Merle, et al - Though I reject most of the extreme arguments I hear on both sides of this issue, my instinct is that it would be better if Santa Fe did NOT invite LANL/NNSA into the development of this critical/central/prime location in the heart of *greater* Santa Fe.
I've been living in a variant of this high-dimensional, nonlinear, sometimes subtle and nuanced question all of my (adult) life. I came to LANL at 24 as a technophilic peacenik who believed MAD made sense (1980) and was happy to ensure that WE had the BIG STICK. I raised two children In Los Alamos and finally left in 2008 (27 years later) after Bechtel took over, remaining in the region and in high-tech work. Along the way I was confronted with *many* changes in the international political, cultural and scientific landscape. The end of the Cold War and nuclear testing, a nuclear arms-race between India/Pakistan, two Gulf Wars, a deep and abiding awareness of the reality and threat of Climate Change (and other parallel Endogenous Existential Threats). I went through a few personal transformations as well, including shepherding my two daughters into maturity along the way. My opinions have become much stronger, broader and more nuanced over the years and I am thankful to have had the perspective offered through the rich gradients formed by our "tri-cultural heritage". LANL is much more/less than a traditional "Anglo" company town and the work that goes on there is much more/less than virtually any other facility. Adding Pu Pit production has expanded that yet more, while the unfathomably deep explorations into what may very well represent an array of other technological *existential threats*. Possibly equally important sociopolitically, is the role of Santa Fe (and San Juan Pueblo before it) as a locus of European Conquest, including the Pueblo Revolt (I can see Black Mesa from my window as I type). I agree with most of Ed's assertions about the variability of quality of the work at LANL, and certainly question the average "value received" with such outrageous overheads and oft isolated efforts. I also agree with his summary of the net socioeconomic impact on the region/state. While I was (am via legacy savings and local available services) a beneficiary of the very large amount of money pumped into the region, I see the deleterious effects of it. With my renewed interest and awareness in the "Endogenous Existential Threats" of our time, I am more sensitive to the callousness of many of the people and programs at LANL toward the local and global environment. The bulk of the memoir Frank urged me to write (to save the list from my TMI/TL;DR posts?) would be armatured around this braid of interesting (in every sense of the word) paradoxes and contradictions. I think New Mexico's legacy around Science and Technology is real and meaningful, but has also been highly distorted by the influence of government (and specifically Defense-related) money. Carry On, - Steve On 1/13/20 2:41 PM, Merle Lefkoff wrote: > > > ---------- Forwarded message --------- > From: *Leslie Lakind* <leftielak...@gmail.com > <mailto:leftielak...@gmail.com>> > Date: Mon, Jan 13, 2020 at 2:23 PM > Subject: NO LANL IN SANTA FE! Wednesday, 12;00 outside SF City Hall; > bring friends > To: > > > > > ---------- Forwarded message --------- > From: *Greg Mello* <gme...@lasg.org <mailto:gme...@lasg.org>> > > > > Permalink <http://www.lasg.org/letters/2020/nm_12Jan2020.html>for this > letter. /*Please forward!* /Other Letters > <http://www.lasg.org/letters/letters.html> > Home page <http://lasg.org/index.htm>; Press Releases > <http://www.lasg.org/press/PressReleases.html>; Bulletins > <http://www.lasg.org/ActionAlerts/action.htm>; > To subscribe to our Friends listserve (formerly by invitation only) > send a blank email here. > <mailto:lasg_friends-subscr...@lists.riseup.net> To unsubscribe send a > blank email here. <mailto:lasg_friends-unsubscr...@lists.riseup.net> > To subscribe to our Main listserve (less content, less frequent) send > a blank email here. <mailto:lasg-subscr...@lists.riseup.net> To > unsubscribe send a blank email here. > <mailto:lasg-unsubscr...@lists.riseup.net> > Our blog (makeover coming!): *Remember your Humanity > <http://lasg.org/wordpress/>. *Twitter: @TrishABQ > <https://twitter.com/#%21/TrishABQ>. > Contribute. <http://www.lasg.org/contribute.htm>Volunteer. Contact us > (Greg and Trish in our main office <http://www.lasg.org/contact.htm>, > Lydia Clark in our Santa Fe office <mailto:clark4...