"For reasons of national security, and consistent with federal law and the laboratory's own long-standing policy, Los Alamos National Security LLC will not discuss the details of any purported security violation or vulnerability, regardless of whether it exists," spokesman Jeff Berger said Thursday.
That's ok, Jeff. Precisely for reasons of national security, and consistent with federal law, and in spite of the laboratory's long-standing policy using secrecy to hide its problems, we will discuss the details of any security violation or vulnerability. Right here on this blog, LANL: The Real Story style.
Evasiveness is not solving or preventing any problems. It is not only eroding the trust of the media, congress, and the public, it is *exactly* what we have come to expect from the crack management team that LANS has brought to LANL.
That my friend's say's it all...This is the type of Mismanagement that is at LANL...Covver up..lie, and then ...I can't talk about it...But No RIF's...Is there any creditable Manager's in this bunch?
ReplyDeleteOK Now you've done it Mikey, you and your (Can't shoot straight bunch) have managed (I ues this term loosley) to shut down a once famous Lab in under a year...Your crediablity is shot, no one, not even Congress will allow us to recover from this little fiasco...maybe not so little...hey how do you feel now Mikey, Scott (Slick Willie) Gibbs, Sue, and the rest? You guy's make Nano's look good...Now, what do you think of that!!!
ReplyDeletePinky, you forgot the caption under the pic's ...Mikey, Scotty, and Sue....
ReplyDeleteThese monkeys (different trees but same monkeys) I'm sorry to say, is an accurate portrayal of what we've become as an institution. But we have to share in the blame. For too long we collectively refused to acknowledge our shortcomings as an institution. The few brave souls who periodically surfaced to tell us we were headed off the cliff were readily dismissed, sometime literally. It was easier to label them trouble makers and destroy their careers in the process. But perhaps in the process we also ended up destroying ourselves. You couldn’t make this stuff up. We’ve become a modern day Greek tragedy.
ReplyDeleteThe big "no comment... on ANYTHING" from LANL management is in stark contrast to the candor displayed by Sandia's director. As reported in the Albuquerque Journal today:
ReplyDeleteFriday, June 15, 2007
Sandia Could Cut 900 Positions
By John Fleck
Copyright © 2007 Albuquerque Journal; Journal Staff Writer
Sandia National Laboratories could lose more than 900 jobs next year as a result of proposed congressional budget cuts, more than twice as many as previously estimated, according to a memo from Sandia management to employees.
Rumors of layoffs immediately began circulating, but Sandia officials tried to head those off, saying the numbers are preliminary and could change.
"At this time, we will not alter our basis for budget planning until we have a more definite perspective on the final budget," the memo from Sandia President Tom Hunter and Vice President Joan Woodard said.
The grim memo was dated Wednesday and was waiting in the e-mail inboxes of Sandia's 8,600 employees when they arrived at work Thursday morning.
The cuts described in the memo are deeper than those laid out last week by members of New Mexico's congressional delegation.
At that time, Sandia officials told members of the delegation that about 400 jobs might be lost if the Department of Energy budget currently proposed in the House of Representatives becomes law.
Headquartered in Albuquerque, Sandia designs and maintains nuclear weapons. The budget, approved by the House Appropriations Committee last week, pares $396 million— 6 percent— from this year's nuclear weapons budget.
The budget shifts money from weapons to energy research, and calls for a more clear definition of the role of nuclear weapons in U.S. national security policy before spending on new nuclear weapons programs. It received bipartisan support from the Appropriations Committee.
The full House plans to take up the spending plan next week, with passage expected. The Senate will then come up with its own version of the budget. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., has pledged to try to head off cuts.
It is impossible to make direct comparisons between the House budget and Sandia's, because the House bill does not specify how much money will be spent where.
But a new analysis this week by Sandia's budget staff estimates that the House bill could mean a $180 million reduction compared with this year's budget for nuclear weapons research at Sandia.
The discussion of possible cuts comes as Sandia is at or near its largest employment levels in history. At the end of the last fiscal year, Sandia had 8,625 permanent employees. Another 1,510 people work at Sandia as subcontractors and in other short-term assignments.
