Bush wants more young Indian minds in US

[OhioChick]

< 26 Jan, 2007 0003hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK >

WASHINGTON: President Bush on Wednesday invoked the young Indian scientist to call for a hike in the H1-B visa programme which allows skilled foreign workers to come to the United States.

In a speech on energy issues before workers and executives at a Dupont facility in Delaware, Bush pressed for both free trade and freer movement of skilled professionals, saying they could help meet America’s energy challenges, and summoned the Indian example in both cases.

"We've got to expand what's called H1B visas...I feel strongly about what I'm telling you. It makes no sense to say to a young scientist from India, you can't come to America to help this company develop technologies that help us deal with our problems," Bush told the Dupont gathering.

The H1-B visa program is currently capped at 65,000 and efforts are on to expand it to 115,000 to meet what high-tech industry executives say is a worrisome shortage of high skilled people. A bill to this effect was rejected in the last Congress but it is expected to be introduced again in the 110th Congress.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bush_wants_more_young_Indian_minds_in_United_States/articleshow/1461553.cms


<snip> Opponents of the program say there is no such demand and inviting more foreign workers will just displace American workers and drive down salaries.

[fasttense]

1. Cheap labor and insecure American citizens, a neocon dream. n/t

[saigon68]

26. ME COWBOY YOU INJUNS

[Megahurtz]

39. Rofl!

:rofl:

[goforit]

30. Yep...A Neocon dream alright!!!! How will they deal with upheaval?

[Vincardog]

2. Funny the H1-B that took my IT job just got canned because they sent his job to INDIA.

How fast can we race to the bottom?

[OhioChick]

4. The H1B's

that I work with are irate over this, not to mention all of the outsourcing going on.

[saigon68]

7. Cheney and his friends are getting rich

[redqueen]

11. An article in the DMN this week said we don't have enough skilled workers...

so we MUST raise the H1-B limit.

:eyes:

[OhioChick]

15. No Skilled Workers, My Ass.

Hearing that just chaps my ass. Tell that to all of my "highly skilled" IT friends that are jobless.

[redqueen]

16. Mine as well.

I wrote a LTTE and saved it to pass out copies to all the IT people I know, so they can vent their outrage as well. :D

[MindPilot]

19. Can you post it please?

:hi:

[redqueen]

28. See #27

:hi:

[OhioChick]

21. Oh, Please Share!

:)

[redqueen]

27. I tried to search for it and failed...

I will bring it with me and find an online version or scan it tomorrow.

[OhioChick]

29. Thanks!

:)

[sinkingfeeling]

3. But be sure to build a fence to keep everybody else out. Guess I just don't get

why Bush wants to relieve American workers of high paying professional jobs, but welcomes those who will work for next-to-nothing. Oh, yes I do! It's so those in the middle class will be forced to accept low paying jobs and then he can run out all those 'foreigners'.

[Bicoastal]

5. And somewhere, George Allen is weeping....

"Not more Maccaca Cocoming into our Coucountry!"

[BearSquirrel2]

6. It makes no sense ...

It makes no sense to educate Americans if you plan to replace them with cut rate H1-B replacements. Yes Johnnie, you too could one day have the privelege of a layoff do to an H-1B or LZ-1 replacement if you study hard at math and science.

There have always been plenty of highly skilled people in the marketplace. The corporations only wish to flood the market even further in order to replace workers and stagnate the wages of those who remain.

[juajen]

41. Due to a lack of spelling skills in the general

population, please add English Grammar and Spelling to these difficult subjects.

[insane_cratic_gal]

49. Don't forget that H1b worker usually isn't part of a Union

another theory to add to the list on why CORPS love the program

[maxrandb]

8. Since it's *

he probably thinks he needs them to teach us how to grow corn and hunt buffalo.

"No, Mr. Bush...not those types of Indians".

[Double T]

9. bush: lowering the standards and the wages for Americans..........

one outsourced job and one H1-B visa foreign worker at a time. The American skilled and unskilled worker is worrisome about corporate america's displacement of THEM and the attempt to abolish good paying jobs of ANY kind; the bushco dynasty's new world order marches on.

