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.
that's not true, they don't want them because of their age, and because a 25 year old H1B is available for alot less money. i've seen hiring managers nitpicking over skill sets of qualified americans, but rubber stamp H1B hires because of their salary requirments, without giving any consideration to whether they actually know anything. their logic is "at those prices, we can afford to give them on the job training".
If they were such highly-skilled "geniuses," they would be training Americans, not the other way around. And the training we're talking about isn't just training them in how the new job works. Everyone needs that. They're being sent to classes that American programmers with experience don't need to attend to be hired.
I never said that H-1B's are all geniuses. I was merely pointing out a logical fallacy.
My Mr. George taught math and computers, he was also into bowling.
Perhaps the main direct (cultural/religious reasons are more indirect) reason for the difference between USA and Latin America is the long tradition of egalitarian distribution and redistribution of wealth. It started with the land grants (as opposed to giving land to the few powerful families), through New Deal and today social programs.
How many resumes posted on monster for programming jobs these days have no programming experience?
But what I think is even more amazing is the fact that you went from no knowledge of C (did you know any other programming language???) to what i guess would be crackerjack C programmer in what...three weeks.
You must be a genius.
No, this JasonC dude is merely a mediocre liar. His postings clearly show he has no idea of what the job market for programmers was like in the past and what it is like now. I got a good laugh from this fairy tale:
[JasonC]Our most recent hire in my office was an older woman coming back to work after five years off raising a child. She was a C programmer and is learning a new language, successfully.
OKAY...lets have UNLIMITED GUEST WORKER AND HIB visas....
BUT ONLY.....
For those who take a standardized IQ test...IN ENGLISH....
and score at 160 IQ or above.
Can somebody calculate how many people that would be, given the combined technically educated and ENGLISH SPEAKING population numbers in China and India. after all, you cant contribute effectively in an English speaking country if you don't even know the native tongue...can you?
Generously assume a mean of 110, and a sigma of 15 points for the distribution.
(Hint...160 is at the mean plus /minus 3.3 sigma level...hmmmm..)
Assuming you are interested in the right-hand tail, the number would be 0.0005 (one in 2000) of the eligible population. On can find this in any stat textbook or on the web at:
http://www.graphpad.com/quickcalcs/PValue1.cfm
(be sure to divide by 2 for obvious reason.)
Of course you could also use software from JasonC's "software company that makes programs for doing higher mathematics" - assuming a virtual company can write nonvirtual software.
I didn't get the memo. When does this merger happen again?
NAFTA, CAFTA, open borders, guest workers etc ...
That's not a merger.
First you said inherited wealth was exploitation, now you say it can lead to exploitation. Your definitions keep changing. Did you find this in the Bible? Or was it something from Marx?
I did not say "it was". I said "what about" and "it can lead to". