Posted on 02/04/2006 4:38:34 AM PST by Tyche
Making a strong pitch for America to stay competitive in the face of emerging economies such as India and China, President George W Bush has urged the Congress to raise the number of H-1B visas that allow companies to hire foreign workers for scientific and high tech jobs.
"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.
"I think it's a mistake not to encourage more really bright folks who can fill the jobs that are having trouble being filled here in America, to limit their number. So I call upon Congress to be realistic and reasonable and raise that cap," Bush said, but did not say by how much he wanted the limit lifted.
He said that one part of the agenda to stay competitive was to study math and science, a theme he touched on in his State of the Union Address on Tuesday.
"It's one thing to research, but if you don't have somebody in that lab, well… And so I got some ideas for the Congress to consider. The first is to emphasize math and science early, and to make sure that the courses are rigorous enough that our children can compete globally," Bush said in a speech at the 3M Corporation.
He said there are more high-tech jobs in America today than people available to fill them. "So what do we do about that? And the reason it's important -- and the American citizen has got to understand it's important -- is if we don't do something about how to fill those high-tech jobs here, they'll go somewhere else where somebody can do the job."
"There are some who say, we can't worry about competition. It doesn't matter, it's here. It's a real aspect of the world in which we live," he said.
"And so one way to deal with this problem, and probably the most effective way, is to recognize that there's a lot of bright engineers and chemists and physicists from other lands that are either educated here, or received an education elsewhere but want to work here. And they come here under a programme called H1B visas," Bush said.
He said America should not fear competition. "It's important for us not to lose our confidence in changing times. It's important for us not to fear competition but welcome it."
Senior administration officials noted that the number of H-1B visas has fallen to 65,000 which in their estimation was 'too low' and that it was imperative 'to bump that up.'
". . . some of reports have called for increases of 10,000; others between 20,000 and 40,000. So there is a number of options on the table to be considered. But we'll work with Congress on that," said Claude Allen, assistant to the President for domestic policy.
Then real conservatives on the hill ought to address that fact! Cut corporate taxes here! Cut Federal regulations! Real tort reform!
Agreed, one almost lngs for laughs about cigars, fat interns, fat hips, all at Clintigula's expense. Oh I meant GWB's new bother.
12b is NOT immigration. What 12b is, is cheap hi-tech labor that corporations train here on US soil prior to firing their American workers and moving operations overseas. That's why corporations prefer to hire 12b workers over American workers. You are seeing the largest and fastest transfer of knowledge ever! Ross Perot's "sucking sound" pales to what's really going on... the abortion of America.
In 1968, in a summer job, I earned $200/week as a kid electronic tech, fixing car radios - with 10 weeks pay I could buy a brand new VW (advertised at $1895). I don't think I could buy a new VW with 10 weeks pay today, as a college grad with 30 years engineering experience. I think that the average worker has had their real earnings greatly eroded over the past 25-30 years. The ruling elite have not seen such an erosion in income. The worker class has. It is high time to push back and get an equitable share of the wealth we produce.
Tech / H1B / Outsourcing / Freetrade Ping!
Conservatives know they did not make all the wonders around them, recognize the gifts others have given them, and appreciate those gifts. And try to be worthy of them by hard work and upright conduct. Liberals whine and ask for more in return for nothing.
And people on this thread are trying to pretend not that hard times are coming, but that they are already here. And it is a flat-out lie and world historical levels of ingraditude.
As for "open borders", I said I agree about policing the border with Mexico and dealing with illegals and that I oppose W's amnesty nonsense. I just don't extend any of that - which for me is about law and order and sustainable assimiliation, not Mathusian economics - with the high end legal immigration of the most talented, which is precisely what built this country, and which I fully support.
Bush lied when he stated that "there are more high-tech jobs in America today than people available to fill them."
And you can indeed offer your house for sale for any price you like, market or not. If nobody wants it, that is their business.
Legal immigration of people fully able and willing to work picks nobody's pocket and breaks nobody's nose, helps the country economically, in fact built it from 3 million backward colonists whose wealth consisted of assorted manure piles, into the richest freest and fairest society in human history. And anybody trying to pretend there is anything horrible in either that policy or this country, is hopelessly wrong about everything.
The economy is *fine*.
It is one of the greatest strengths this country has, precisely in its freedom and it the vigor of its adaptation to change. And your children are going to be better off, automatically, simply because mankind as a whole is going to be vastly better off, because we know vastly more, have superior tools, etc.
Unless Iranian nutjobs nuke us - you know, a *real* issue that is actually worth worrying about, instead of this cockamamie attempt to pretend there is anything wrong with the economy?
It is all 20th century socialist hangover anyway, this absurb hyperpoliticization of economic issues. They never mattered a tenth this much, outside of a few years of the great depression. But entire political parties have built themselves around nonsense about all of it, and they won't let go.
Even harder to eradicate than failed government programs, failed economic ideologies live on like zombies generations since they've had anything to say, or any cause worth bothering about.
There is nothing wrong with the US economy.
We certainly have our Congressional shills on here....They are only ones I know who can sit on a BBS all day and pretend they accomplish something.
What a bunch of useless eaters!
I take it that you are opposed to government-provided inexpensive overseas "risk" insurance, for example.
The problem is, there seems to be no serious efforts to end the influence of "furriners" (your word) in Washington.
I remember Bill Gertz on KSFO (San Francisco, Lee Rodgers and Melanie Morgan) stating that China requires some American corporations to fund lobbying staffs in Washington to do the bidding of China's "free trade" goals.
Another example, US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) urges the 143 members of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans to be concerned with such things as state governments banning IT outsourcing to offshore companies in India and help promote India's role on the global stage.
Ostensibly USINPAC and the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian American are concerned with "Indian-Americans" -- I wonder and have no answer how sending jobs to India and upping the number of H1B visas help "Indian-Americans."
The point: What brought on your ridicule (i.e., the word "furriners")? We have good reasons for being concerned. It's not just about "cheap labor" for many of us. It's also about sovereignty IMO.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.