[goforit]

32. Cheney and Bush are clearly ANTI-AMERICA TREASONISTs

[Double T]

54. Agreed!! Additionally, Anti-American economic terrorists.

[Captain Hilts]

10. The military is thinking of recruiting there also. No kidding.

India is really showing the benefits of speaking English. It's interesting that Mexico hasn't figured that out yet.

[MindPilot]

13. Actually the military does recruit pretty aggressively

south of the border.

[Captain Hilts]

20. No, in INDIA. They want smart, English speakers.

Hispanics are still under-represented in the US military because of language barriers and the high drop-out rate among Hispanic high school boys.

[MindPilot]

14. self-delete -- dupe

[meldroc]

12. Oh, goody, more indentured servants.

I have no problem with Indians or people from elsewhere coming here and making a living - I work with Indians, Iranians, Pakistanis, etc. and they're all nice people.

I do have a problem with H1-B. The problem is that as mentioned, there's no security - you come in sponsored by a company, and that company OWNS you. If you quit, are fired, laid off, etc. you have a short amount of time to find another company to sponsor you, or you get deported. Companies love H1-B for this reason - they get to hold H1-B workers by the balls, and threaten them with deportation if they don't obey. They can't easily quit and work elsewhere, so they have to suck it up, live with wages that aren't as high as they otherwise would be (yes, I know it's technically illegal to pay H1-B workers less than US citizens or green card holders, but who's enforcing?)

You want my opinion, kill H1-B, and give these workers green cards.

[AllegroRondo]

18. How they get around the "prevailing wage" bit

they simply rename the job they are hiring the H1B person for.

So, a job used to be called a Senior Software Engineer, now its Data Entry.

[meldroc]

45. Also, the law doesn't tell them how to determine "prevailing wages"

So instead of using government or industry studies, they cook their own studies, which not surprisingly, say that salaries are 70% lower.

[MindPilot]

17. Gee, Mr President, did ya ever think it might be a good idea to push

to CREATE more skilled workers in this country? You know, like maybe making college more affordable? Or perhaps by trying to move the country away from this whole "stupid is cool" meta-message we've been fed for the past few decades?

How long has it been since we've had a "rock star" scientist? I think Carl Sagan may have been the last. Is there any current celebrity who's a celebrity because they're SMART? I can't think of one.

[Robson]

23. It Will Take A Village

Yeah.....we need more immigrants in the USA to do jobs Americans won't and can't do. We're too lazy and not educated enough, if you listen to many of the politicians on the right (and the left).

Instead of allowing American wages to rise due to labor demand, or to make an education more affordable, our politicians are hell bent on ONLY bringing in more labor supply. I blame both sides.

Do we Americans need our wages squeezed even more so that it will take a village to support a family, instead of only the working spouse as it was prior to the 70s?

[TheCowsCameHome]

22. This from George Custer Bush.

[Captain Hilts]

34. Don't insult Custer. At least he served and wasn't a chickenhawk. nt

[LiberalEsto]

24. I just wrote my congressman

saying that any company that replaces Americans with these H1B workers should not get any tax breaks, federal grants or federal contracts.

Fannie Mae in Washington DC pays no property taxes, yet almost their entire IT department is now Indian H1B workers. Fannie should lose every tax break it now has. Heck, they can afford it.

[OhioChick]

25. Good for You!

I intend on writing myself. Corporations should also be penalized for outsourcing jobs overseas instead of receiving tax breaks.

[juajen]

42. Yes, I agree; and, also heavy, heavy fines to

all who outsource or build overseas.

[goforit]

31. I am getting more and more pissed every day!

[lovuian]

33. What about Americans who need jobs

Anti American Cheney and Bush if they like these Indian minds go to India and have them fight your freakin Iran war

[Amonester]

55. Anti American Cheney and Bush need Americans who need jobs

but can't find any to serve as cannon-fodder extras in their upcoming production$

[sweetheart]

35. cultural distance to power

Indian poeple are less likely to challenge authority... it makes for more marketable slaves.

[BluePatriot]

36. Argh! There are skilled workers _here_

Will this be their plan due to the upcoming demographic shift? As boomers retire, import skilled workers who work for cheap and leave the next generation out in the cold? Shudders to make me think about it.

[superconnected]

37. Wonder what his racist base thinks of this.

And yeah, why not recruit from within first.

