Parney to get ahead of this scandal by quickly cleaning house. One idea I've heard is for the people in some of the following positions possibly being moved to different positions at LLNL and then the positions being posted: Associate Deputy Director for Operations, O&B Deputy PAD for Operations, O&B Assurance Manager, HR Director, CFO
Associate Deputy Director for Operations, O&B Deputy PAD for Operations, O&B Assurance Manager, HR Director, CFO
July 21, 2012 4:34 PM
Great idea! Let's go hang all Operations and Support folks and make them bear the burden of a single scientist's greed and affair. Better yet, let's punish them by not allowing them to be transferred from theses "crappy" jobs for one year, ala LANS. Operations folks.
As much as I'd like to see Parney send out an email stating "I booted this guy out 'cause he broke the rules, and I'll do it to you too if you cross the line", I'm not going to hold my breath.
We'll get stuck tacking another web class on ethics and LLNS lawyers will prep for a settlement when Tomas sues.
LANL had a Deputy Director (from Bechtel, of course) leave shortly after taking his position with the LLC transition team back in 2006. No one ever heard what the true story was behind his sudden exit.
Expect the same will be seen at LLNL with Tomas. This type of juicy info is considered "corporate proprietary info" by the big boys pulling down the big bucks on the top floors at the for-profit weapon labs. They always protect their own.
Keep in mind that since this is a personnel issue, the Lab is probably legally not allowed to divulge any details (or has been advised by their lawyers not to).
Personally, I think Thomas was very capable in his line of expertise, but also very opinionated, and willing to let areas of the Lab that didn't interest him languish. He was probably the worst thing that happened to Bio for a long time, for example.
Anybody remember when Laser Program Directorate AD and head of NIF, Mike Campbell, was forced to resign over lying about his PhD from MIT. Didn't he end up landing a higher paying job in southern california.
So the consensus at LLNL is that employees work in constant fear of retaliation for doing the right thing and honest, hard-working employees are not rewarded but pawns that are used. The best and brightest of Silicon Valley will certainly want to give up their stock options and other work rewards to come work here.
Effective Aug. 1, the Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration are implementing changes to the DOE Foreign Travel Order-551.1D, which should improve getting approvals done in a timely manner but also will require more thorough documentation to justify the trip requests. Additionally, there is reduction in the amount of personal time allowed in a foreign country during a business trip.
Key features of the order change include: DOE/NNSA has five days to review/disapprove a trip request once LLNL's Foreign Travel Office submits the pre-trip data to them. Personal days in conjunction with business days has been reduced from 1:1 to 2:1 (two business days generates one personal day of use). If attending a foreign conference, a copy of the agenda is required to be submitted. If you are presenting at the conference, a copy of the draft presentation or abstract is required to be attached to the trip paperwork to aid in the trip approval.
For further questions about the changes in foreign travel, contact the LLNL's Foreign Travel Office at 4-4685.
Curious wording…. 5 days to review/disapprove … shouldn’t it read… 5 days to approve/disapprove ?
Why should there be any personal days at all? If I want to take a vacation out of the country I buy my own ticket, while some elitist prima donnas get a nice little perk.
Sometimes, taking extra personal days to extend your total stay can reduce the airfare cost incurred by DOE, for example, if you end up returning on a lower fare day. But yeah, it's still an extravagant benefit to take foreign travel on taxpayer dollars. I'm sure few people actually think about extra days from the point of view of reducing cost.
Sometimes foreign travel is necessary, such as monitoring a foreign fabrication or inspecting a nuclear storage or suspected terrorist sight. Collaborations, meetings and conferences are less dramatic, but for internationally investigated subjects can be no less important.
If you have ever had business travel to the east coast of the US, you know that the time change can put you at a disadvantage for example for a difficult negotiation. Travelling earlier and resting, to become acclimated may be a wise business decision.
The same applies only more so for travel of 8-10 time zones.
Even with a socalled extra day to travel, which actually doesn't exist due to the artifact of moving forward 10 hours, a traveller can find himself exhausted at a critical time, generally 4 in the afternoon.
If the success of the enterprize depends on a competent, well-rested individual, then extra travel days are well advised.
Personal days on any travel (foreign or domestic) are only allowed if they do not increase the cost of the trip. And the rules that define how that calculation is done are pretty tight. The personal days of the trip don't cost the taxpayer anything.
So I don't think it's reasonable to define that as a perk. And I can't see why anybody should care about personal days, except to avoid "the appearance" of government-funded vacations.
I can see why we might care about foreign business trips. In the age of Skype and such, perhaps the need for the trips themselves should be scrutinized more.
Since the Olympics are going on at present, someone might want to look into how many labbies were at scientific conferences in England in the past week or so.
Oh, there's an event that just took place far more exciting than this saga. I'm just waiting to see how many days they can keep it under wraps before TVC, POGO or some news network gets wind. Soon afterwards I'd expect the AG and IG will be investigating all those involved from the top down and I'll assure you the "one" is not going down alone. As the wheels turn.
Instead of looking at contractors as a pot of taxpayer money to be skimmed for personal gain, ULM at these sights should try caring about the mission and employees.
1 for 2 rule has been in effect per DOE order 551.1_ at least since April. Good to see that LLNL is finally catching up to the rules that the rest of the labs live to.
Does anyone have a link to the photos and public relations bits, of this recent official visit to China involving LLNL? Please post the links if you have them. I think these released items are beginning to get scrubbed.
Escorted out by security on Friday. Though apparently he's back on site. DOE investigation into something having to do with his family business dealings (already mentioned above). The words "10 day investigation," "criminal prosecution" and "possible jailtime" seem to come to my mind. But much of this is still at the "unconfirmed" level of certainty.
