LANL: The Corporate Story

Cool stuff, Doug!

I'm glad to see that you were able to continue to do interesting science after leaving LANL. I remember when people here used to do exciting leading-edge computer science. As you might have guessed, there is not much science, period, being done at LANL these days, and the prospects for any interesting scientific research opportunities look worse with each passing day.

I expect it is time to get serious about leaving, myself.
 

Hello Pat- Could you make this a top level post? This DOE 'request' could spell out the premature END of LANLs pension plans... Maybe a nip can spur the sheep into action...

Link:
http://management.energy.gov/request_for_comments.htm

Request for Public Comment on Department of Energy Contractor Employee Pension and Medical Benefits Challenge

Summary:

The Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking public comments and/or recommendations on how to address the challenge it faces due to increasing costs and liabilities associated with contractor employee pension and medical benefits. Under the Department’s unique Management and Operating (M&O) and other site management contracts, DOE reimburses its contractors for allowable costs incurred in providing employee pension and medical benefits to current employees and retirees who are eligible to participate in the contractors’ pension and medical benefit plans.

How to Submit Comments:

Please submit your comments via e-mail to contractorpensions@hq.doe.gov.

Comments due by COB, Friday, May 11, 2007.
 

It boggel's the mind, how a formerly respected and Nationally famous Laboratory has fallen into dismay. The caliber of employee's and their new attitude of : "I'll take any abuse and intimidation so long as I can keep my job". is sad to say the least. Both the Management and Employee's are to blame for allowing this to come to pass, but thats the reality, the workforce will be reduced from 9,000 down to about 4,500 in a few years. The remains will be making "Pits" at TA 55 and life will be the Pits in and around Los Alamos....The End Is Near...
 

I'm certain I'm not the only person who is torn between trying to figure out how & when to bail and getting my home on the market before the next downturn in the (un)real estate market here or trying to sort out if I have a future in the downsized version of LANL - or even if I would want a future here.

The fact that families are going to be impacted in a downsizing era and that I didn't bail earlier, seem to drive my daily vascillation between bolting even if it means a loss on the house and staying to work at the formerly-great Lab while holding out hope that we're doing something worthwhile.

Call it sheep-like or whatever, I should've left earlier and my seeming paralysis is certainly laced with self-loathing amidst the frustration and irritation for the circumstances.
 

I imagine many are in the same circumstances 9:56. Might I suggest all you can do at this point is figure out where to go from here. The self-loathing is counterproductive, I've done it as well.

While the Director swore under oath to Congress that morale at LANL was good, I have yet to speak to someone at the worker level that envisions LANL to be "better" than it is today. I have to assume he has access to information I don't.
 

9:56 PM:

Here are some numbers to think about. The week the RRW was announced there were 129 single family houses for sale listed on realtor.com for Los Alamos. Today (in less than 1 month) there are 159 listed. That is more than a 20% increase. The net houses listed are increasing at about 5 houses per week now. To sell in this market you'll have to lower the price you would have got 2-3 years ago by 10-20% I understand. Of course, if there is a significant down-sizing at LANL the current market would a seller's market in comparison. Just some numbers to consider...
 

one can cut their losses by doing it now - JP Morgan said "I got rich by selling too soon"....It's all relative.