Adjusted for inflation, nuclear weapons spending at Sandia peaked in 2004 and has been declining ever since. That decrease has been offset by a rapid expansion in work Sandia does for other federal agencies, especially the Pentagon.
"The big "no comment... on ANYTHING" from LANL management is in stark contrast to the candor displayed by Sandia's director. As reported in the Albuquerque Journal today: [...]"
ReplyDeleteWelcome to LANS, LLC.
Cover-up is our byline. Pu Profiteering is our game. How are we doing so far?
Re: Secrets slipping out the door
OOPS! Sure hope they don't uncover the truth regarding the Mitchell business. We've been in full cover-up mode on *that* one for six months now.
We need a fourth chimp, typing away on his classified laptop from the comfort of his living room.
ReplyDeleteWhat does a $73 million dollar fee and the prospect of huge bonuses to incompetent managers buy? Nothing but incentive for a cover-up. What's this crap about the Lab not being able to talk about the Smith Secret RD scandal? Anastasio spoke directly about the CREM de METH incident while it was still being investigated. Double standard?
ReplyDeleteStupak would be doing the nation a favor by looking into the LANS Deputy Director incident too.
Stupak would be doing the nation a favor by just seeing to it that the whole place got shut down. The entire management infrastructure is so badly damaged I don't think it could be repaired, even if there was a viable mission for the lab to justify trying to do so.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I work here, and yes, I still see no further justification for our existence.
We need a 5th monkey with a pin head for a head. That would represent the blog comments that are doing more to push LANL down the drain than anything you perceive management doing. Nice job.
ReplyDeleteWeapons Lab security breakdown blamed on human error
ReplyDeleteWASHINGTON (AP) — A security breach earlier this year at Los Alamos National Laboratory was the result of "human error" and not evidence of a widespread security failure, Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said Friday in a letter to a House lawmaker.
In the letter, obtained by The Associated Press, Bodman confirmed that an individual working for the company running Los Alamos "unintentionally" sent sensitive information through an unsecured e-mail system.
The incident was immediately recognized, investigated and addressed, Bodman wrote to House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell, D-Mich.
"While serious, the incident in question was the result of human error, not a failure of security systems," Bodman wrote. "We have a robust system in place to report and investigate potential violations. In my opinion this is a circumstance where those systems worked well."
The breach was made public Thursday when Dingell and Bart Stupak, D-Mich., who heads an oversight subcommittee that monitors the lab, wrote to Bodman demanding to know why lawmakers weren't told of the breach for six months.
The congressmen said the incident was reported to the National Nuclear Security Administration by a University of California official on Jan. 19.
According to familiar with the investigation, the breach occurred when a consultant to the Los Alamos lab's board, Harold Smith, sent an e-mail containing highly classified, non-encrypted nuclear weapons information to several board members, who forwarded it to other members. The official asked not to be named because the information is sensitive.
The transmission is classified as a serious breach of Energy Department regulations, but lawmakers have been assured no damage was caused. was given an infraction, meaning a letter was placed in his file.
"It is unacceptable," Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., who chairs an Armed Services subcommittee, said Friday. "The American people expect that our most sensitive national security secrets are being protected with due diligence."
It is the latest in what has been years of security problems for the lab, the birthplace of the atomic bomb. Lapses have ranged from missing data storage devices to the Wen Ho Lee case to the discovery of classified data on a computer found during a drug bust at a former lab contract worker's trailer.
The problems also come after federal officials in 2005 changed the lab's management contract for the first time in decades.
Los Alamos National Security, which took over the lab's operation, is made up of the lab's former manager, the University of California; Bechtel Corp.; and two other companies.
And, of course, we have to learn of this new adventure through the media. No comment...all my bags are packed!
ReplyDeleteHey Dufus! Aka 6/15/07 6:53 PM:
ReplyDeleteI work here too. If you think there is anything left saving after the ravages of Nanos, UC, and LANS, LLC, then you are a large part of the problem. I believe that the taxpayer at large would benefit by not having to carry your baggage any longer.
I've already got one foot out the door, btw. The rest of you are on your own.
Goodbye and good riddance, 7:21pm.
