That ubiquitous Anonymous blog reader just submitted what should be a shoo-in for the newly-announced President's Save Award.Anonymous' suggestion:
easy. move LANL and LLNL out of the business of making nukes for profit, and back to status quo ante. We already know that it would save 1/2 billion dollars a year because we have the numbers. It would also reduce overhead (we have those numbers too). Finally, it would improve morale and as a consequence improve productivity and quality.
I estimate that direct and indirect savings would be $1B, which is ~25% of their current budget IIRC.
I estimate that direct and indirect savings would be $1B, which is ~25% of their current budget IIRC.
Kind of hard to argue against logic like that. The deadline for idea submissions is October 14. Vote early, and vote often.
--Doug
30 comments:
PS: You will need to use your lanl.gov email account, since suggestions for the Save Award are only being accepted from valid government email addresses.
Yeah, yeah, I know. "My boss will find out and I will get fired." Heard all of that before, not impressed. [Insert Sheeple joke here.]
it's "shoo-in" not "shoe-in"
Well, shoet.
Oh, like logic has any pull with Government.
Lobbyist money, campaign contributions, free trips on the corporate jet, yes.
Logic?
No.
But give it a try anyway! Nothing to lose.
This excellent suggestion on saving government money should also be directed to both Sen. Bingamin and Sen. Udall. It has strong precedence, as almost ALL of the other national labs (LBL, ORNL, PNNL, ANL, etc.) are run well and at very low cost by non-profit entities. LANL and LLNL seem to be the exceptions.
If some of the high safety items like pit production need to be run by a for-profit entity, then break them away from the rest of the science at LANL and let Bechtel or BWXT have them. That's what they did over at Oak Ridge (i.e., ORNL vs. Y-12). Get LANL back to being a strong science lab rather than just a nuclear facility being run by a construction company.
If you study "US Debt Clock.org," "President Obama´s Agenda Would Bring $13 Trillion in Budget Deficits, Not $9 Trillion" (Heritage), "2009 Federal Revenue and Spending Book of Charts" (Heritage), "Going Out of Business: How ObamaCare will Hurt American Business" (Heritage), and "The Economic Consequences of Waxman-Markey: An Analysis of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009" (Heritage), you concludes that this so-called idea by Obama as how to improve the "efficiencies and savings of the annual Budget process" (Whitehouse.gov) - in reality though, the Obama administration is itself a big spendor of the Federal budget, with bad future projections of the Federal budget, as well as significantly expanding the Federal government.
In short: This is the normal show by libtards, with limited substance though. (Hypocrisy.)
PS: Status quo is normally a limited and bad idea, best would have been to award Los Alamos Alliance (Lockheed Martin/UT) the actual M&O contract of LANL, and with Dr. C. Paul Robinson as LANL director, with start date, June 1, 2006. (My congrats to Dr. Robinson on Friday, October 9.)
PPS: If LANS, LLNS, and NNSA could think beyond the box, they would attend the 20,000 attendance conference in DC, "2009 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition," 5-7 October, 2009, at http://www.ausa.org/Pages/default.aspx, but they are not on the "2009 Exhibitor List."
OK, another top post designed to elicit all the raving lunatics with "better ideas" on how to run LANL. Get a grip, In what world would the feds agree to drop for-profit contractor running of the NNSA labs, and invoke even the tiniest fraction of what you all are proposing? Great conceptualizing, lousy grasp of reality. Unfortunately, you have to live in the word that is, not the world you wish for, unless of course you actually specify a realistic, probably successful, method to get there. Otherwise, it's just mind candy. Enjoy.
"OK, another top post designed to elicit all the raving lunatics with "better ideas" on how to run LANL. Get a grip, In what world would the feds agree to drop for-profit contractor running of the NNSA labs, and invoke even the tiniest fraction of what you all are proposing? Great conceptualizing, lousy grasp of reality. Unfortunately, you have to live in the word that is, not the world you wish for, unless of course you actually specify a realistic, probably successful, method to get there. Otherwise, it's just mind candy. Enjoy.
10/6/09 9:54 PM"
You are very realistic. It just seems that if they dumped the for-profit thing they would save money,
make the lab safer and more secure. Additionally everything else would be better. You are right it will not happen because there is no longer such a thing as a taxpayer, there are only slaves to corperations. Capitalism is better statistically, if your take 1000 coutries under capitalism, pehaps 2/3 will make, 1/3 will not.
It is just like any business, the
decisions freedom can give us can
also destroy us. Under communism maybe only a few or none will make it and there is no freedom in that case. We the American people elected the Congress, Bush and
Bill Richardson. In turn they sold us out including LANL. There will be consequences in the long run for us. Perhaps there will come a time when it will be clear that we can no longer defend ourselves or our allies. Do we the people care?
