On one of the recent blog posts here someone dredged up the 2006 Albuquerque storage shed fire incident which destroyed much of Lockheed-Martin's LANL proposal material. At least one anonymous commenter was suggesting that some kind of a conspiracy was behind the event.Click the image for a larger view
I contacted a colleague of mine who was familiar with the Lockheed LANL bid capture effort, and asked him about the storage shed fire. Here's what my colleague tells me:
Too bad it is not nearly as nefarious as everyone’s imagination is letting it become. After the award announcement, we had more than just our proposal to ship back east. In preparation for a successful transition we had procured over $1M in IT equipment to support the effort. This included something like 80 laptop computers, numerous desktops, printers, scanners, servers, routers etc. All purchased with the intent of getting it started right. Paul [Robinson] wanted to make sure that we were thoroughly prepared to execute a flawless transition. Anyway, once the decision was rendered (or the fix was in) we had to de-camp from the city. So we hired Paul Arpin Moving company to pack up our belongings into the van and ship them all back to Cherry Hill NJ. As best we can figure out, all of those new laptops and other computer equipment in boxes were too much of a temptation for the criminal element in Albuquerque. We were notified that there was a fire during the night and the van was a complete loss. When we came to inspect the damage there were no burned carcasses of laptops and a very few burnt desktops that were already out of the box, and of course the proposal that would have changed everything. We now refer to the incident as the LANL Viking Funeral.
Everyone should understand though that even with the hardcopy of the proposal burned, we had backup electronic files for everything. It was not as if someone could have set fire to our proposal and we would not have access to the records for any legal action, if we decided to go that way.
Everyone should understand though that even with the hardcopy of the proposal burned, we had backup electronic files for everything. It was not as if someone could have set fire to our proposal and we would not have access to the records for any legal action, if we decided to go that way.
So, there you have it: Albuquerque crime, not conspiracy.
--Doug
As I stated previously, 10/7/09 8:21 PM:
ReplyDelete5. The fire in Lockheed´s/UT´s storage at a moving company´s facility in ABQ started Sunday evening, January 22, 2006, e.g. 11 days after their decision not to protest the lost M&O contract of LANL.
Come on, can't you just let us enjoy our little conspiracy theories? Please??
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain, 8:17.
ReplyDeleteAs usual, if you want the "real story", come to the LANL blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks for digging up the facts, Doug!
" It was not as if someone could have set fire to our proposal and we would not have access to the records for any legal action, if we decided to go that way." (Post)
ReplyDeleteI wish they had decided to "go that way". Maybe LANS (Bechtel) could have then been stopped from their process of destroying the lab.
A Lockmart win would have allowed LANL to form a much tighter relationship with SNL. The short geographical distance between these two labs would have opened up possibilities for integration of various services and the cost savings resulting from this could have been enormous. In addition to this, Paul Robinson would have made an outstanding Director for LANL. I doubt he would have conceded to every crazy whim that comes out of NNSA.
The NNSA competition was not a fair and open process and the final decision was left up to single person at NNSA... Tom D'Agostino. That, in itself, should have raised loud alarms with those who are tasks with monitoring ethics violations within the federal government.
You know, you LANL guys are really slow.
ReplyDeleteFollow the fucking money.
That's why Bechtel and buddies won, and Lockheed lost.
Pure, plain, simple. That's how American politics works. Capitalism, baby. Pay to play.
9:01 pm: "The NNSA competition was not a fair and open process and the final decision was left up to single person at NNSA... Tom D'Agostino"
ReplyDeleteWow, news flash! Are you still struggling to get over this? Do you think there is someone out there who doesn't know this, and if he/she only knew, things would immediately be set right? Geez, grow up. You got screwed, and there is nothing you can do to change it. Now deal with it, preferably without so much whining. If your Mommy promised yout the world would be fair, blame her.
Nothing?
ReplyDeleteRight, nothing. Bitching (or blogging) about it is not the same as changing it.
ReplyDelete"...there is nothing you can do to change it. Now deal with it, preferably without so much whining. - 9:45 PM
ReplyDeleteThe Bechtelites at LANL have spoken. I think what they are telling the staff is something along the lines of: "STFU, bitch, and give me my money!!!"
That "Viking" fire that wiped out the opposing bid paperwork was more symbolic than most people realized at the time.
ReplyDeleteIt marked the funeral pyre of LANL and the crashing of the gates by the Bechtel Huns.
It marked the funeral pyre of LANL and the crashing of the gates by the Bechtel Huns.
ReplyDelete10/9/09 12:07 PM
Come to think of it, maybe we have it all wrong. Mikey is not a fuzzy Ewok. He looks more like a short, squat bearded Hun!
C'mon folks, D'Agostino selected LANS because he would rather deal with a lap dog than Ambassador Robinson. An American tragedy.
ReplyDelete10/9/09 4:22 PM, I agree.
ReplyDeleteToday, it´s October 9, known for the Leif Ericson Day, John Lennon was born, the failed nuke test by North Korea, October 9, 2006, the birth of the late Savannah, the 2009 NPP to Mr. Barack Obama???, but foremost, when Dr. and Ambassador C. Paul Robinson was born, October 9, 1941, and the moral leader of LANL. (My congrats.)
My congrats as well, 6:37.
ReplyDeleteI only spoke with Paul a few times, but I liked him and quickly developed a respect for him.
--Doug
Mike Anastasio has lost all respect from the staff starting at Division leader levels on down. That's OK, though, because he clearly could care less about it.
ReplyDeletePaul is a real scientist and a genuine American. Anastasio isn't qualified to clean his own toilet. By itself, that isn't a tragedy. The tragedy is that Mike was chosen deliberately over Paul.
ReplyDelete5:11 pm: "Paul is a real scientist and a genuine American."
ReplyDeleteI have no gripe against Paul, but could you explain what a "non-genuine" American is? Perhaps reflection on this will enlighten you as to your own prejudices.
9:44 I'm so glad you asked. "Genuine" has several synonyms including "authentic", "real", "earnest", "honest" and so forth. Mike A. is none of those things. Paul Robinson is all of those things. Think on it a bit before resorting to the oh-so-simple-minded, "you must be prejudiced" retort. Just because you cannot bring yourself to discern the difference between a self-important Bechtel windbag and an American patriot does not mean others cannot.
ReplyDeleteJust because you cannot bring yourself to discern the difference between a self-important Bechtel windbag and an American patriot does not mean others cannot.
ReplyDelete10/14/09 9:09 PM
Hehehehe. Talk about self-important windbags!