It made me think of the following film adaptations:
"Elevator Defecation Part Deux," except this time, it's Ed Moses getting caught in the act on camera. Go Ed! Stick it to man!
"Collateral Damage" to innocent employees assigned to NIF who are now in a position of being out of work, which leads to...
"Missing Inventory Early Severance" or missing stuff due to spiteful employees taking early severance as a form of "screw you."
and closing out with
"NIF completion celebration party" complete with awards, music, catering, followed by plans to commence immediate dismantlement and pillaging (or more politely, "reuse") of useful equipment for other programs.
My name is Robert Jordan, a reporter for the Bay Area News Group. I am looking for employees who can speak about the specifics of the departure/leave of absence of Tomas Diaz de la Rubia. If you can aid me, or suggest someone who can, it would be appreciated. I can be reached at 925-847-2184 or rjordan@bayareanewsgroup.com. Thank you.
This really makes me think of the kind of "gotcha" this will be for famous journalists such as Friedman who was led along with the NIF and LIFE con job that Tomas and Ed pulled on them, NNSA, and the community.
Also all the politicians who came to the NIF event in which the lab had to pay for pre-event NIF landscaping by taxing all of the programs, even work-for-other programs that had nothing to do with NIF. Looks and smells like misappropriations of funds.
This is amazing. Some idiot makes up a story out of whole cloth that Moses has been escorted off the Site by security and is under investigation, and it goes viral. It is completely false----Parney seems to love Ed, attendee the laser performance review for a while last week, and has been nothing if not supportive of Ed and NIF since he took over. Ed has been off Site dealing with a 92 yr old mother in law. Do you people have no shame. When you just make this stuff up you can really hurt people.
Face it, Ed is just as despicable if not more so than Tomas. For years people have been trading Ed Moses stories of the kinds of abuse he inflicted on staff members. Only now people are going to start sharing those "Ed Stories" more broadly and as you start to see the extent of his misbehavior and you connect the dots, you'll see for yourself. I'll start off with a well known Ed Story
Way back when, I was asked to attend a meeting with 30 other people including Ed, in some conference room in Laserland before NIF was finished. Before Ed arrived, people made sure to remind us new people not to sit in the chair at the front of the room where the projector is. That position was always Ed's place. Someone later told me that he used to unceremoniously and often very rudely tell anyone who unknowingly sat in his spot to GTFO. I would have to ask my contacts to get the exact quote.
Ed may or may not have mis-used government funds, but if he is charged with some error it most likely was made in his enthusiastic haste to accomplish a vision. He has his rough edges, but it would be a shock to discover that he was a long term thief. On the other hand, Charlie's announcement of the shift of 50 million related to the LANL TCP-1 account just might be worth a closer look.
Ultimately, the main concern is LLNL and LANL have major problems with management and need to change it. Rumors are bad, but I never believe them until I see action and I have seen no action. Things are the same. My concern is as it was already posted "Anonymous Anonymous said
So the consensus at LLNL is that employees work in constant fear of retaliation for doing the right thing and honest, hard-working employees are not rewarded but pawns that are used. The best and brightest of Silicon Valley will certainly want to give up their stock options and other work rewards to come work here.
This is an example of a "despicable Ed" story?? That he as leader had a preferred seat? Parney has a preferred seat at the MPR and in his conference room. Warner has one at his staff meetings. Parney has a reserved parking spot in front of 111. Rank hath its privileges. Good lord, fellah---get a life.
Yeah, I like the part about "someone later ***told me*** that he used to unceremoniously and often very rudely tell anyone who unknowingly sat in his spot to GTFO." So he actually had no actual experience himself, but was simply reporting something somebody said.
And heavens, we can't have anybody being "unceromonious".
If that's the best you can come up with to back the adjective "despicable", you fail.
Following a successful 23-year career as a scientist, senior manager and leader at the Laboratory, Dr. Tomas Diaz de la Rubia is stepping down from his post as Deputy Director for Science and Technology to pursue other opportunities.
He has agreed to remain with the Laboratory for a period of time to assist in the transfer of his duties and responsibilities.
"We wish to thank him for his years of dedicated service in the national interest," Lab Director Parney Albright said.
A little house cleaning where it is needed is always a healthy thing for any organization to attend to. Nobody, including the leaders of an organization are exempt from established policy or laws. For those of us who do have personal experience with high level managers exhibiting a 'God Complex', this is most entertaining.
In light of http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-488 the recent alpha heating milestone failure, and now the management disruptions, particularly of someone who was such a strong advocate of the LIFE concept,
"... who's going to write the letter to congress?"
Maybe Ed Moses should become the new Deputy Director of Science and Technology. He's got atleast 7 patents under his belt!
I've been at the lab for over 35 years, and I have NEVER once seen anything to suggest that either Dr. Tomas Diaz de la Rubia or Dr. Ed Moses has ever done ANYTHING wrong. They are nice people who are professional in every aspect. They treat everyone around them with dignity, respect and thoughtfulness. They are intellectually honest and very candid about important projects like NIF. And they are highly respected by NNSA administrators like Tom D'Agostino and Don Cook.
All of these insinuations about their behavior are all part of a smear campaign driven by a vast left wing conspiracy probably led by Obama supporters who are willing to lie and cheat in order to steal the upcoming election. And they are doing it because they are sympathizers with countries like China.
It's our job as members of the Tea Party to protect our own like Tomas and Ed. They are good honest American patriots who are doing a great service to this country, to ensure that we have a working and viable nuclear stockpile to use against those elements trying to discredit leadership at the lab.
I agree with the comments above. Liars you are for making up stories just to cause grief to our patriots. Repeating the fellow patriot above stated, "Good lord, fellah -- get a life."