No as long was we have Paris Hilton, Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson, NASCAR, and Taco Bell than we are pacified. Do not complain about your tax money, it is no longer yours, you gave it away, now you must obey. If you try to disobey they will take your
toys, Paris Hilton and NSCAR away from you. Could you stand that? No you cannot.
Another "no-brainer" would be to return the labs to not-for-profit status and dump Bechtel and its bevy of managers from the hill.
I still wonder how Cheney is connected to this Bechtel mess (money wise) created under Bush the Inept.
The problem with the DOE Inspector General (IG) is that they are just that: DOE. Why in the world would the DOE levy significant plus $1M fines on itself or hand out plus 5-year prison terms on itself? The reality is that until some external agency with teeth, no not the DNFSB, has the authority to levy fines and prison terms on LANS, it's business as usual. The problem with the Price Anderson Amendment Act (PAAA) is that the Management use this to scare it's employees, but the reality is that there has never been any significant fines levies on DOE that amount to much. These DOE IG reports are nothing more than interesting white papers and LANS knows this. Not to give LANS too much credit, but they are a lot smarter than they look.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. "My boss will find out and I will get fired." Heard all of that before, not impressed. "
i could give a shit less about what my boss thinks. i just don't want my name posted with my comments for my future employer to see. does that make me a coward? sure but in the end, who cares. all i know is that future employers frown upon public bashing of past employers, even if they happen to agree with the statements.
9:28,
Well done, brave guy! You got your rationalization for not doing your part to improve things all nicely worked out. Feel better now?
"Well done, brave guy! You got your rationalization for not doing your part to improve things all nicely worked out. Feel better now?"
improving things???? you are delusional. the comments on this blog are filled with your generic whining babble about a "construction company" and "scientists" spewing their hate-filled rants about neu, kiplinger, seestrom, and anyone else doing better than them. there's only the occasional comments that show the doe what a shithole this place has turned into.
oh, i forgot about the political/drunk comments, but those are more amusing than anything else.
Calm down, 10:17. Don't get so emotional (unless you really think you need to).
The facts are fairly indisputable that LANL is much worse off under the for-profit NNSA way of doing things. I've worked at LANL for more than 20 years, and nobody is going to bullshit me by trying to tell me that things are better now. Conditions have never been as bad at LANL as they are now.
The lab *is* being run by a construction company that knows jack shit about science -- another indisputable fact. If you like working for a construction company that tells you to wear shoes that GRIP and to LOOK out for each other, that's your business.
Some of us, however, would like to see LANL turned back into a viable DOE science laboratory, like Oak Ridge and PNNL are today. LANL has not been a viable DOE science laboratory for a very long tine, thanks to the incompetence of UC during the past 30 years, and now LANS/Bechtel/NNSA.
Myself, I'm going to use my lanl.gov account to submit the cost savings suggestion made by the original poster.
my original comment was that i don't care what by boss thinks and that's not why i post anonymously on this blog. as far as sending something to the pres's new website, i'd do it if i had a great suggestion that would be seen as constructive. but to say that this blog improves things, HA! all it does is cause kneejerk reactions to security incidences, like the stolen laptops or the waste container explosions. it's their form of punishing us all.
also, if you like the new slogans, i hope you got the safety calendar they put out at the beginning of the year - 12 months of safety fun!
10:50, I think you are a bit confused. Nobody on this post has claimed the blog is improving things at LANL. Try to stay focused, will you? Concentrate on getting your excuse for not sending a (big) cost reduction suggestion to the President's Save Award site all polished and believable.
Give it up. There's no hope left for LANL. How long will it take the remaining "best and brightest" that are left to grasp this ugly situation? 3 more years? 5 more years? A decade? The powers that be like having LANL exactly where it is... being run by a for-profit LANS/Bechtel corporation with federal oversight by a highly dysfunctional NNSA.
The path downward will continue, yet at a slightly faster pace. It's clear by now that no one in in Congress or the public cares what is happening. Spend your time *constructively* by looking for a viable escape route.
A federal "Save Award"? This government is handing out $3000 in cash to people on the streets of Detroit! This government is not interested in saving any money.
"Residents Get Chance At Stimulus Money"
http://www.clickondetroit.com/
news/21215978/detail.html
Mooooooo!!!!
Here’s the information provided to LLNL employees on this…
-----
Letter from Secretary Chu on cutting costs
Oct. 6, 2009
Do you have a smart idea for how the Department of Energy can trim costs and save taxpayer dollars? Submit your cost-saving initiative for potential inclusion in the President's Budget and become the first-ever SAVE Award winner.
