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.
Bush has become a schizophrenic president. In his SOTU address he tells us how much we have to protect the U.S. and then tells us how much we have to sell out the American people.
There is so much to dislike about him these days. Who really, is GW? Is he a puppet of his father's other son (Clinton)?
I don't get this at all.
He is still better then that worthless fop from Mass. That said, I have become increasingly discusted with Gw on economic and job issues.
I agree. Aren't people like JasonC, Rush Limbaugh, Hannity, WSJ gang, etc. really telling us that Americans are not smart enough, don't make the right decisions and in general not as industrious as these foreigners?
Bush contradicts himself every time he speaks about this issue. Even from sentence to sentence:
"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.
Some choice though...
Kerry and the democrats: Global Socialism.
Jorge and the pubbies: Global Corporatism.
I'm glad I don't have grandchildren at this point in time...
Bump
Not a bad overview...But here is another point. Everytime you import 20,000 H1-B, which increases the supply and dampens the wage, you send a clear message to domestic high school students about to enter college. The message resonates loud and clear. Don't take the hard math and science classes, the return isn't worth it. Take liberal arts. Become a banker, butcher or lawyer. Don't be a geek. You can make more money doing the "soft" stuff.
I maybe time to walk off the plantation. I did 3 years ago. I am now a conservative independent. And as of know I have no plan to vote for either party in 2006.
"I agree. Aren't people like JasonC, Rush Limbaugh, Hannity, WSJ gang, etc. really telling us that Americans are not smart enough, don't make the right decisions and in general not as industrious as these foreigners?"
There is a constant undermining of not only confidence, but institutions. I was told things two, three decades ago that I thought nutty, but I'm beginning to see the fruit of all this and I'm sorry that I didn't take it seriously.
The great "levelling" of our society is unstoppable. This country had to be taken down at all levels since the rest of the world could not be brought up to our standard of living.
I am beginning to wonder. With a republican (hardly conservative) Congress and Kerry as president I kind of think the true conservatives would have given him a battle and forced the issue. With the social liberalism of GW there really is no battle about conservatism and liberalism here in the U.S. The pubs in Congress are mostly afraid to go against Bush. They would probably have put up one heck of fight agianst Kerry.
I'm already an Indie, but what's the point? I don't think there is anything short of a major awakening that can jolt the country out of its slumber.
There is logic in what you say.
The method of counting unemployment is faulty. Get a grip.
Engineers who flip burgers are counted as employed while those who gave up on looking for job are not counted. The sample of people interviewed is skewed and not all unemployed receive unemployment benefits. Get a grip and open your eyes.
He just doesn't get it on immigration.
Smart people learn what they have to and can do so on very short time scales, when they are allowed to. That is what makes the real world so much more efficient than academia, as a matter of fact.
As for the IBM story, who is the director of corporate strategy at IBM who maps such things out? Might he know anything about it?
The Indian genius will move to London and make 100,000 pounds a year and have a much better life.
And companies not only look past the current quarter, they look past the current generation. In mine we look for talent still in college and occasionally while still in high school. Anywhere in the world. Grok, already.
Anyone remember the 70's and engineers? They couldn't find a job.
OK, what the immigration policy of an elitist, then?
Why does he get up there and say things that are so patently offensive to Americans? He talks us down, says we couldn't survive without illegals, says we aren't smart enough to do the brainwork. He sounds so mean.
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