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.
How come the term "Manchurian Candidate" keeps coming to mind?
The idea that one should live from his labor and not from his wealth is in the Bible.
Communism, the Bible says it's good!!!
Where?
I thought that was your point, was I mistaken?
Well, that makes me a heretic. Although I'd rather speak with a Jesuit about it before I accept your version.
Many Americans can say 'tax reform' or whatever because thats what they know. They have filled out tax returns, they know how the system works (generally)....
What your average Joe American doesn't know is how trade works.
I am not talking reforms in the sense of cutting trade off and throwing up walls around the nation. I am talking about how to make trade work best for those involved. That means we are going to have to get tough with some involved including our own.
Maybe I should start an organization.... "Americans for Trade Reform", that sounds kinda catchy, which advocates enhancing the workings of our global trade system.
No, it really didn't. I actually programmed TRS-80s in the 1970s, and trying to do anything useful in 4k of RAM was really rather pointless.
And I'd take a 2006 Cobalt for 12 months pay over a 60s Bug for 6 months pay, any day.
I know, capitalism is bad, the Bible says so.
Or is it, wealth is bad, don't save your money?
Work until you die, because wealth is bad?
Workers good, employers evil?
As I read this article what Bush is trying to do is import the best and brightest minds of the world to this country in the hopes that they will decide to stay here and become citizens.
In short recuiting from the world to improve OUR brain trust.
It is certainly a better plan then only allowing in those with just enough brains to pick produce and sweep the streets.
Now it is a norm - there is unlimited number of engineers with more than 20 years experience with C in India and China.
Americans need to learn how to compete.
As we have previously discussed, on another thread somewhere, I recognize that there is much in need of doing in that area.
What about median wage? And what about the wealth distribution?
Marx's original theory was that all profit was due to exploitation, that the only "fair" wage was the full value of the goods produced which he ascribed solely to the labor, nothing to the capital or skill or organization etc. Bohm-Bawerk refuted the notion theoretically within a generation of Marx, and history refuted the resulting predictions throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Profits are fully merited and earned and not the result of exploitation.
All profits? What about usury or Khodorkovsky/Enron types? What about inherited wealth?
Not a bad idea at all! Perhaps you should!
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