In rare split vote UT regents vote 4-3 to pursue Los Alamos nuclear weapons lab contract
http://www.mystatesman.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/regents-vote-pursue-los-alamos-nuclear-weapons-lab-contract/E48ROkdBqlLjMH5x3pKzaM/
'Longoria said the safety and financial risks aren’t worth it, citing the lab’s checkered safety record in recent years. She said operating a nuclear weapons lab lies outside the system’s core mission and could even put its multibillion-dollar endowment “at risk in a catastrophic event.” She added that the system’s flagship, UT-Austin, wasn’t in favor of the initiative.'
17 comments:
Ok how about some odds. This one is hard to call.
UC bid, probably will be the strongest but has the issues with how the last contract went.
Texas, I have heard has Webster which could be the ace in the hole, but could have a weaker bid. Not to mention
that U-Texas is essentially UT-Austin which was against the bid. They have the also have the advantage of being new. Texas was previously interested in a bid in 2006 when LANL still had strong science, however after 11 years LANL science has rapidly declined. This was discussed in a recent LANL fellows meeting where various metrics showed how far LANL has declined. U-Texas may know about this. LANL is becoming more of engineering/low-tech lab.
Texas-AM, is the system with all the optical clout, Perry is alumni. Also if NNSA wants LANL to be a engineering lab Texas-AM would have the edge.
So far these are the only three I know. Bechtel may put in its own bid or perhaps be with Texas-A.
Anyone else?
UC is unlikely due to the past. That would give Texas a bit of an edge, but Webster is weak tea. So beats me.
It is a foregone conclusion that NNSA could not care any less about the state of LANL science. The past decade or so has clearly demonstrated that.
UC is unlikely due to the past. That would give Texas a bit of an edge, but Webster is weak tea. So beats me.
It is a foregone conclusion that NNSA could not care any less about the state of LANL science. The past decade or so has clearly demonstrated that.
November 30, 2017 at 5:35 PM
I would guess Texas-AM is the best position, just due to politics of the whole thing.
The other issue is if NNSA really thinks UC was to blame for the mess of the last 12 years,
there are plenty of rumors that they think it was actually the whole for profit and corporate partners which are to blame. If you have been around at LANL you can see that things changed
vastly 12 years ago and most people think this was due to the Bechtel culture not UC.
I have heard that this may also be the way NNSA sees it but who knows.
I heard Webster is leading the Purdue bid? Where did you get the UT story?
I heard Webster is leading the Purdue bid? Where did you get the UT story?
November 30, 2017 at 10:48 PM
I have not heard about a Purdue bid. Could this connected to Texas-consortium
or Texas-AM consortium, Bechetel-Purdue?
What is this Bechtel culture thing? I have worked for Bechtel and the culture at LANL does not align with my experience with Bechtel. Can you describe and maybe I can then relate because I don't see it at this point.
"What is this Bechtel culture thing? I have worked for Bechtel and the culture at LANL does not align with my experience with Bechtel. Can you describe and maybe I can then relate because I don't see it at this point.
December 2, 2017 at 12:35 AM"
Well I know people that have worked at both places as well. The culture in question is that of corruption and scam and this even comes from people that work for Bechtel. This is no secret and I very much doubt you ever worked for Bechtel. Interestingly some of the people that work for Bechtel are actually nice people but are also honest about what they are doing to the lab and other places.
Ok UC lead the labs for 60 year and things worked very well. LLNS and LANS lead the labs for 10 years and total and complete disaster. What is the new ingredient...Bechtel. The cultural change of turning the labs into money making scams is the Bechtel MO. There is plenty of books on this and they have this down to an art form. They take over and leverage every possible profit they can out of a place and yes they pay off the upper managers. They do this every place they go. There is scandal after scandal with this company. Since you seem rather unfamiliar with Bechtel than please read the book the profiteers.
" longtime CEO Stephen Bechtel: “We’re more about making money, than making things.”
https://www.amazon.com/Profiteers-Bechtel-Men-Built-World/dp/1476706468
https://www.amazon.com/Friends-High-Places-Corporation-Engineered/dp/0345360443/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WH0NFRM
They have screwed up everything they do yet still make money.
Look at the list of disasters:
Iraq, Bolivia, Africa, Boston Dig, Hanford and it goes on and on.