I agree with you, however I think what is behind this is a vast ultra Right Wing Conspiracy to privatize everything into a for profit scam to create a 1% elite and 99% slaves. They must have only MBA's in charge and destroy science in America.
One of our greatest patriots and national treasure Gore Vidal recently passed away. He was right about the creepy anti-intellectual William F Buckley Jr when he said to him "the only sort of pro- or crypto-Nazi I can think of is yourself"
5:55 PM Facts are EM and his carpet bagger cronies were fired from LLNL ~15 years ago by one Jay Davis. This entire group should now be shown the gate. Oh by the way AVLIS was a complete failure simple physics turned out to be their issue. And I don’t see Peregrine being used by anyone in the Oncology medical field. https://life.llnl.gov/about/life_team/index.php Big problem with most of LLNL management is arrogance and corruption. Love how middle management is being told to squash the rumors. WHY has Parney not come out to dispel the rumors? Simply put: where there’s smoke there is fire. No ignition no LIFE: How much money was spent on this mirage? It’s called sacrifice, LLNL employees were laid off to further fund this idiotic project. That’s why NIF was excluded from the layoff originally. Hey DOD sure hope this same band of arrogant incompetent idiots are not certifying the stockpile. Remember ignition 2010? 2011? 2012? Four orders of magnitude away from ignition is a complete failure. EM and his band of cronies gives R&D a bad name. Time for management to be laid off.
August 2, 2012 1:05 PM is absolutely right that Parney also yells at staffers and tells them to "GTFO of my spot." They all do, for that matter. Don't be singling out one person and crying like a little baby about it running to mommy. Get over it. If you don't have a thick skin, you should be working in retail.
So….I personally never had a hell of a lot of love for Tomas and his pomposity; variously I regarded him as either a “walking cliché” or an “empty suit”. Frankly, he was a sterling politician but I never saw much of any intellectual substance among all that political fluff …perhaps a third quartile performer at best – certainly nothing to warrant the way he carried himself. Still, you have to feel a little sorry for someone who was so driven by his emotional instincts/needs that he threw away what must easily be a $500K/year job and all the prestige and respect that went with that. I mean that has to be a person that’s carrying a real load of internal emptiness.
But....Tomas a professional!?? Hah....Anyone who has experienced his foul-mouthed displeasure would forever refer to him as anything but "professional".
The truth must hurt but look where he is. At the top making ~$500K a year with perks. This $500K should soon be coming out of the TCP-1 pension plan for the remainder of his life. No wonder next year employee contributions is scheduled to be 7% and LLNS portion will be 24% or about $162M verses $82 . How will those funds be acquired. Could it again be SOP for LLNS. ( Bodies = $$), $162,000,000 / $300,000 ='s 540 low paid blue collar workers out the gate !
Managers fooling around with underlings and favoritism is still a common practice at the lab. There is no other corporation where you see so many married people (not with each other), boss/worker (male/female) go out to lunch together that is not business related on a daily basis. Are all you people pretending to be surprised or are you wishing it was you in that position of authority ?
107 comments:
I heard that Tomas was involved with a female
post doc.
This blog doesn't seem to be the appropriate place for tabloid rumors.
Why not, Its true. The bigger they are, the harder they fall
Those hot-blooded mediterranean types... strong pheromones.
A little chemistry?
Homemade explosives?
Late night experiments?
Finally, Pons and Fleishman are proven right, repeated desktop fusion.
Penetrating scientific exploration.
Chemical attraction?
I'll show you my Bosons if you show me yours...
Neither Einstien nor Freud nor many of the former ADs could stay employed at the current lab.
Trowser chemistry.
I mean really if you can't pillow an attractive, willing post-doc what's the point of the time invested? (misquote of Ayn Rand)
There must be more than just that. Tell us more!
Sometimes, there just isn't enough blood left for reasoning.
So that whole reorganization and increased overhead was for Tomas' bordello?
I love Latins!
Did ignition lead to fusion?
Will shower invitations be sent our shortly?
Webster Definition of RUMOR
1: talk or opinion widely disseminated with no discernible source
2: a statement or report current without known authority for its truth
Now one can't blame him for not getting the needed alpha heating.
Maybe some of the pieces can be found in his travel expense history, if that information is not FOIA exempt.
I'm sure the pieces are out there and openly available, but the dots just need to be connected.
An involvement with a post-doc sounds suspiciously like a pretext for something else. Being escorted out by security tells you that there is more to this episode.
This whole situation really Burns.
A. Move on to bigger better job
B. Taking a long deserve vacation.
C.Walked off site by security for misappropriations of government funds and impregnating the young hot post doc that works for me.
Is everyone sure that when Parney stated that "she is tantalizing close to ignition" he wasn't referring to Tomas' post doc?
Wow some of you seem very angry. Isn't he one of the pioneer minority scientists to work his way up into the upper echelons of the weapons community based on his technical excellence and hard work? Aren't you all sending a message to black and Hispanic scientists that they can expect a similar "takedown?" His CV and publication record look impressive too. Unless you actually point me to something like misappropriations, security violations, or conflict of interest, or a criminal act, I'm not sure how his relationship with another employee is at all relevant. I am so furious, I think i'll try of find his official CV and post it here just to show you all how petty some of you sound. Maybe you don't like his personality or the way he treated you. Welcome to the real world. Point to something concrete and actionable, otherwise shut up.
Uh, 12:43 maybe you are the one with the unresolved issues here if you think it is ok for a manager to be involved with an employee.
Is Tomas married?
Is the Post Doc married?
Is the Post Doc underaged?
Does the Post Doc work directly for Tomas?
Did the Post Doc recieve special treatment in getting employement at LLNL?
