Jan. 28, 2005

Farewell Los Alamos

I have enjoyed working with many good people at [the Laboratory] but have resigned as a staff member after 2.5 years. I had planned to stay five years and get vested but I am not going to make it.

I have seen enough of management that:

• has created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation where folks are afraid to speak out for fear of being labeled one of "them" (cowboys, not with the program);
• can't see that [the Laboratory] is drowning in red tape;
• doesn't know the difference between science and red tape;
• thinks that a staff member needs daily written permission to use his office workstation; and
• thinks that [the Laboratory's] most important product is "process" (training, procedures, self-assessments ) and that we're in better shape because of the [suspension of operations].

I fear [the Laboratory] is in a death spiral from which it may not recover for years, if ever. I'd rather not be there at the bottom. As I told my group leader, I'd rather work at Wendy's.

And so as the sun sets over the Jemez ...

I'm an old cowhand from the Rio Grande
But my legs ain't bowed and my cheeks ain't tanned.
I'm a cowboy who never saw a cow,
Never roped a steer 'cause I don't know how;
And I sho' ain't fixin' to start in now.
Yippy-I-O-Ki-Ay,
Yippy-I-O-Ki-Ay,

(thank you, Johnny Mercer )

--David F. Simmons