Looking pretty bad

Scooby's note:

This was a comment directed to the post "GM's talk". I have no idea what the commentator is talking about; I was going to delete the comment but then decided to make a post (its own topic). Please stay on topic.

Anonymously contributed:

Well if that be the case you may all want to read this. We're in a nose dive with no cure in sight. It's looking pretty bad all through 2010 and 2011. Then in 2012, LLNL will need to downsize any way. Enjoy the reading. I hope 99% of you get the big picture of what's to come.
http://www.modbee.com/featured/story/1002798.html

Has Chu began DOE reform?

It has been exactly one year since this
article was published.
The author said among Steven Chu's most daunting challenges will be reforming the Energy Department. Has he started? What do you think?

GM's Talk

Anonymous said...

Heard a good rumor today but I doubt there's any substance to it, but with Miller's talk coming tomorrow it may be a good question to ask. We're hearing LLNL has taken a 25% cut in this years budget. With 8,000 employees, they'd have to cut 2,000 people by April 2010 to balance the budget. Wouldn't that be a kick in the butt...

January 6, 2010 6:11 PM

Cover-up?

FROM THE LANL BLOG: by Doug:

Back in early 2005 when the bid preparation activities for the LANL contract were hot and heavy, NNSA's Tom D'Agostino justified the 10-fold increase in the new LANL contract award fee by stating that "increased efficiencies of operation" by the new Corporate M&O would "more than offset" the additional cost of the contract.

Now, five years later we see that the real additional cost of running LANL is on the order of $200 million more than it was back in the days of non-profit operations when the University of California ran the place for a mere $8 million per year. Since LANL is now run by a for-profit corporation, it has to pay Gross Receipt Taxes to the state of New Mexico, which accounts for most of the additional cost of operations over and above the current $79 million award fee.

Have we seen any cost savings due to increased efficiencies of operation by the new corporate M&O of LANL? Let's innumerate some of the efficiency improvements that the NNSA and LANS, LLC have brought to LANL:

JB Weld! Stuffed into the USB ports of every lab computer in sight. In addition to making use of the computer less efficient, it voided the warranties of thousands of LANL machines.
Ladder Training.
Shoes that GRIP!
LOOK out for each other!
Tripling the number of upper-level managers.
NNSA-mandated 5% annual staff attrition rates.
Glovebox computing.
Efficient loss of all email accrued during the 2008 holiday shutdown.
Efficient (and friendly) service by the laboratory's Personal Security Group.
Abysmal "Employment Engagement" survey results, with planned 5-month results "rollout".
"Secret" NNSA lab Performance Reports.
Automatic LANS, LLC annual contract renewal, in perpetuity.
On again, off again manned guard stations.
Ballooning overhead burden. This may have something to do with the 40 - 50 additional highly-paid top level managers who now enjoy employment at LANL. It may also be related to the increased efficiency of operations.
A new, efficient T&E system, with blazingly fast turn-around.

Considering that one person, NNSA's Tom D'Agostino was the sole person responsible for selecting the Bechtel-led LANS, LLC to be the new LANL contractor, and

considering that the promised "efficiency improvements" never materialized, and

considering that Mr. D'Agostino has declared that the annual NNSA Performance Evaluation awards by which NNSA judged LANS, LLC deserving of an Outstanding, 90% performance rating this year are Secret, Not For Public Viewing,

You don't suppose that there is a government/corporate cover-up in progress, do you?

Nah, me neither.

What did you think of Garemendi's address

Congressman John Garamendi spoke to LLNL employees on
Tuesday 1/5 at 2:30 PM.
Your opinion?

This is where our money goes!

Anonymously contributed:

I sure hope NIF works and we win back our energy independence. Articles like this make me realize where our money goes:
Tallest skyscraper opens in Dubai

If NIF does work, LLNS we can hire that fireworks crew(see video) and show the world who's boss.

Meanwhile, I'll go put another 60$ of arab gas in the tank.

For those who were fired the last few years, I guess they can't share in the NIF glory. Their contributions don't matter anymore.

What is your political spectrum?

This Quiz will let you know where you fall on social liberties, economics, foreign policy-- even the culture war.

No need to post your results as this is just meant to be fun - I am a centrist social moderate. Right: 0.38, Authoritarian: 0.35