[denverbill]

38. Strange that nobody posted this at FreeRepublic.

Hey FReepers. I know how you think all liberals are commies because they support 'socialist' economic policies. Well, here's your chance to prove just how pro-capitalism you are. If you oppose Bush's push for more H1B visas, you're a socialist! After all, why should employers be restricted to an artifically imposed barrier to an increased labor pool like citizenship! Three cheers to open borders, open markets, and laisez-faire capitalism!! Booo unions and tariffs and socialist commies who don't support Bush!!

[Megahurtz]

40. Why does Bush Hate Us?

Or U.S.?

[AzDar]

43. Oh, HELL no. n/t

[MikeNearMcChord]

44. Boy I guess Bush is making sure, that the GOP becomes extinct

within a few years, I guess if you are going down might as well take em with you.

[ChromeFoundry]

46. Keep in mind that this was at a DuPont facility...

Just last month DuPont anounce the closure of 10 plants, reducing the work force by over 1500 employees...
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlebusiness.aspx?type=ousiv&storyID=2006-12-11T141301Z_01_WEN0969_RTRIDST_0_BUSINESSPRO-DUPONT-OUTLOOK-DC.XML&from=business

This raised DuPont's 2006 earnings outlook to $3.25 a share, up from a previous estimate of $2.86 a share.

[high density]

47. The Portland Press Herald did some great articles on H-1B visa scams last year

You can read them at http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/immigration/

In early 2004, Narendra V. Mandalapa leased a cubicle in Portland and began asking the federal government for permission to bring dozens of foreign software engineers to Maine. The U.S. Department of Labor agreed there was a need for the high-tech workers and approved most of the requests.

But Cybersoftec Inc., Mandalapa's company, was actually a shell company created solely "for the purpose of filing fraudulent labor-based petitions for foreign workers," federal agents said. The government alleged that he copied and altered foreign labor approvals for other workers and submitted them along with other paperwork to Citizenship and Immigration Services to apply for green cards.

...

His case is an egregious example of problems with the federal system that allows skilled foreigners to work in the United States, a system that is intended to protect American workers from unfair foreign competition.

...

Apex isn't the only company that's severed its Maine connections. Officials in Maine and other states believe that small tech staffing companies moved to rural areas to take advantage of faster green card paperwork processing speeds. Prior to March 28, 2005, companies seeking green cards for foreign workers would first apply with state work force agencies. Rural states tended to have lighter caseloads than their urban counterparts, and so often processed the paperwork much more quickly.

[Porcupine]

48. It's so much CHEAPER than sending.....

citizens to school. Why should we pay for the education of US citizens when we can hire people from overseas for the price of a Starbucks manager. Plus they can't quit if you make them work 7 days a week.

What a deal.


:sarcasm:

[GreenZoneLT]

50. But, but, but....TERR!

Doesn't he know that India has tens of millions of :gasp: MUSLIMS in it? We can't let those people in here. It's just like letting people grow hemp; they might hide pot in amongst it. If we let a bunch of dark-haired, dark-eyed, dark-skinned software engineers in here with funny accents, there might be TERRISTS hiding among 'em. It's just too risky.

Plus, they stink up the microwave at lunchtime. Not as bad as the Chinese engineers do, true, but still.

[raccoon]

51. I've got a better idea. Let's have an Indian president, vice president,

and cabinet.

They'll be so much cheaper.

[Javaman]

52. Okay, so let me get this straight...

He* allows our jobs to be outsourced to places like India, which puts our workers out of work.

Now he's* wanting foreign workers to come here to take away jobs from Americans who have jobs.

I think my brain just leaked out of my head.

[qwlauren35]

53. Major Example

Of catering to business needs. Makes plenty of sense. Extend temporary visas to Indians, train them in US, send them home, then outsource.

See, this is for all of those executives that don't want to relocate overseas!!!

And talk about an understated acceptance that NCLB isn't working, because American kids still aren't competitive...

And the IT gurus of the 1990's cost too much.

On some things, Bushy-the-butthole is VERY consistent. Kissing corporate ass is one of the things he does best.

[Amonester]

56. Yup. In Michael Moore's Cannes award-winning docu. F911...

the boy-king tells the haves and have-mores they R his base. That's the only thing I've ever heard him say that was -- still is, and always will be -- true.

Anti American Cheney and Bush want Americans who need a job but can't find any for their cannon-fodder extras in their upcoming (disastrous) production$.