Comments
There was an article in Newsweek several years ago in which clean-up workers at Hanford were being interviewed. The employees were happy to have their well-paying jobs with good benefits but to a one they couldn't believe the enormous amounts of paperwork and micro-managed oversight to get even the most minor things done.
One guy talked about workers who were paid to watch the workers who were watching the workers. It was absurd and even he could see it. He said that at the glacial rate the Hanford cleanup was going he was sure that he would have a secure job for decades to come. No wonder billions can be spend for "clean-up" within the DOE and yet nothing ever gets finished.
Hanford can afford to cut back on the huge, wasteful spending for never ending "cleanup" operations. It's time to shed some light on the DOE's wasteful "clean-up" spending.
One guy talked about workers who were paid to watch the workers who were watching the workers. It was absurd and even he could see it. He said that at the glacial rate the Hanford cleanup was going he was sure that he would have a secure job for decades to come. No wonder billions can be spend for "clean-up" within the DOE and yet nothing ever gets finished.
Hanford can afford to cut back on the huge, wasteful spending for never ending "cleanup" operations. It's time to shed some light on the DOE's wasteful "clean-up" spending.
Beware! This is how your federal government treats you after they are done with your years of loyal service to the nation's security. It's not a pretty picture, even for a heroic Navy SEAL who killed UBL!
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= SEAL who shot bin Laden speaks out =
NBC, Feb 11, 2013
The U.S. Navy SEAL who shot and killed Osama bin Laden is speaking out for the first time since the May 1, 2011, raid on the al-Qaida leader's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
In an interview with Esquire, the former SEAL—identified as "The Shooter" due to what the magazine described as "safety" reasons—said he's been largely abandoned by the U.S. government since leaving the military last fall.
He told Esquire he decided to speak out to both correct the record of the bin Laden mission and to put a spotlight on how some of the U.S. military's highly trained and accomplished soldiers are treated by the government once they return to civilian life.
Despite killing the world's most-wanted terrorist, he said, he was not given a pension, health care or protection for himself or his family.
news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/
seal-shot-osama-bin-laden-speaks
-143245195.html
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This guy risked his life to protect us but the government abandons him when they no longer need him. Sad and pathetic.
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= SEAL who shot bin Laden speaks out =
NBC, Feb 11, 2013
The U.S. Navy SEAL who shot and killed Osama bin Laden is speaking out for the first time since the May 1, 2011, raid on the al-Qaida leader's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
In an interview with Esquire, the former SEAL—identified as "The Shooter" due to what the magazine described as "safety" reasons—said he's been largely abandoned by the U.S. government since leaving the military last fall.
He told Esquire he decided to speak out to both correct the record of the bin Laden mission and to put a spotlight on how some of the U.S. military's highly trained and accomplished soldiers are treated by the government once they return to civilian life.
Despite killing the world's most-wanted terrorist, he said, he was not given a pension, health care or protection for himself or his family.
news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/
seal-shot-osama-bin-laden-speaks
-143245195.html
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This guy risked his life to protect us but the government abandons him when they no longer need him. Sad and pathetic.
Can't believe everything in the papers. Do more research to find the facts.
The possibility of furloughs has just been announced by the management at LANL.
The furloughs are coming. At this point the media is reporting that it is unlikely that Congress will take action to stop them. There are now politicians in both parties who see it as the best way to bring down federal spending and deflect any blame.
The Democrats like the fact that this will severely cut defense spending. The Republicans like the fact that it will cut some social spending and not raise taxes. Therefore, it's the path of least resistance. Prepare for subcontractor layoffs and furlough pay reductions for regular staff at the NNSA labs because these things are coming. It will be painful unless you are a highly paid member of the upper management LLCs.
The Democrats like the fact that this will severely cut defense spending. The Republicans like the fact that it will cut some social spending and not raise taxes. Therefore, it's the path of least resistance. Prepare for subcontractor layoffs and furlough pay reductions for regular staff at the NNSA labs because these things are coming. It will be painful unless you are a highly paid member of the upper management LLCs.
February 16, 2013 at 9:37 AM
Your analysis is correct. The pain will be real, and will be necessary. There hasn't been a lot of pain shared by the NNSA labs - it's time.
Your analysis is correct. The pain will be real, and will be necessary. There hasn't been a lot of pain shared by the NNSA labs - it's time.
DOE weighs sequestration furloughs at Hanford
Stay Connected
Annette Cary | Tri-City Herald
The Department of Energy is closely examining contracts as the threat looms for sequestration-driven spending cuts March 1, according to a new memo from Daniel Poneman, deputy energy secretary.
It's also considering placing employees on furlough -- a temporary unpaid leave -- or taking other actions to slash personnel costs, the memo said.
Unless Congress amends the law, President Obama is required to issue a sequestration order in three weeks to cut about $85 billion from fiscal 2013 spending.
At Hanford, the cut could range from 7 percent to 10 percent of spending.
The DOE Hanford Richland Operations Office has received no direction for formal action for sequestration, but that could come in the next few weeks, said Jonathan "J.D." Dowell, DOE assistant manager for river and plateau. His comments came Thursday at the Hanford Advisory Board meeting in Richland.
DOE will try to avoid cutting jobs, but budgets already are tight and there are not a lot of options, he told the board.
Any cuts would be to existing environmental cleanup work, because the schedule for required work already has been squeezed as much as possible, he said.
After the meeting, DOE spokesman Cameron Hardy said DOE has become as efficient as possible to get the most cleanup work done by its Hanford contractors with the money available.
Just as spending more money now cuts costs later, delaying work makes cleanup more expensive, he said.
After Hanford received almost $2 billion in Recovery Act money, the annual report showing the cost of Hanford work yet to be completed, cut long-term costs by $4 billion, he said.
The DOE senior leadership team is doing extensive planning to determine how to deal with sequestration, Poneman said in his memo.
In addition to examining contracts, DOE also will look at grants and other spending across the department, according to Poneman.
"In many cases, this could mean making cuts to vital programs or curtailing spending on contracts," he said in the memo.
Other options will include cutting travel, training, facility and supply costs, he said.
If furloughs are needed, employees would be provided at least 30 days notice, he said.
The Obama administration continues to work with Congress to reach agreement on a balanced deficit reduction plan that avoids sequestration cuts, he said.
"Should these cuts occur, they would be harmful not only to our agency, but to critical domestic and defense priorities across the government and across the country," he said in the memo.
Sequestration is the penalty for the failure of a special congressional deficit committee to reach agreement. It was set to start Jan. 2 but was delayed until March through passage of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012.
Read more here:
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/02/08/182447/doe-weighs-sequestration-furloughs.html#storylink=cpy