[An anonymous post request.]
Doug Beason held a meeting today in which he explained the future of the Threat Reduction directorate. From what I understood, TR will become subservient to Terry Wallace's empire expansion hallucinations (that may be about to become real). The idea is that TR will transfer employees who are not "professional" threat reduction/non-proliferation people, to Terry's line organizations. They will then be "Form B"'d back to their original organizations, to continue their work. So now TR overhead will increase to support other divisions, the individual employees transferred will be screwed because their line manager will not have a clue as to what they do, sponsors will be reluctant to fund because there is no guarantee of available staff to do the work, the staff transferred will lose the will to submit proposals because they won't be appreciated, but Terry will rule a decaying empire, much like Nero of ancient Rome. I wonder if he plays the violin...?
Why should LANL do threat reduction?
ReplyDeleteWhy not?
ReplyDeleteI normally comment that LANL should not do this or that, but there is a clear expertise synergy in nuclear expertise applied to our stockpile and counter proliferation.
ReplyDeleteNuke TR is clearly a LANL mission.
(Besides, it's only fitting seeing as how much proliferation LANL caused - someone has to clean up after Mitchell, LOL)
Terry must think this move will make him look smart - think again, you are not qualified and decisions like this simply show that.
ReplyDeleteGet a clue Einstein. Weapons program budget is going down, TR budget is going up. Adapt or die.
ReplyDeleteViolin? I thought he played the skin flute.
ReplyDeleteLet me explain how this works.
ReplyDeleteIt will be far easier to layoff certain people after they are put on Form-B funding. During the '95 RIF, Form-B workers were exposed to layoff risks when their Form-B status was suddenly canceled and money was pulled back "in-house" to certain Divisions.
This current maneuver was probably done to help protect certain "high value" staff within TR from future layoffs. When the hard times come (and they will) you can expect Form-B funding to be canceled and the money to be pulled back into TR to protect the positions of the "high value" workers.
LANS will not tell you the real reason for doing this little exercise, but I just did.
Beason explained how TR was going to adapt to the changes coming down from LANS management by telling a story about a blue whale. He said that a blue whale has a mouth about 6 inches in diameter but is able to eat one and one-half times its body weight every day. He said that no one know how it does it, but somehow it gets it done (you can't make this shit up).
ReplyDeleteNow, since it's well known that a blue whale has a mouth the size of a railroad boxcar, weighs 150 tons and eats less than 4 tons per day, there's no big mystery. The only mystery is why Beason would think a blue whale's mouth is only 6 inches in diameter.
I can only conclude that Beason can't figure out which end of the whale he's looking at.
How does LANS upper management make up this crap and continue to sell it to the employees with a straight face?
ReplyDeleteAnd even more mysterious, why do many of the employees continue to open wide and swallow it hook, line, and sinker?
"Beason explained how TR was going to adapt to the changes coming down from LANS management..."
ReplyDeleteDid he actually use those words? If so, does it indicate that he (as an AD) is not considered part of LANS management?
I ask because I get a kick out of hearing some Div Leaders use the words "LANS management" in conversation, clearly conveying they are not part of it.
That is just to funny!
ReplyDelete"..does it indicate that he (as an AD) is not considered part of LANS management?" (3:17 PM)
ReplyDeleteLANS is now largely Bechtel. UC is quickly diminishing in importance. Just look at the new Bechtel managers and their friends who are quietly being brought on board.
This is a tough reality to accept, but nevertheless, it's what's happening right before your eyes. It is also what NNSA wants to see happen out here. They feel it will help them accelerate their Pit Factory vision for Los Alamos.
BTW, has anyone taken a look at the new salary bands for TSMs at the HR compensation web site? The bands top out at levels that are much lower than the current salaries which many TSMs receive. This tells me that many TSMs at LANL can expect their salaries to remain stagnant for a very long time.
That looks like the current TSM salary structure based on highest degree level and years since degree, not the newer TSM mapping currently being phased in. LANL has many ex-mgt TSMs who have had no salary reduction. Of course, you can never have too many Senior Advisors.
ReplyDeleteSo they're locked in above the levels on the charts until the charts catch up. BFD. I think they can handle it.
Perhaps more interesting is the salary compression the tables for TSMs shows. At the PhD level for non-supervisory TSMs, you can have people with <5 years easily having a salary larger than someone with >20 years since (BS) degree. Many PhDs already have about 5 years since BS by the time they start working.