If the anser is "no" to all of these questions, then what is the problem.
He would be deeply insulted if you called him "minority" or "Hispanic." He is from Spain. That is part of Europe, BTW for those of you who don't get around much, and is hardly considered a third world/disadvantaged country.
his·pan·ic/hiˈspanik/
Adjective:
Of or relating to Spain or to Spanish-speaking countries, esp. those of Latin America.
Noun:
A Spanish-speaking person living in the US, esp. one of Latin American descent.
http://www.hispanicphysicists.org/HispanicPhysicist/Jun2004Hisp.pdf
@7:43 AM
Wow, either you really do not understand or you are a lawyer.
What happened to the Post Doc? If it was a security/integrity issue 2 persons should have seen the East side of the Lab whilst heading West!
Wow, isn't July 17, 2012 12:43 AM an ignorant racist? Doesn't know Spain is in Europe and Tomas is a European. Imagine a day when security shows all racists out the gate. We don't need them or want them at LLNL.
Could he be characterize as being Hispanic descent? Yes
Would Latin Americans characterize him as being Hispanic? That depends on the definition and context being applied
Is he a disadvantaged minority? No
But a lot of you are right! 12:43am doesn't realize that Spaniards are NOT minorities. Tells you how ignorant some people are.
So from the tone of the responses, I'm guessing that some of you are implying that somehow Tomas is misrepresenting his ethnic background, or at least milking some people's ignorance in not being able to tell the difference between a Spaniard and a Latin American.
Too funny!!
To answer July 17, 2012 7:43 AM
Get your information straight!!! YES TOMAS IS MARRIED!!! He ONLY just two months ago moved out of his house with his wife of over 10 years...and YES the postdoc DID get special treatment for working with TOMAS and I believe that there were misappropriations of government funds....
GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT!!!
AND for any of you who think that Tomas is of or even representative of a minority culture are completely WRONG!
This topic got hot all of a sudden... Is misappropriations a criminal offense?
All the people who did Tomas's bidding will have to answer for the crimes they knowingly engaged in. They will pay for this too. If they had a half a brain, they should get a lawyer and fess up Immediately. Prison time would be fitting punishment for Tomas, and those who protected him for so long.
So what is wrong with a white man being a strong advocate for minorities and helping promote minority education in math, science and engineering? All I see are admirable qualities. I'm really not sure what the problem is. There seems to be something that everyone wants to say but isn't saying it. If you're not willing to lay it out, then all you are doing is supplying innuendo and veiled accusations. Think more carefully about WHY you are angry at him. Does the greater Hispanic community hate him for his support? Or is you who hates him for his slights against you? Do you speak for the greater Hispanic community?
I wonder if he was taking his post doc on government "vacations."
https://pao-int.llnl.gov/news/morenews/2012/Jul/071812_travel.html
I can't get to that link. Is there a cached version elsewhere?
Tomas scandal includes LLNL staff in travel, budget, property, human resources, finance and accounting, cyber security, etc. Everybody knows if you don't do ULM's bidding, you get a bad performance appraisal, no raise, or worse. Government now wondering if LLNL has any internal management controls. Fall out from this could hit a lot of LLNL.
Basically Tomas is playing the race angle as a publicity stunt to promote himself and his own career. I remember a few years back, i think it was for a Habitat for Humanities publicity event or something similar, where he only stayed for the initial photos with the hardhat and all, then bolted after the press left. That's not exactly the kind of behavior that makes you suspicious about whether he really cares about certain causes, or whether he's just doing it because he's a selfish ass.
Don't know what's true or false re: Tomas, but I do know this: the longer Lab Mgt delays in putting something out publicly, the wilder speculation will become and the darker the innuendo. Bring it out to the light! Address it / move on.
As I heard it, George was aware of the romantic relationship Tomas and the Post Doc were having, but when Parney learned of it last week he wanted it ended. He meet with Tomas, who said no. Parney immediately called security, when they arrived at B111 he fired Tomas on the spot and had them escort him off of Lab property. Pretty ugly and fast downfall for the number 3 at the Lab.
Can't wait for the movie version...
Have no idea if this story is all rumor or fact, but Tomas could be a bit of a jerk sometime when you ran into him inside the Lab. Some of the comments appear to be in response to those interactions.
If you ever saw him together with his LANL counterpart, you would be proud of how he represented LLNL. Time afer time, he was professional and knew his science, whereas LANL came off as a bombastic buffoon. Would be good if his successor was able to continue to maintain the upper hand.
It appears that he gave in to an age old human failing. If true, sad all the way around.
As I heard it, George was aware of the romantic relationship Tomas and the Post Doc were having, but when Parney learned of it last week he wanted it ended. He meet with Tomas, who said no. Parney immediately called security, when they arrived at B111 he fired Tomas on the spot and had them escort him off of Lab property. Pretty ugly and fast downfall for the number 3 at the Lab.
July 18, 2012 4:44 PM
Atta boy Parney. That's the Bechtel way.... clean, fast, cost-effective, and surgical......
Wonder if this might be a tipping point to see a change in the makeup of the LLNS, and LANS, Board of Directors? Looks like a pretty homogeneous white male crowd.
George knew of the Tomas affair and allowed LLNL staff across the lab unknowingly (though some had some suspicions)be part of the scandal. Parney is pissed off because he started a crusade against unnecessary DOE oversight not knowing George had allowed this scandal under his nose. Imagine telling Congress how tight your LLNL operations are and how unnecessary DOE oversight is when the S&T Deputy and the previous LLNL Director had secretly authorized many LLNL systems for a sex scandal. Think we will no longer see George around LLNL?
Who cares about another's sex life?
