Bush urges US Congress to lift H-1B visa limit

PTI ^ | February 03, 2006 | Sridhar Krishnaswami

[TXBSAFH]

Jorge Arbusto love cheap labor.

[raybbr]

"Congress needs to understand that nations like India, China, Japan, Korea and Canada all offer tax incentives that are permanent. In other words, we live in a competitive world. We want to be the leader in this world," Bush said in a speech in Minnesota on Thursday.

To fill vacant jobs in the US, Bush urged the Congress to lift current limit on H-1B visas that allow foreign workers to get jobs in the United States. The Congress in 2005 capped at 65,000 the number of H-1B visas, a third of the 195,000 allowed during the technology boom.

So, instead of offering tax incentives to our students Bush wants to bring in cheap workers? Also, he's telling us these other countries aren't playing fair but we still have to.

[TXBSAFH]

ping

[KC_Conspirator]

This is one of the most disingenous, deceitful acts I have ever seen from Mr. Bush. Its enough to make me reconsider my support. Washington lobbyists are giving Republicans (and some democrats) money to outsource American jobs and import cheap labor - all the while recieving government contracts worth millions of dollars.

[JasonC]

You don't understand. The job doesn't exist and then look to get filled. High tech companies hire every talented person they can lay their hands on, and have gobs and gobs for them to do. The more talent they find, the faster they go, through their list of new technologies to develop. The limit on progress adn expansion is purely set by human intelligence. There aren't seas of unemployed geniuses lying around waiting for IBM to call. And there is no such thing as "adequate". If you can get a 170 IQ all the 140s on earth are no substitute - though they make fine assistents and developers. If somebody else gets him, the jobs stay wherever he is. Companies pay "the going rate" for talent - and more - to snarf talent, because real talent would be a bargain at ten times the price.

[1903A3]

Not so dumb as it looks
Most people that emigrate LEGALLY tend to be conservative

[OpusatFR]

" I sit next to a fellow engineer who has been here 18 years. Both of us discuss how our careers went nowhere while the "executive staffers" reap all the company rewards."

All very true. I have one engineer kid (brilliant genius advanced degreed innovtive and creative) who works in DC for a private company and makes so little money he qualified for DC's low income assistance to buy a tiny little falling down row house in a bad section.

Why should he bust his neck developing all these fantastic things get paid peanuts and then get fired so someone can hire a techie from India whose stuff will have to be redone by some American engineer who will bust his back and then get fired?

Bush better think long and hard about what he is doing.

[JasonC]

You want them to stay in Bangelore and for all the companies to move there, instead?

Because those are your choices.

[OpusatFR]

btw, I wouldn't crow about a 170 IQ if I were you.

[raybbr]

Americans going to college to get educated, their parents sacrificing to send them to college so when they get out they can have a bright future and earn a good income and our President insists he prefers NON-Americans!

Not NON-Americans but rather "new Americans".

I don't get it either. I regret the political leaders of today. They wouldn't be able to clean the boots of the Founding Fathers. There is no sense of nationalism as a result of the Bush/Clinton era. Let's hope it comes to an end in 2008. If it doesn't I fear for the future of the United States.

We are now one of the largest Spanish-speaking nations in the world. We're a major source of Latin music, journalism and culture.

Just go to Miami, or San Antonio, Los Angeles, Chicago or West New York, New Jersey ... and close your eyes and listen. You could just as easily be in Santo Domingo or Santiago, or San Miguel de Allende.

For years our nation has debated this change -- some have praised it and others have resented it. By nominating me, my party has made a choice to welcome the new America.

George Bush from a campaign speech in Miami, August 2000.

You can read the speech here.

Here is a good critique of that speech:

In equating our intimate historic bonds to our mother country and to Canada with our ties to Mexico, W. shows a staggering ignorance of the civilizational facts of life. The reason we are so close to Britain and Canada is that we share with them a common historical culture, language, literature, and legal system, as well as similar standards of behavior, expectations of public officials, and so on. My Bush Epiphany By Lawrence Auster

[JasonC]

He shouldn't, he should go sit on his backside squeezing blackheads and moaning about how unappreciated he is, and then demand politicians ensure his standard of living instead of creating it with his own mind. And tell his son to forget about math and study political ideology, rhetoric, and agitation.

And Microsoft will open another office in Bangelore.

[JasonC]

Who is crowing? I'm explaining how companies like my own hire talent and where jobs come from.