@msn.com>) > > // > > *This letter: ***Press conference ***outside Santa Fe City Hall at > noon on* Wednesday Jan. 15 ***(map > <https://goo.gl/maps/ycyfawsEqEYzu3wG9>) -- please come, and please > recruit others > ** * ** > > *Dear New Mexico friends – > * > > As we have explained in previous letters > <http://www.lasg.org/letters/letters.html>, Wednesday is the day on > which the City will announce the finalists for "Master Developer" of > the former College of Santa Fe site (and possibly surrounding > properties as well, a 64- to ~100-acre project). The National Nuclear > Security Administration (NNSA) has applied for this role. NNSA and/or > Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) are present in some (not all) > other proposals, as tenant(s). > > The situation is opaque, fluid, and developing. So far, Mayor Webber > has disdainfully rebuffed our requests to meet or discuss the > momentous social, cultural, and economic development impacts of > placing a nuclear weapons campus in Santa Fe. (Don't be deceived -- > that is exactly what LANL is and what this would be.) > > People power may be the only force stronger than LANL's money and > corruption. We really need you to help us expand our numbers. > > If you live /anywhere/ nearby please come to this joint press > conference, and please ask as many friends to comeas possible. Sheer > attendance matters. A strong showing Wednesday will save countless > hours of work later, and will give wings to efforts to push back on > LANL's entirely unjustified expansion. There are many powerful people > in Washington who know LANL specializes in taxpayer ripoffs. Some of > them need to see some spine from us out here to take to their bosses. > > New Mexico is being selected to be a nuclear weapons support and > sacrifice area. That now includes the Santa Fe metro area. > > We may not know know the outcome of this first Midtown Campus decision > by noon Wednesday but regardless of that we must seize the day. > > While it seems absurd that NNSA could be a possible "master > developer," we can't be sure that Mayor Webber and the people around > him wouldn't want that -- or want, say, a training facility for > plutonium workers. We just don't know. > > This event will also give us a chance for us to network with each > other and with representatives of any other groups present, as well as > speak to any City officials willing to do so. > > *Getting people to come on Wednesday is the sole action item we are > recommending right now. It is very, very important! * > > Thank you! > > Greg, Trish, Lydia, Ernie, Michelle, and the rest of the Study Group > > -- > > Greg Mello > Los Alamos Study Group <http://www.lasg.org/> > 2901 Summit Place NE > Albuquerque, NM 87106 > 505-265-1200 office > 505-577-8563 cell > > To subscribe to our Friends listserve send a blank email here. > <mailto:lasg_friends-subscr...@lists.riseup.net> To unsubscribe send a > blank email here. <mailto:lasg_friends-unsubscr...@lists.riseup.net> > > To subscribe to our Main listserve (less frequent) send a blank email > here. <mailto:lasg-subscr...@lists.riseup.net> To unsubscribe send a > blank email here. <mailto:lasg-unsubscr...@lists.riseup.net> > > Our blog: *Remember your Humanity <http://lasg.org/wordpress/>. > *Twitter: @TrishABQ <https://twitter.com/#%21/TrishABQ>. We have shut > down our Facebook page. > > --- > To unsubscribe: <mailto:lasg_friends-unsubscr...@lists.riseup.net > <mailto:lasg_friends-unsubscr...@lists.riseup.net>> > List help: <https://riseup.net/lists> > > > -- > > /*America is waking up, as Germany once did, to the awareness that */ > > /*1/3 of your people would kill another 1/3, while 1/3 watches. */ > > /Werner Herzog/ > > > > > > > > -- > Merle Lefkoff, Ph.D. > President, Center for Emergent Diplomacy > emergentdiplomacy.org <http://emergentdiplomacy.org> > Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA > merlelefk...@gmail.com <mailto:merlelef...@gmail.com> > mobile: (303) 859-5609 > skype: merle.lelfkoff2 > twitter: @Merle_Lefkoff > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com > archives back to 2003: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/ > FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ by Dr. Strangelove
============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com archives back to 2003: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/ FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ by Dr. Strangelove