It is a private matter. Really, with all the problems of the world, we have time to concern ourselves with someone else's sex life?
Now, harassment is different, it has a victim. But if both parties engage in a bit of friendly whopee, what business is it of mine? It should concern the local parson, with concern for their eternal souls, but not business operations.
In my 30-plus-year career, I have heard of perhaps 15 different affairs of various randy lab folks. None mattered to lab operations. To the individuals yes, but not to lab business and not to DOE business.
Mind your own....
What a crappy precedent.
What's Parney gonna do now when that starstruck young thing, overcome with hormones and a bit too much alcohol, sidles up to him, purring? ("Sorry, my dear...Rules, you know.")
This is one of the benefits of being a powerful, elder statesman; helping those Lewinsky's find their place in life.
And she in turn, helps his sagging self-image and local circulatory problems.
Fair exchange.
What a fine way to depart the lab.
Thirty years of humdrum and a forgettable retirement party.
or
The notoriety of being frogmarched out for "scientific thrusts above and beyond the line of duty".
Bravo, amigo! You are remembered. I am not.
If she whispered that she loved him as he entered her, and later gasped and tensed slightly as he died in her arms; then no scorn of Parney's matters. It was worth it.
The male animal.
Did she get LDRDs and awards as a result of her relationship with Tomas?
Did she go on tax-payer financed trips to sensitive foreign countries like China, with Tomas because she had the appropriate technical background over all other postdocs that could have been selected?
Did the other managers turn a blind eye when these kinds of questions come up, because of the environment of fear and intimidation due to Tomas?
You have a national security problem if you have someone at that high of a level abusing their authority, behaving inappropriately, and being cavalier about his own actions. If he thinks that he is above the law, think about how inappropriately he will deal with FIS influences.
Isn't he required to report any significant relationships in his life, as part of maintaining his clearance and trust with the U. S. Government? He can be nailed just for not complying with security reporting requirements.
I don't really care about his sex life, or as it seems the rest of yours. It's not a race issue it's an ethics issue. He use a lot of people in this incident, without caring for anyone but himself. There are a lot of people struggling right now, and paying their taxes so we can earn a living, he should know better. If he wants to fool around with a Post doc, that's his business, but don't ask the lab to pay for it. What else has he done.
No matter what the true story is, and I do not know it, it is a sad way for both Tomas and his detractors to end the situation. It punishes the Lab and employees. If Tomas is being treated wrongly, he will win in a court and be richer for it. If he is guilty of something egregious, one would think he and management would have better sense than to make a public display of this because of the impact on our reputation, management's reputation, and employees will pay the price one way or another, as always. No matter who is right, the big boys play tough at the expense of others.
Parney was forced to take action to "save face" in Washington and other audiences.
Tomas deserves to answer to a plethora of unethical and illegal practices he has historically distributed across a diverse range of employees at LLNL. He has willingly involved (intentionally intimidated) good employees to perform his bidding. He has disgraced and disappointed LLNL employees and the institutional reputation.
What happened to Ed Moses??
Another black eye for LLNL. Rumor is, Ed Moses was also told "he does not have a job at LLNL" come Oct 1. This is allegedly due to misappropriation of funds, resources and potential travel expenses he utilized to support a family owned company.
Tomas has demonstrated his arrogant behavior and finally was challenged. Ed Moses has also been exposed and is the next disappointing manager to be released following unethical practices. This is all such sad data for an institution that continuously emphasizes quality and excellence.
Isn't he required to report any significant relationships in his life?
Nope. Must report living in sin. Must report contact with foreign nationals and representatives of foreign governments.
Man, if we had to report everyone we banged while employed, the form would be long and boring.
And no, there is no national security significance to any of our personal thrusts. You must be bent or an intrusive democrat mother-hen.
Should find a way to "turn" Tomas to the Chinese... let him run their national labs into the ground. I would be laughing my ass off.
Last five years - little or no reward for honest, hard working LLNL employees? Big rewards for unethical, incompetent cronies? LLNS - how is that working for you?
Let's see how Parney's "holds up" through this storm. He thought he was moving away from Washington Beltway "affairs". You dah man Parney...you dah man!
@July 19, 2012 9:58 PM - You want to make this political, it isn't the Democrats who have all the interest in the sex lives of consenting adults. That is purely in the right/wrong wingers corner.
Time afer time, he was professional and knew his science, whereas LANL came off as a bombastic buffoon. Would be good if his successor was able to continue to maintain the upper hand.
It appears that he gave in to an age old human failing. If true, sad all the way around.
July 18, 2012 5:19 PM
"Bombastic buffoon", it appears that Bret Knapp was in the meeting with Tomas?
It's too bad that Lab management does protect their "own" and that the real story will never really come out.
It's also unfortunate that the people who worked at the Lab (and still do) who really care about what happens to the research, science and innovation are all suffering because of "burros" like Tomas.
LLNL use to be a proud institution. Great things came out of it. There's still a little of that there, but it is getting harder and harder to decipher the really good eggs (science, etc.) from the rotten ones.
Tomas, over the years, did hurt innocent people who had careers that were important to them and to their loved ones. Tomas didn't care about that. And, it is true that he had his lackeys that catered to his whims.
All of those individuals (you know who you are) who allowed Tomas to get away with unacceptable behavior (there were so many), shame on you.
Let's face it. Every single person that allowed Tomas to get away with not following the rules played a role in Tomas getting away with way too much. Whether you are a finance person ignoring the facts, truth, policies, etc.... or the person that signed for Tomas travel (Spain for a month for how many years? Seriously?) Or possibly the individual who was approving all of the "perks" that Tomas would conveniently state he needed for his visitors, etc. And lastly, the people who were complicit in allowing Tomas to re-assign or get rid of people... WOW! How do you live with that?
