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Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Budget cuts and layoffs coming to LLNL?
Are significant budget cuts and layoffs coming to LLNL within months?
We don’t really know what’s going to happen. However, I do notice that a lot of defense analysts, many of which are funded by big defense contractors, are writing articles saying defense either should not or will not be cut. I doubt LANL would ever be cut because of its importance to northern New Mexico. Also, LANL didn’t invest in things like NIF which are of much less importance to the stockpile than pit manufacture. They are pretty much aligned with the most important spending on nuclear weapons. I’d be worried if I worked at a fusion boondoggle like the Z machine, Omega, or NIF. That’s about $500 million that could be repurposed overnight if there are some budget shortfalls,
Federal spending for 2019 was $4.45 trillion and 2019 federal revenue was $3.46 trillion. The first 2020 stimulus bill is $2.2 trillion, and has already surpassed the 2008/2009 bailout figure. With so many businesses shutdown for an extended period, 2020 GDP (and beyond?) will take a major hit. With continuing geopolitical concerns, NNSA lab work that isn't significantly weapons related or isn't weapons legacy related, will be targets for budget cuts.
"NNSA lab work that isn't significantly weapons related or isn't weapons legacy related, will be targets for budget cuts.
4/15/2020 8:02 AM"
I am rather confused what NNSA lab work falls out of weapons related? Maybe you are you talking about NIF, which is considered weapons related by some. Other than that I am unaware of anything. I guess there is all the outreach and small business stuff which has lots of waste in it.
3:20, yes, you are rather confused. At least half of all work done at all three weapons labs is non-weapon related. NIF has been double-dipping for decades. It may well be time to face the facts that instead of being both weapons and energy related it is neither weapons related nor energy related. It has always been the DOE’s most expensive boondoggle. In these trying times, it should get thrown overboard as a luxury we cannot afford.
"At least half of all work done at all three weapons labs is non-weapon related. NIF has been double-dipping for decades. It may well be time to face the facts that instead of being both weapons and energy related it is neither weapons related nor energy related. "
Yes I am now very confused by your comments. Besides NIF, which again is argued to be weapons related and agree that is up for debate, the labs do mostly weapons work. The idea that half the work the labs do non-weapons work is just loony tunes, I mean out there in the great unknown. It it is so far off that one has to ask what is your point. Maybe at Sandia this is true but they have broader mission by definition.
"In these trying times, it should get thrown overboard as a luxury we cannot afford."
You might want to check the news, but in these "trying times" the labs may be getting more money for you know "reasons".
Speaking of trying times I have to ask...could you be posting from some other nation perhaps? There is something a bit off with your comments in any case 你好 Nǐ hǎo.
The 2020/2021 COVID-19 related LLNL layoff plan if and when it starts, will not be open to employee review. Instead, it will be a months long dialogue between the contractor and its NNSA field office until it's finalized, polished, with a red ribbon of approval, long before the lab worker bees are informed of its existence. I'm not saying this approach is wrong or right, I'm just saying this is how it works.
The answer to your question is simply past is prologue. If and when the need for a layoff arises, the NNSA and the contractor will have reviewed and finalized its terms together before the worker bees learn of its existence. It makes no financial sense for the contractor to go completely rogue in a layoff situation since the NNSA has very deep pockets to help the contractor if lab employee lawsuits follow a botched or mishandled layoff. Good question!
10 comments:
No
We don’t really know what’s going to happen. However, I do notice that a lot of defense analysts, many of which are funded by big defense contractors, are writing articles saying defense either should not or will not be cut. I doubt LANL would ever be cut because of its importance to northern New Mexico. Also, LANL didn’t invest in things like NIF which are of much less importance to the stockpile than pit manufacture. They are pretty much aligned with the most important spending on nuclear weapons. I’d be worried if I worked at a fusion boondoggle like the Z machine, Omega, or NIF. That’s about $500 million that could be repurposed overnight if there are some budget shortfalls,
Federal spending for 2019 was $4.45 trillion and 2019 federal revenue was $3.46 trillion. The first 2020 stimulus bill is $2.2 trillion, and has already surpassed the 2008/2009 bailout figure. With so many businesses shutdown for an extended period, 2020 GDP (and beyond?) will take a major hit. With continuing geopolitical concerns, NNSA lab work that isn't significantly weapons related or isn't weapons legacy related, will be targets for budget cuts.
"NNSA lab work that isn't significantly weapons related or isn't weapons legacy related, will be targets for budget cuts.
4/15/2020 8:02 AM"
I am rather confused what NNSA lab work falls out of weapons related? Maybe you are you talking about NIF, which is considered weapons related by some. Other than that I am unaware of anything. I guess there is all the outreach and small business stuff which has lots of waste in it.
3:20, yes, you are rather confused. At least half of all work done at all three weapons labs is non-weapon related. NIF has been double-dipping for decades. It may well be time to face the facts that instead of being both weapons and energy related it is neither weapons related nor energy related. It has always been the DOE’s most expensive boondoggle. In these trying times, it should get thrown overboard as a luxury we cannot afford.
"At least half of all work done at all three weapons labs is non-weapon related. NIF has been double-dipping for decades. It may well be time to face the facts that instead of being both weapons and energy related it is neither weapons related nor energy related. "
Yes I am now very confused by your comments. Besides NIF, which again is argued to be weapons related and agree that is up for debate, the labs do mostly weapons work. The idea that half the work the labs do non-weapons work is just loony tunes, I mean out there in the great unknown. It it is so far off that one has to ask what is your point. Maybe at Sandia this is true but they have broader mission by definition.
"In these trying times, it should get thrown overboard as a luxury we cannot afford."
You might want to check the news, but in these "trying times" the labs may be getting more money for you know "reasons".
Speaking of trying times I have to ask...could you be posting from some other nation perhaps? There is something a bit off with your comments in any case 你好 Nǐ hǎo.
The 2020/2021 COVID-19 related LLNL layoff plan if and when it starts, will not be open to employee review. Instead, it will be a months long dialogue between the contractor and its NNSA field office until it's finalized, polished, with a red ribbon of approval, long before the lab worker bees are informed of its existence. I'm not saying this approach is wrong or right, I'm just saying this is how it works.
But somehow you are aware of its existence.
"But somehow you are aware of its existence"
The answer to your question is simply past is prologue. If and when the need for a layoff arises, the NNSA and the contractor will have reviewed and finalized its terms together before the worker bees learn of its existence. It makes no financial sense for the contractor to go completely rogue in a layoff situation since the NNSA has very deep pockets to help the contractor if lab employee lawsuits follow a botched or mishandled layoff. Good question!
TCP1 3 + 3 …:)
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