Friday, 14 February 1992 Washington, DC
1. SEAB PANEL SENDS STATUS QUO VALENTINE TO LABORATORY
DIRECTORS.
A report on the future of DOE Labs drew scathing
criticism from George Brown (D-CA), Chair of the House Science
Committee. After more than a year of study, the Secretary of
Energy Advisory Board Task Force, chaired by Edward Frieman,
Director of the Scripps Institute, released the final draft of
its response to Secretary Watkins' call for "a strategic vision
and plan" to define roles for the 17 DOE National Labs. The
report, according to Brown, is "neither strategic nor visionary."
In truth, it is not even a plan; the report proposes to let the
labs "evolve" to cope with the new world order. That did not
satisfy Brown, who proposed his own plan for the three nuclear
weapons labs, which includes making Los Alamos the National
Defense Laboratory and restricting Lawrence Livermore to civilian
technology. His plan also calls for complete cessation of all
nuclear tests in three years, time enough, he says, to finish the
only critical warhead work that is yet unfinished--redesign to
enhance the safety of the stockpile.
2. WASHINGTON SHUTTLE: NASA IS SHOCKED BY TIMING OF TRULY
FIRING.
It is no secret that the National Space Council,
headed by Vice President Dan Quayle, frequently clashed with NASA
Administrator Richard Truly. The early rounds were a draw:
Quayle refused to give Truly another shuttle; Truly refused to
take Mark Albrecht, Space Council Executive Secretary, as a
replacement for Deputy NASA Administrator J.R. Thompson. But
this week, Quayle scored a knock-out when President Bush abruptly
fired Truly. That leaves NASA with its two top positions vacant
as it prepares to defend its FY 93 budget. So why now? It may
be pay-back time for new White House Chief of Staff Sam Skinner,
who lost a bitter turf battle to Truly in his former role as
Transportation Secretary. It may also be intended to demonstrate
that Quayle is no light- weight. The White House is said to be
seeking a replacement who is open to new ideas; that translates
to "phase out the Shuttle." Speculation ranges from Gen.
Abrahamson, former Star Wars chief, to Sen. Jake Garn, the only
member of Congress to ride on the Shuttle, who recently announced
his retirement from the Senate.
3. AUDITOR AT STANFORD AVOIDS THE USUAL FATE OF
WHISTLEBLOWERS.
All too frequently, those who expose
government mismanagement and waste pay an awful price for their
acts of conscience: assigned meaningless tasks, passed over for
promotions, shunned by other workers. But for Paul Biddle, the
ONR auditor who uncovered the indirect cost abuses at Stanford,
it's all coming up roses. The Navy presented him its Meritorious
Civilian Service Award, which was nice, but Biddle had tangible
rewards in mind. "I intend to be a rich man," he said, and so he
may. He filed under the False Claims Act for 30% of whatever the
government recovers; his share could be $80M. Now he has
resigned from ONR to run for Congress as a guardian of public
funds. The Loma Prieta earthquake, Biddle says, was a sign from
God that something was amiss at Stanford!
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