I hope this doesn't read like I have an axe to grind. I truly don't. I just don't like to see a grand institution be tarnished by arrogant individuals such as Tomas. And, I don't like that it will hurt the innocent people when the Lab is no longer a National Lab anymore. No jobs, no retirement, no rich scientific successes.
And last, to Tomas' family... it's unfortunate that anyone has to bare the burden of Tomas' crap. Because, in the end it is crap. We hope you come out of this in a better place.
Was there a public or official announcement about Tomas activities or leaving/resignation?
N=53, which must be a record for posts to finally denigrate one of the Kalifornia Karpetbaggers at LANL. Nice comparison: Tomas the dude can get it up, but Brett the buffoon can only rev up his Porsche.
What scares me the most is not the unethical behavior at LLNL that I have seen is dismissed by management and HR; but that the people, management, and HR that act unethically seem to believe that their behavior is okay and/or turn it on the people that report this behavior and cover it up. I think we all deserve an explanation from Parney as to why Tomas is gone. Please be transparent. You will have a better working environment.
one man's ethics is another mans folly.
It's relative.
Think abortion.
It's the uncertainty principle.
Many say that a few or few dozen hold many decent people hostage at LLNL.
Didn't you see the NewsOnline article Reminder regarding conferences and travel? ULM determined that the problem was the LLNL employees. That must be a relief for ULM after reaching that conclusion.
Maybe the best thing for LLNL and its employees is for Parney to get ahead of this scandal by quickly cleaning house. One idea I've heard is for the people in some of the following positions possibly being moved to different positions at LLNL and then the positions being posted:
Associate Deputy Director for Operations, O&B Deputy PAD for Operations, O&B Assurance Manager, HR Director, CFO
Associate Deputy Director for Operations, O&B Deputy PAD for Operations, O&B Assurance Manager, HR Director, CFO
July 21, 2012 4:34 PM
Great idea! Let's go hang all Operations and Support folks and make them bear the burden of a single scientist's greed and affair. Better yet, let's punish them by not allowing them to be transferred from theses "crappy" jobs for one year, ala LANS. Operations folks.
As much as I'd like to see Parney send out an email stating "I booted this guy out 'cause he broke the rules, and I'll do it to you too if you cross the line", I'm not going to hold my breath.
We'll get stuck tacking another web class on ethics and LLNS lawyers will prep for a settlement when Tomas sues.
Let's face it, another LLNS "cover-up".
LANL had a Deputy Director (from Bechtel, of course) leave shortly after taking his position with the LLC transition team back in 2006. No one ever heard what the true story was behind his sudden exit.
Expect the same will be seen at LLNL with Tomas. This type of juicy info is considered "corporate proprietary info" by the big boys pulling down the big bucks on the top floors at the for-profit weapon labs. They always protect their own.
Keep in mind that since this is a personnel issue, the Lab is probably legally not allowed to divulge any details (or has been advised by their lawyers not to).
Personally, I think Thomas was very capable in his line of expertise, but also very opinionated, and willing to let areas of the Lab that didn't interest him languish. He was probably the worst thing that happened to Bio for a long time, for example.
Anybody remember when Laser Program Directorate AD and head of NIF, Mike Campbell, was forced to resign over lying about his PhD from MIT. Didn't he end up landing a higher paying job in southern california.
Interesting story: http://www.npr.org/2012/05/01/151764534/psychology-of-fraud-why-good-people-do-bad-things
Interesting story: http://www.npr.org/2012/05/01/151764534/psychology-of-fraud-why-good-people-do-bad-things
Ya but at LLNS and LANS it is why bad people do really bad things
So the consensus at LLNL is that employees work in constant fear of retaliation for doing the right thing and honest, hard-working employees are not rewarded but pawns that are used. The best and brightest of Silicon Valley will certainly want to give up their stock options and other work rewards to come work here.
Absolutely.
Seems as though all Roadmaps to the Future lead to the West gate, most probably with full escort.
Changes in foreign travel......
Effective Aug. 1, the Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration are implementing changes to the DOE Foreign Travel Order-551.1D, which should improve getting approvals done in a timely manner but also will require more thorough documentation to justify the trip requests. Additionally, there is reduction in the amount of personal time allowed in a foreign country during a business trip.
Key features of the order change include:
DOE/NNSA has five days to review/disapprove a trip request once LLNL's Foreign Travel Office submits the pre-trip data to them.
Personal days in conjunction with business days has been reduced from 1:1 to 2:1 (two business days generates one personal day of use).
If attending a foreign conference, a copy of the agenda is required to be submitted. If you are presenting at the conference, a copy of the draft presentation or abstract is required to be attached to the trip paperwork to aid in the trip approval.
For further questions about the changes in foreign travel, contact the LLNL's Foreign Travel Office at 4-4685.
Curious wording…. 5 days to review/disapprove … shouldn’t it read… 5 days to approve/disapprove ?
Thanks Thomas……
Why should there be any personal days at all? If I want to take a vacation out of the country I buy my own ticket, while some elitist prima donnas get a nice little perk.
Sometimes, taking extra personal days to extend your total stay can reduce the airfare cost incurred by DOE, for example, if you end up returning on a lower fare day. But yeah, it's still an extravagant benefit to take foreign travel on taxpayer dollars. I'm sure few people actually think about extra days from the point of view of reducing cost.
Sometimes foreign travel is necessary, such as monitoring a foreign fabrication or inspecting a nuclear storage or suspected terrorist sight. Collaborations, meetings and conferences are less dramatic, but for internationally investigated subjects can be no less important.