ReplyDeleteI agree, enough is enough. I was proud to work her for over 21 years, but after this last fiasco and coverup by our "crack management team", I have put in for retirement and will take my self esteem elsewhere. Given the current shape of our national leaders, I have very little hope that anything good will come out of this
ReplyDelete6/15/07 6:53 PM is simply a senior manager trying save his/her job - LANS is here to "save" LANL. "We need you to help us screw you." Perhaps they can make a sign or two and post it around the Lab.
ReplyDeleteNope, wrong again, pin head. Just an employee that is tired of seeing all you deeply caring LANL workers doing your best to bury the lab.
ReplyDeleteHate to dump on all you negative ninnies; LANL is a great institution with an important mission. Problem is, the LLNL mafia that was imported to manage the place. The other problem is the news value of anything negative at LANL. This stuff happens per capita more at SNL and LLNL, it just doesn't sell newspapers and support congressional vote garnering. Those of us who value our careers and our lives in Los Alamos need to persevere. Not going to be easy, but we cannot keep tearing this place down. For those of you who can no longer stand it, leave! The rest of us should be using our constitutional right to let our voted officials know the true source of the problem, LANs/NNSA.
ReplyDeleteOur mission is simple--keep the funding coming in long enough to retire. Been here three decades and love the double-dipping too much to pull out. I like being an arrogant butt-head living off the taxpayer in other words. The vast majority of my scientific colleagues feel the same way but aren't honest enough to admit it. But it's true, and is truer still if your in management; as I was for much of my career here until I decided it was time to retire so I could come back 80% time. Sweet! Too seet to leave,
ReplyDeleteThey don't need to make a fancy sign, 8:29pm. All they need to do is post the URL for this blog all over the lab.
ReplyDelete11:09 - which certainly wouldn't be confused with "Rest in Peace."
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the gloating because nothing is going to come of the LANS Board security incident. It's all been taken care of by the relevant authorities. In a couple of months, most people won't even remember it ever happened. The LANS-haters would be much better off channeling their energies towards making LANL the #1 lab in the country. Come join your management in helping LANL keep on keeping on. We have a great future ahead of us. Listen to your managers, obey the rules, and let's take this place to the next level of excellence. LANS has the plan for making LANL grand!
ReplyDeleteLet's git er done fer LANS!
ReplyDeleteWhat does that stand for again?
Lost Another Nuclear Secret?
Look, this so-called "incident" is old, old, OLD, news. It was reported by the Lab within the timelines (8 hours) as required by DOE (even though the offending message did not originate at LANL). A formal damage assessment was done as required and submitted to DOE/NNSA, several months ago. Why the heat now? Maybe the Time magazine article, maybe a brain fart by Dingell or Stupack. Either way, the incident was duly reported through channels (which under DOE rules DOES NOT include Congress) and things went on as normal. "Normal," by the way, as all managers hear every month from Tim McEvoy, includes about two such incidents per month. Everybody should just chill out - this isn't news, and it isn't even interesting or consequential. Except, of course, if politicians with a separate agenda make it so.
ReplyDelete"Weapons Lab security breakdown blamed on human error"
ReplyDeleteShould be: "Weapons Lab security breakdown blamed on moronic arrogant butt-head cowboy leadership, aka human error"
12:22AM sounds like and old, old, old beat up decaying vinyl record (78 RPM). Must be one of the Mahattan Project day holdouts still double-dipping at the Lab. Thank you Daddy, for telling us how to "think" once again.
ReplyDeleteI agree, this is old news and not all that unusual. Yes even the fair haired child, LLNL, makes these errors. The problem with this one is why in the world did NNSA not report this to Congress? They (Sam B. or Mikey) could have easily reported this in either of their opportunities before the ethics committee. It's real easy, you ask for a special and closed session and you come clean. To hide it is the stupidest approach conceivable. This provides an appearance of dishonesty when in fact it appears that all the processes were followed. NNSA continues to make terrible decisions. Enough of them.
ReplyDelete12:22 AM - I find it interesting that when the LANS Board or some high manager makes "a human error" it is not big deal and gets pushed aside as "old news" and "everybody should just chill out - this isn't news, and it isn't even interesting or consequential."
