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.
But skilled people eager to come here legally, with an employer ready and waiting for them, are exactly the thing that built the country - you can't deny it, it is pointless to try. They hurt nobody, they help everybody. And the title of the thread is about expanding that class.
There is nothing wrong with that proposal, and it deserves support, and merits none of the scaremongering, misinformation, slander, and attempts to confuse it with other issues rampant on this thread.
Here is a test of your intellectual honesty. What is the right level of new immigrants with high job skills willing to work, not taking any handouts, and fully willing to comply with all of our laws including our immigration laws?
First post on this thread and you can't wait to lay your race card on the table. Vintage race-baiting quisling tactic.
I suppose that's about all you can do these days, there being so few quislings around now to compound your own stupidity.
Da, comrade. We will start by killing all the greedy Kulaks.
Any American in the high-tech field knows that. Many so-called smart Indians think they are really needed over here, but the really smart ones know the truth of why they are really being offered these jobs, they are willing to work cheaper than Americans.
Since 1997, a married couple can earn $500,000 in capital gains tax free on a house.
more insanity.
this administrations economic plan for every problem is lower wages. free trade = lower wages, guest workers = lower wages, more H1Bs = lower wages.
in the meantime, I know former tech workers now employed at Lowes. older guys, in their 50s. companies don't want them.
and that's what's happening - none, I repeat ZERO, of my techie colleagues are sending their own kids to college for engineering. the field is being killed within one generation as far as americans are concerned.
he is right to be concerned.
no, the NBA does. why doesn't everyone try to be in the NBA then?
people make career choices based on both the compensation and the numerical availability of jobs. the NBA offers a great median wage, but few positions.
yeah, they have new jobs - like my buddy at Lowes.
stay with business, if he likes math and CS, do a double major in finance and CS. then get a job in the hedge fund industry, if he's good, he'll be retired at 45 and you'll be driving a Bentley that he gave you for your birthday.
its a worthless job, contributing nothing to society, trading paper all day, but that's the kind of jobs this society values now with high compensation.
My father was an engineer, raised seven children on his salary (my mother did not work); he bought a new car every 4 or 5 years, a sailboat, nice house, and after 30 years a comfortable retirement. Can you imagine the costs of raising seven children? I raised two, and know they aren't cheap. In the past 15 years I've only had two new cars. Good ones, a 91 Maxima, and a 91 Corolla (for wife). I've saved a reasonable sum for retirement, and vested in pension, but except for an unexpected windfall, my retirement would have me scrimping.
My manager thinks very highly of me, I'm very high on retention totem, usually get above "merit" pool raises. The project managers that I work for seek me out and are very happy with my work. My skills, productivity and ability to perform have grown tremendously over the past 20 years, but my pay has not kept up with the cost of living, and my coworkers get much less in real pay than their peers did 20 years ago. Certainly middle level, white collar workers in the US are being reduced in economic status.
No, we should turn the executive management class upside down and shake out the loot from their pockets - we earned it; they mostly interfered with it being generated - the fools that they are.
That sounds familiar. Where have I heard it before?
Ya, tell that to the state govenrments!
Please explain further.
when pressed, the FR "free trade" and "corporations can do no wrong" crowd will tell you that what happened at united airlines was perfectly fine. bankruptcy to escape their pension obligations, and then they emerge and grant 100 million to the top executives who "run the company". in reality, they aren't running these companies, they are looting them.
It apparently is a common experience for the middle class worker - perhaps you heard it from some 40 or 50 year old middle class drone? Some escape the experience, I wish I had - but I do emphasize with them - they are being screwed by the owner class, as the owner's take advantage of the their usually inherited positions to plunder the worker class of their activity, ingenuity, and productivity. It is time to push back, to gain some equity in what we produce.
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.