If you have ever had business travel to the east coast of the US, you know that the time change can put you at a disadvantage for example for a difficult negotiation. Travelling earlier and resting, to become acclimated may be a wise business decision.
The same applies only more so for travel of 8-10 time zones.
Even with a socalled extra day to travel, which actually doesn't exist due to the artifact of moving forward 10 hours, a traveller can find himself exhausted at a critical time, generally 4 in the afternoon.
If the success of the enterprize depends on a competent, well-rested individual, then extra travel days are well advised.
Personal days on any travel (foreign or domestic) are only allowed if they do not increase the cost of the trip. And the rules that define how that calculation is done are pretty tight. The personal days of the trip don't cost the taxpayer anything.
So I don't think it's reasonable to define that as a perk. And I can't see why anybody should care about personal days, except to avoid "the appearance" of government-funded vacations.
I can see why we might care about foreign business trips. In the age of Skype and such, perhaps the need for the trips themselves should be scrutinized more.
Since the Olympics are going on at present, someone might want to look into how many labbies were at scientific conferences in England in the past week or so.
Oh, there's an event that just took place far more exciting than this saga. I'm just waiting to see how many days they can keep it under wraps before TVC, POGO or some news network gets wind. Soon afterwards I'd expect the AG and IG will be investigating all those involved from the top down and I'll assure you the "one" is not going down alone. As the wheels turn.
Instead of looking at contractors as a pot of taxpayer money to be skimmed for personal gain, ULM at these sights should try caring about the mission and employees.
I give, what's ULM?
ULM = upper lab management
Hellooo July 27, 2012 10:15 AM,
1 for 2 rule has been in effect per DOE order 551.1_ at least since April. Good to see that LLNL is finally catching up to the rules that the rest of the labs live to.
Does anyone have a link to the photos and public relations bits, of this recent official visit to China involving LLNL? Please post the links if you have them. I think these released items are beginning to get scrubbed.
Is anybody hearing that Ed Moses went the way of Tomas?
Escorted out by security on Friday.
Though apparently he's back on site. DOE investigation into
something having to do with his family business dealings (already mentioned above). The words "10 day investigation," "criminal prosecution" and "possible jailtime" seem to come to my mind. But much of this is still at the "unconfirmed" level of certainty.
It made me think of the following film adaptations:
"Elevator Defecation Part Deux," except this time, it's Ed Moses getting caught in the act on camera. Go Ed! Stick it to man!
"Collateral Damage" to innocent employees assigned to NIF who are now in a position of being out of work, which leads to...
"Missing Inventory Early Severance" or missing stuff due to spiteful employees taking early severance as a form of "screw you."
and closing out with
"NIF completion celebration party" complete with awards, music, catering, followed by plans to commence immediate dismantlement and pillaging (or more politely, "reuse") of useful equipment for other programs.
My name is Robert Jordan, a reporter for the Bay Area News Group. I am looking for employees who can speak about the specifics of the departure/leave of absence of Tomas Diaz de la Rubia. If you can aid me, or suggest someone who can, it would be appreciated.
I can be reached at 925-847-2184 or rjordan@bayareanewsgroup.com.
Thank you.
This really makes me think of the kind of "gotcha" this will be for famous journalists such as Friedman who was led along with the NIF and LIFE con job that Tomas and Ed pulled on them, NNSA, and the community.
Also all the politicians who came to the NIF event in which the lab had to pay for pre-event NIF landscaping by taxing all of the programs, even work-for-other programs that had nothing to do with NIF. Looks and smells like misappropriations of funds.
Elevator Defecation? What is this about?
This is amazing. Some idiot makes up a story out of whole cloth that Moses has been escorted off the Site by security and is under investigation, and it goes viral. It is completely false----Parney seems to love Ed, attendee the laser performance review for a while last week, and has been nothing if not supportive of Ed and NIF since he took over. Ed has been off Site dealing with a 92 yr old mother in law. Do you people have no shame. When you just make this stuff up you can really hurt people.
Ed Moses has not been escorted off the Lab. He is not under investigation as far as anyone who should know, knows. Good grief.
Face it, Ed is just as despicable if not more so than Tomas. For years people have been trading Ed Moses stories of the kinds of abuse he inflicted on staff members. Only now people are going to start sharing those "Ed Stories" more broadly and as you start to see the extent of his misbehavior and you connect the dots, you'll see for yourself. I'll start off with a well known Ed Story
Way back when, I was asked to attend a meeting with 30 other people including Ed, in some conference room in Laserland before NIF was finished. Before Ed arrived, people made sure to remind us new people not to sit in the chair at the front of the room where the projector is. That position was always Ed's place. Someone later told me that he used to unceremoniously and often very rudely tell anyone who unknowingly sat in his spot to GTFO. I would have to ask my contacts to get the exact quote.
Ed may or may not have mis-used government funds, but if he is charged with some error it most likely was made in his enthusiastic haste to accomplish a vision. He has his rough edges, but it would be a shock to discover that he was a long term thief.
On the other hand, Charlie's announcement of the shift of 50 million related to the LANL TCP-1 account just might be worth a closer look.
Ultimately, the main concern is LLNL and LANL have major problems with management and need to change it. Rumors are bad, but I never believe them until I see action and I have seen no action. Things are the same.
My concern is as it was already posted
"Anonymous Anonymous said
So the consensus at LLNL is that employees work in constant fear of retaliation for doing the right thing and honest, hard-working employees are not rewarded but pawns that are used. The best and brightest of Silicon Valley will certainly want to give up their stock options and other work rewards to come work here.
July 25, 2012 6:00 AM"
This is not good. We need solutions ASAP.