ReplyDeleteAnd yet when a low-life TSM, postdoc, technician, or contractor does something "wrong" the Lab senior managers takes a "guilty before being proven innocent" posture, releases names and all kinds of information - whether it is true or not - holds numerous "investigations", drags the individuals through the mud and even ruins people lives (eg Kappula, Horne) or ends up firing people (eg Hockaday, Meyer). Why the big difference? Please explain.
During the last round of Congressional testimony, Mikey was asked whether there is something different about LANL (compared to LLNL) that makes us more susceptible to security problems. Yes there is, Mikey said, I think the culture of LANL is more resistant to the changes that are needed.
ReplyDeleteMikey said this shortly after his Board committed an IMI-1 infraction. And I do mean "his" board, as he is the President of LANS.
Does anyone Really want to work here anymore? I mean, is this the pit's (Not anymore) or what, we are on a sinking ship and the Captian just punched another two holes in the belly of the USS Lanl, (sister ship of the Titanic).
ReplyDeleteAnd after all that :are they (management) going to trhow out any life rafts to aid those whose will be in dire-straights?
"Why the big difference? Please explain." (10:17am)
ReplyDeleteOne difference is the incidents you site occurred under different management. As near as I can tell, safety or security issues are handled with more care and concern for all involved anymore, unless they become political footballs. Then all bets are off.
I'd be happy with "Do no stupid"....
ReplyDeleteTo 6/16/07 1:12 PM - same monkeys, different trees. Sue and Mary Hockaday were friends. Sue screwed Mary over to save her own ass. Friends like that, who needs enemies. Terry, well he has lied to more people and turned anonymous sources in to save his own ass. And well after the RRW and Wednesday's All-Hands meeting, we know about Mike as well. How is this any different than before??
ReplyDeleteFrom 6:45 PM ... I'd be happy with "Do no stupid"....
ReplyDeleteIsn't that like the LANL goal of six zeroes? No human error allowed unless, of course, you are a LANS board member or high-ranking manager.
I had high hopes for LANS when the came to "fix" the lab. In one year, however, my image has radically changed. I now view them as carpet-baggers come to pillage what they can from Los Alamos before the place is completely wiped out by DOE, NNSA and Congress.
ReplyDeleteDuring congressional testimony and in other interviews, NNSA officials have indicated that it will take 3+ years to show any significant improvement at LANL. Seemed reasonable considering our most recent 10 year history. But hey, who am I to be an optimist - lets follow the general depression of the contributors here and just quit/give up now. Takes a lot less energy.
ReplyDeleteFrom 8:54 PM ..."lets follow the general depression of the contributors here and just quit/give up now..."
ReplyDeleteI was an optimist too when LANS took over. What have I seen? Double standards: ADs and the like get to go on any trip they want to, and my travel gets cut. The air-conditioning in my building does not work because facilities has cut all maintenance, but the ADs and Mike certainly have comfortable living conditions in their new building. I work at TA-46 and there is only one guard monitoring the Pajarito corridor due to "budget cuts", whereas there are like 6 at the "main entrance" so that Mike & co don't have to wait. Instead of firing the bunch of failed managers who now serve in PADSTE office and CAO, contractors and janitors are getting let go. Yeah, I should be more optimistic. Thanks for the suggestion!
Hate to dump on all you negative ninnies; LANL is a great institution with an important mission.
ReplyDeleteLike the Star Trek Enterprise - To search out new and more collassal ways to screw up
Problem is, the LLNL mafia that was imported to manage the place.
Hmm.... are people just beginning to notice?
Lackluster Antequted Nuclear Science (LANS)
Lambaesis Arrogant Nitwit Society (LANS)
Has the same dumb monkeys in the tree's ever been doubted? They've just multiplied
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 6:15 PM said...
ReplyDeleteHas the same dumb monkeys in the tree's ever been doubted? They've just multiplied.
Nope, they hired some new ones from the lower ranks at LANL.
Nope, they hired some new ones from the lower ranks at LANL.
ReplyDelete6/18/07 9:56 PM
BWAAAHAHA...that's why they came from California. Good one Mikey.