[CarrotAndStick]

Intel Unveils Centrino Duo Platform

http://www.techtree.com/techtree/jsp/article.jsp?article_id=70479&cat_id=581


At a press conference today at Taj Lands End in Mumbai, Intel India unveiled its Gen-Next Intel Centrino Duo mobile platform, code-named "NAPA". Significantly, a major part of the development of "NAPA" has been done out of Intel's India Development Centre Labs, located in Bangalore.

Intel India is a wholly-owned down-stream subsidiary of Intel Corp, with offices in Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkatta, Chennai, Chandigarh and Pune. Intel India's aim is to accelerate adoption of computing and communication technologies, and operate a world-class knowledge centre.

The Centrino Duo platform, according to Intel, is all about smaller form factors, more battery life, and less power consumption; and is aimed at advancing the emerging digital lifestyle at home, at work, and on-the-go. Apparently the Intel India team has been working on this platform since June 2004.

Among the dignitaries present at the launch ceremony were the hon'ble Union Minister of Communications and Information Technology - Dayanidhi Maran; Frank Jones, president, Intel India; Anand Chandrashekar, senior vice president, Intel India; Amar Babu, director, Intel South Asia; and Ram Vasanthram, director, Intel Mobility Group.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, Dayanidhi Maran said, "It gives me great pleasure to be present here today at the dedication ceremony of Intel's first 'Made in India' platform. I am excited, this platform developed in India by about 400-odd engineers at Intel's Development Centre at Bangalore, is meant for global consumption. I hear that the platform and chipset simulation and validation were all done out of India".

Anand Chandrasekhar, senior vice president and general manager - sales and marketing group, Intel Corp, said, "Intel is focused on creating an innovative mobile computing platform, that ushers in a new era of working, playing and living. The Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology platform developed in India, creates a new leap in how people work and play, taking advantage of a new generation of uses and experiences."

Intel says that its new technology is the product of improvement across all 4 mobility vectors viz performance, weight of notebook, battery life, and connectivity. The small size of platform components together with improved battery life, translates into smaller and more innovative NBs. Intel's Centrino technology was actually launched in 2003, incorporating an Intel micro-processor, chip-set and communications chips tuned for wireless computing.

On Jan 3, 2006, Intel launched its new brand identity, in an attempt to evolve from its traditional image of chip-maker to that of being a provider of platforms such as the Centrino technology for NBs, and the upcoming Viiv technology for entertainment PCs.

Intel's new identity comprises a re-worked logo including the tagline "Leap Ahead," change in the "Intel Inside" stickers, and a shift in name of Intel micro-processors from Pentium M to Core. Processors with a single computing engine/chip will be called "Core Solo," those with 2 engines will be called "Core Duo."

The Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology is powered by Intel's Core Duo processor, earlier code-named "Yonah," now dubbed "NAPA". Intel s Core Duo processor is manufactured using 65nm process technology; and sports a unique design, with 2 processors in a package the size of a large postage stamp.

Centrino Duo includes features such as Intel's Core Duo processor with dual-core processing and mobile Intel 945 Express Chipset; Intel PRO / Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection; and Intel wireless network connection advancing WLAN performance of standard Wi-Fi networks.

Touted as the ultimate, on-the-go, all-in-one, entertainment device, Centrino Duo mobile technology features enhanced 3-D graphics; the option to view high-definition TV and listen to high-definition Audio; multi-tasking capabilities such as enabling voice and video over IP; improved battery life; support for Intel Active Management technology and Intel Virtualisation technology; plus innovative silicon-based features for enhanced manageability and security.

According to Intel, its Centrino Duo mobile technology is geared to deliver over 70 percent performance improvement plus reduce power consumption by nearly 28 percent, vis- -vis earlier generations.

The Intel Core Duo processors - T2300, T2400, T2500 and T2600; are priced at $241, $294, $423, and $637 respectively, taken in 1,000 unit quantities.

Also launched today, were several laptop designs from companies including LG, Asus, Zenith, eSys, Xenitis, HCL, Lenovo, Toshiba, Samsung, Acer, Wipro and Connoiseur; all incorporating Intel s new Centrino Duo mobile platform.

Dayanidhi Maran, in the course of his speech, pointed out that the government has played an important role in encouraging the laptop segment, by dropping duties for both fully-imported and locally-manufactured laptops, thus making them more accessible to the common man. Congratulating Intel on having invested a part of its recently-announced $250 million in 3 technology companies in the country, Maran said that Intel s specially-developed rural PC is eagerly-anticipated. The minister also expressed the wish, that Intel should set-up a manufacturing-base in India, assuring the company of the government s full support and co-operation in the matter.