This is an example of a "despicable Ed" story?? That he as leader had a preferred seat? Parney has a preferred seat at the MPR and in his conference room. Warner has one at his staff meetings. Parney has a reserved parking spot in front of 111. Rank hath its privileges. Good lord, fellah---get a life.
Yeah, I like the part about
"someone later ***told me*** that he used to unceremoniously and often very rudely tell anyone who unknowingly sat in his spot to GTFO." So he actually had no actual experience himself, but was simply reporting something somebody said.
And heavens, we can't have anybody being "unceromonious".
If that's the best you can come up with to back the adjective "despicable", you fail.
Following a successful 23-year career as a scientist, senior manager and leader at the Laboratory, Dr. Tomas Diaz de la Rubia is stepping down from his post as Deputy Director for Science and Technology to pursue other opportunities.
He has agreed to remain with the Laboratory for a period of time to assist in the transfer of his duties and responsibilities.
"We wish to thank him for his years of dedicated service in the national interest," Lab Director Parney Albright said.
A little house cleaning where it is needed is always a healthy thing for any organization to attend to. Nobody, including the leaders of an organization are exempt from established policy or laws. For those of us who do have personal experience with high level managers exhibiting a 'God Complex', this is most entertaining.
In light of http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-488
the recent alpha heating milestone failure, and now the management disruptions, particularly of someone who was such a strong advocate of the LIFE concept,
"... who's going to write the letter to congress?"
Maybe Ed Moses should become the new Deputy Director of Science and Technology. He's got atleast 7 patents under his belt!
I've been at the lab for over 35 years, and I have NEVER once seen anything to suggest that either Dr. Tomas Diaz de la Rubia or Dr. Ed Moses has ever done ANYTHING wrong. They are nice people who are professional in every aspect. They treat everyone around them with dignity, respect and thoughtfulness. They are intellectually honest and very candid about important projects like NIF. And they are highly respected by NNSA administrators like Tom D'Agostino and Don Cook.
All of these insinuations about their behavior are all part of a smear campaign driven by a vast left wing conspiracy probably led by Obama supporters who are willing to lie and cheat in order to steal the upcoming election. And they are doing it because they are sympathizers with countries like China.
It's our job as members of the Tea Party to protect our own like Tomas and Ed. They are good honest American patriots who are doing a great service to this country, to ensure that we have a working and viable nuclear stockpile to use against those elements trying to discredit leadership at the lab.
I agree with the comments above. Liars you are for making up stories just to cause grief to our patriots. Repeating the fellow patriot above stated, "Good lord, fellah -- get a life."
5:55 might want to return to reality. D'Agostino and Cook are Obama's boys.
August 2, 2012 5:55 PM
I agree with you, however I think what is behind this is a vast ultra Right Wing Conspiracy to privatize everything into a for profit scam to create a 1% elite and 99% slaves. They must have only MBA's in charge and destroy science in America.
One of our greatest patriots and national treasure Gore Vidal recently passed away. He was right about the creepy anti-intellectual
William F Buckley Jr when he said
to him "the only sort of pro- or crypto-Nazi I can think of is yourself"
5:55 PM Facts are EM and his carpet bagger cronies were fired from LLNL ~15 years ago by one Jay Davis. This entire group should now be shown the gate. Oh by the way AVLIS was a complete failure simple physics turned out to be their issue. And I don’t see Peregrine being used by anyone in the Oncology medical field.
https://life.llnl.gov/about/life_team/index.php
Big problem with most of LLNL management is arrogance and corruption. Love how middle management is being told to squash the rumors. WHY has Parney not come out to dispel the rumors? Simply put: where there’s smoke there is fire.
No ignition no LIFE: How much money was spent on this mirage? It’s called sacrifice, LLNL employees were laid off to further fund this idiotic project. That’s why NIF was excluded from the layoff originally. Hey DOD sure hope this same band of arrogant incompetent idiots are not certifying the stockpile. Remember ignition 2010? 2011? 2012? Four orders of magnitude away from ignition is a complete failure. EM and his band of cronies gives R&D a bad name. Time for management to be laid off.
August 2, 2012 1:05 PM is absolutely right that Parney also yells at staffers and tells them to "GTFO of my spot." They all do, for that matter. Don't be singling out one person and crying like a little baby about it running to mommy. Get over it. If you don't have a thick skin, you should be working in retail.
So….I personally never had a hell of a lot of love for Tomas and his pomposity; variously I regarded him as either a “walking cliché” or an “empty suit”. Frankly, he was a sterling politician but I never saw much of any intellectual substance among all that political fluff …perhaps a third quartile performer at best – certainly nothing to warrant the way he carried himself. Still, you have to feel a little sorry for someone who was so driven by his emotional instincts/needs that he threw away what must easily be a $500K/year job and all the prestige and respect that went with that. I mean that has to be a person that’s carrying a real load of internal emptiness.
But....Tomas a professional!??
Hah....Anyone who has experienced his foul-mouthed displeasure would forever refer to him as anything but "professional".
August 2, 2012 10:16 PM
The truth must hurt but look where he is. At the top making ~$500K a year with perks. This $500K should soon be coming out of the TCP-1 pension plan for the remainder of his life. No wonder next year employee contributions is scheduled to be 7% and LLNS portion will be 24% or about $162M verses $82 . How will those funds be acquired. Could it again be SOP for LLNS. ( Bodies = $$), $162,000,000 / $300,000 ='s 540 low paid blue collar workers out the gate !
Managers fooling around with underlings and favoritism is still a common practice at the lab. There is no other corporation where you see so many married people (not with each other), boss/worker (male/female) go out to lunch together that is not business related on a daily basis. Are all you people pretending to be surprised or are you wishing it was you in that position of authority ?
What "unethical practice" did Ed Moses do that you referred to?
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