At least one poster keeps saying Bechtel was not in charge however even Physics Today had an article on this. Below are some comments.
"Another former LANL official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, agreed. “What [Bechtel] didn’t realize is that Los Alamos is a very complex organization with a strongly entrenched culture and that it is its own worst enemy. [Bechtel] thought they could come in and do what they normally do: rotate people in and out. The folks at Los Alamos are smart; they quickly realized they could wait all these industry guys out.”"
Kuckuck's quote in Physics Today pretty much says it all. Bechtel knows very well how to manage in a corporate environment, but was woefully unprepared for LANL.
"gies"......? Really?
gie
ɡē/Submit
verb
3rd person present: gies
Scottish form of give.
The lack of unanimous Regent support will torpedo the UT bid. The opposing Regent well summarized the mismatch in objectives snd risk profile. NNSA will not select a partially committed GOCO operator. For that they can keep LANS.
A&M is a third team with insufficient quality and qusntity to run LANL. Bechtel,and UC are poisoned by their history.
My guess is that they will pull the solicitation and seek a new solution.
To correct a previous glib inaccurate generalization,..
LLNS is now currently, as it has always been, an excellent lab. One recognized now nearly Without equal in the NW world. Performance of every facet is now and always was excellent. Not perfect, but consistently excellent. Not as good under contract 44 as under the previous contract 48 due to the foolish contract restrictions and clauses in contract 44, but still good.
Things most certainly did not work well at LANL for 60 years. Ever hear of Admiral Nanos?
Just the mention of his name puts the lie to your phony argument.
Things most certainly did not work well at LANL for 60 years. Ever hear of Admiral Nanos?
Just the mention of his name puts the lie to your phony argument.
December 3, 2017 at 9:53 AM
Sorry but at least up 2000 UC did run things very well. After 2000 there was huge pressure put on UC and Nanos was essentially forced on UC, he was never a UC choice. If you where at the labs when this happened you would know that.
Basically once UC starting losing control the worse things have become for LANL. How is is that from 1943-2000, during the cold war things went well and than go bad? To say UC did not run the labs well puts the lie in your phony argument.
In any case your hatred for UC and LANL in gernal is clearly personal issue and as your have proven time and time again you are not capable of being rational about this.
Consider this, you said no one would ever bid for LANL, you are wrong, you said UC would never bid and you are wrong again. Think about how all the other crazy anti LANL things you have said but have been wrong about. Ask yourself why have you been so wrong about these things all this time?
If you where at the labs when this happened you would know that.
December 3, 2017 at 11:50 AM
You give yourself away. No one who worked or works at Los Alamos would call it "the labs." It is "the Lab." (Singular). Also, your use of "where" when you mean "were" identifies you as a long-time troll here. Stop pretending and go away.
You give yourself away. No one who worked or works at Los Alamos would call it "the labs." It is "the Lab." (Singular). Also, your use of "where" when you mean "were" identifies you as a long-time troll here. Stop pretending and go away.
December 4, 2017 at 5:17 PM
This is coming from the "I hate UC and LANL" troll who has been posting for years and years. As for "pretending" please come clean with what your true agenda is. It is obvious that you are a very very...very bitter person when it comes to LANL, just come clean with what your issue is. Heck you may even have a legtimate grievance, I doubt it. By the way are you willing to admit you are wrong about your previous predictions that no would bid on LANL and UC would for sure not bid?
Don't forget that the troll also uses "than" when it means "then" Too easy to spot this troll!
The troll thinks there is only one person who challenges his posts. I am not 5:17 nor am I 8:30 PM yet I have made several posts challenging the troll's dishonest support of UC.
The troll thinks there is only one person who challenges his posts. I am not 5:17 nor am I 8:30 PM yet I have made several posts challenging the troll's dishonest support of UC.
December 6, 2017 at 11:36 PM
There only one anti LANL UC troll the posts most of the time but there is one other guy who posts less often. They entitled to their opinions. It does not take much skill to figure them out as the anti UC threads literally match word for word what you will find on other sources internet. They can say what they want but it should be made clear that they represent only themselves and are not speaking for ANYONE else at the lab and have personal issues and bitterness with UC/LANL that they will/cannot let go.
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