[raybbr]

See #22. The best that this jerk can proprose is an increase in H1-B visas in order to compete? How is that competition? He wants to buy these engineers from India and elsewhere. Isn't he reall saying that our engineers aren't good enough?

[chief_bigfoot]

Maybe a better tack, and one that would send the left into hysterics, would be to offer the companies tax breaks on college students that they hire from the US. Or give the incentive to the students. Make a large portion of tution tax deductible upon receiving a degree in engineering and other tech fields.

I don't understand why this president, one who 'champions' education, is so quick to give in to businesses demands for a quick fix. As impressed as I am in his response to 9-11, I am equally disappointed in his handling of immigration. If he were a pitcher instead of a president, it's as if he has a 175mph fastball, but can't throw it within 10ft of the strikezone.

While he's giving tax breaks, maybe he could throw one in for the border patrol agents. $5 off your next tax bill for every illegal that they document sending to Argentina (Argentina, because then they couldn't 'boomerang' back across the border so easily).

[Non-Sequitur]

Bright people don't wait around for "their specialty", they learn whatever is needed inside of six months.

Well if you think that all it takes is six months to learn anything then you've never worked in any technology area.

No US workers are not at a disadvantage compared to Indian ones, because they are better and accomplish more.

I honestly don't know how to make it clear to you except to repeat it over and over again. It...doesn't...matter. I've been involved in several outsourcing efforts and the only thing that the companies look at is the bottom line. IBM came in and said "We can run your IT shop for X billion dollars." Management looks at the reduced headcount and what that does to the bottom line and says, "Go ahead." So IBM comes in. One third of the existing workforce becomes IBM employees, one third remain with the company, and one third get to go work at Home Depot. And IBM replaces that missing third with IBM India or IBM Brazil or IBM Poland. And that's where IBM adds to THEIR bottom line. Believe me, there is nothing quite like arranging an international conference call on three continents where a good percentage of the people participating are less than fluent in English.

If the Indian can do as much his wage will soon show it or he won't stay in India.

Why won't he?

And "replacements" from overseas may be cheap if the job is checkout at Home Depot, but if it is programming a computer to do automated translation through sophisticate models of human grammars combined with reinforcement learning, no they aren't cheap.

In the long run, no. But companies don't look past the current quarter's figures. The look at the promise and what those savings will do to their bonus and stock price and keep jumping off the outsourcing cliff. Like I said I've participated in several outsourcings and I've yet to see a single one achieve the success and cost savings that were promised. But that will not stop companies from continuing down that road because the outsourcing companies will continue to offer results that those companies will find hard to resist.

Opposing geniuses moving to Silicon Valley from Bangalore is mindless ideological stupidity run amok.

And why is that an incentive for a U.S. student to want to compete to see how small a salary he can work for?

[TXBSAFH]

Agreed, how about promoting American colleges and American students to study engineering.

[raybbr]

You are either arguing with a brick wall or an outsourcer.

[voletti]

Fair enough.
Here's a small connect the dots exercise.
Fact#1: High tech jobs by their very nature are increasingly mobile in an interconnected world.
Fact#2: There exists a very big and very real cost differential between doing many of those tech jobs here and doing them in Asia.
Fact#3: If the jobs don't get filled here at H1B wages, they migrate slowly but surely to Bangalore or Beijing.
Fact#4: Math and sciences are inherently difficult subjects to master compared to liberal arts etc.

All in all, it doesn't add up to a pretty picture. You can maintain status quo or go protectionist (eliminate the H1B program altogether) and yet continue to lose jobs overseas. or you can get more H1Bs in to keep those jobs here at H1B wages. The benefit - all ancillary employment that depends on those jobs being here remain here as well.

Hey, just a thought. I make no claims of knowing the optimal solution here.

[OpusatFR]

"He shouldn't, he should go sit on his backside squeezing blackheads and moaning about how unappreciated he is, and then demand politicians ensure his standard of living instead of creating it with his own mind. And tell his son to forget about math and study political ideology, rhetoric, and agitation.'

My, my, isn't that a emotional argument. You have no idea who he is and what he creates for the military and yet, you make such pejorative remarks.

I am coming to understand how there are America-bashers, subtle and disguished, albeit on the right, as there are undisguised bashers on the left.