The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, Oct.14. The winner will meet with President Obama at the White House and have his or her savings initiative incorporated into the FY 2011 Budget. In addition, the agency with the most participation in the contest will receive an award.
In a radio address on April 25, the president called for “a process through which every government worker can submit their ideas for how their agency can save money and perform better.”
The president’s SAVE Award will fulfill this commitment by enabling any federal employee to submit ideas for efficiencies and savings as part of the annual budget process. This contest is part of a larger effort to make sure that we invest taxpayer dollars in programs and initiatives that have proven records of success and fix or end programs that do not.
All submissions are confidential and can be made on the Web. The deadline is Wednesday, Oct.14, and the winner will be announced in November. I urge you to participate not only so the Department of Energy can win the award for the best participation, but also because this effort is an important way to give the American people a government that does more for less.
Thank you for your support of this effort and for participating in the President's SAVE Award contest.
Sincerely,
Steve Chu
12:10,
Hopefully you Livermites are less cowardly than the LANL Sheeple, who are afraid to use their lanl.gov email accounts to submit suggestions that Bechtel might not like.
11:42 am: "This government is handing out $3000 in cash to people on the streets of Detroit! This government is not interested in saving any money."
Sure they are. If they save money that would have gone to you, they get to give more out in the streets of Detroit. It's called (redistribution" and that's the real goal of this government.
I have a suggestion: shut down the LANL blog so LANS doesn't constantly need to be worrying about information being released to the public.
Gets rid of a few lawyers, gets rid of Kevin Roark.
I still wonder how Cheney is connected to this Bechtel mess (money wise) created under Bush the Inept.
George Schultz was on the Bechtel Board of Directors, and is still intimately involved with the company.
When Reiley Bechtel and his friends and family visited LANL a while back, George came along. I know. I was there.
George Schultz is clearly and definitely part of the old time GOP George Bush (Sr. & Jr.) political machine.
It's a short hop, skip and a jump from there to see how Cheney, and Bechtel, are related to LANS winning the contract.
What I'd like to know is the untold story behind Lockheed-Martin's storage shed with all their bid materials burning up in an arson right after the LANS win was announced.
6:31 pm: "It's a short hop, skip and a jump from there to see how Cheney, and Bechtel, are related to LANS winning the contract."
Wow, you hopped, skipped, and jumped to your predetermined conclusion without the slightest of facts. I think that's called dancing with the stars. Or under them. In any case, your tighties are a little soiled. With BS.
10/7/09 6:31 PM, some details:
1. The announcement by DOE was made December 21, 2005, when LANS, LLC, was awarded the M&O contract of LANL, due effective June 1, 2006.
2. Between December 21, 2005 - January 5, 2006, Lockheed/UT are uncertain what to do with the lost M&O contract of LANL.
3. January 6, 2006, Lockheed/UT are debriefed by DOE of the lost M&O contract of LANL.
4. January 11, 2006, Lockheed/UT decides not to protest the bad decision to award LANS, LLC the M&O contract of LANL.
5. 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.
Actually, 8:12: I've wondered about that mysterious Lockheed Albuquerque storage shed fire myself.
Too weird. Too many coincidences. It was only playing around in the back of my mind, but then your too-vigorous dismissal of the events kicked the whole thing up a notch. I think this deserves a top-level post. But first some background research...
"This excellent suggestion on saving government money should also be directed to both Sen. Bingamin and Sen. Udall." (8:08 PM)
Sorry, can't talk right now. I'm on the phone with Riley Bechtel trying to get an invite for Tom Udall and myself to next summer's Bohemian Grove encampment. Riley thinks he can put us up in the bigwig's Mandalay camp with George Schultz and Henry Kissinger!
(Sen. Bingamin)
Doug: "Actually, 8:12: I've wondered about that mysterious Lockheed Albuquerque storage shed fire myself."
8:12 pm here. Actually Doug, I wasn't dismissing anything at all about the "storage shed" thing, which was posed as an afterthought by 6:31 pm. I was commenting on was the Schultz-to-Cheney-via-Bechtel connection leap of faith.
I'd like to know about the "storage shed" too. From what I know, if LM was keeping records relevant to a federal activity in a flammable storage shed, they were already breaking a number of federal records management rules. Not to mention just plain good management judgement failure. Let us know what your research reveals. I guess the cops and feds must have done a pretty sloppy job.
10/6/09 9:54 PM: "Otherwise, it's just mind candy. Enjoy."
The mind candy that takes innovation to the next level can be a boon for both the consumer or customer (or taxpayer) and the industry leaders that are forging ahead with ideas that seem outlandish.
Anyone remember when we didn't have ATM machines? They were the result of a suggestion for 24-hour banking access. I'm sure the idea was a ghastly aberration for those that couldn't see beyond their banker's hours.
Post a Comment