PhD degree hardly looks worth obtaining on the supervisory TSM scale for team and project leaders. Best bang for the buck looks like BS/MS degree into even the lowest level of mgt.
This is all part of making Terry look good! He started competing for Mikey's job as soon as he made PAD. Be it Maxi or Mini I am not sure of......I wondered how he held so much BS.
ReplyDelete11:59, what are you talking about? Salary bands haven't even been established for R&D TSM's, much less posted on the HR website. In fact, if you are looking at any table that says "TSM" at the top, it is by definition old data.
ReplyDeleteThe only threat I see is the hugh amount of tax-payer dollars being wasted by a loose cannon company. They have managed to take the Science out of LA and replace it with a Pit Production Factory, which by the way also has a very limited life (at least here in River City) I wonder what will be left in (2) years? PS Does Pit and threat reduction sound like they go together without Science?
ReplyDelete"I can only conclude that Beason can't figure out which end of the whale he's looking at.
ReplyDelete5/14/08 6:36 AM"
With Beason in charge how can LANL really do meaningful threat reduction work?
While I know almost everyone believes the TR budget can only grow, what happens if it takes a hit over the next few years?
ReplyDeleteWhenever I hear Doug speak, especially about funding and program growth, I just trot out the classic email from 4/19/05. Tends to fit into a nice feedback loop on his credibility.
ReplyDelete"TR "Morale and Performance Strategy" Focus of New Special Assistant Role
Associate Director for Threat Reduction Douglas Beason announced a new position in the ADTR office today, a one-year appointment as special assistant for morale and performance strategy. His choice, Lisa Gutierrez, previously the Laboratory's Diversity Office Director, began her new role Monday, April 18.
The purpose of the new position, as initially described in a Beason Update distributed April 11, is to initiate, grow and cultivate attention on the people of Threat Reduction, without whom essential science cannot evolve. Gutierrez will focus on working with subject matter experts from both technical and support sides to select, evaluate and apply intervention strategies in support of the TR vision and the balance between people, science and programs.
She will study organizational goals and strategies to clarify organizations' development results; identify training, mentoring, morale and development needs with the aid of each TR organization; and evaluate leadership and management effectiveness, in addition to other tasks.
Said Beason, "I have committed to finding new ways to work with TR's people, to be sure they are fully engaged in their own success, and I am counting on Lisa to help make that happen. Working with each division's management and staff, I look for her to make strides in improving morale, mentoring, helping the division leaders, and shifting our culture to one that enables great results instead of simply directing or demanding them.""
Such a deal at a bargain cost of ~$160k/yr, she was one of Doug's fine business decisions. Speaking of which, does Doug have a handle on TR finances?
I'm in TR and the budget is taking a hit in my program. Bosses went to live it up in DC recently for one last junket.
ReplyDeleteTerry should be seriously spanked for this. Good grief, when is Mike gonna put some Miracle Grow on his little pecker and do something about Terry's incompetence? Only 14 more days and Mike will either do something about his incompetent number 2's or announce his departure. Everyone pray that Terry does not get the job ... if this is any indication of his vision for the Lab, we are all f*cked.
ReplyDelete"Only 14 more days and Mike will either do something about his incompetent number 2's or announce his departure. "
ReplyDeleteI also heard the rumor that Mike is leaving. Anyone know for sure?
Mike's work here at LANL is almost done. He's destroyed the science, killed the morale, and handed the operating budget over to the thieves at Bechtel.
ReplyDeleteAfter all this, I suppose he'll be more than ready to check out sometime soon so he can enjoy his big, fat retirement for a job well done. He'll gladly let someone else be the captain who goes down with the ship.
Yeah, 5/17/08 12:19 PM...
ReplyDeleteOl' Lisa's nickname was "163.5". She was probably parked under Beason as a plum by sugar daddy Rich Marquez.
"Everyone pray that Terry does not get the job ... if this is any indication of his vision for the Lab, we are all f*cked." (8:04 PM)
ReplyDelete(1) Terry WILL get the Director's job, and
(2) You are all f*cked!!!
Have a nice day! Oh, and remember to stock up on lots of Preparation H. You'll soon be needing it in massive quantities.
Prep-H? Its K-Y for me please.
ReplyDeleteIt's K-Y Jelly for use before the massive screw job, and Preparation H afterwards to help soothe the anal soreness. You'll be needing both.
ReplyDelete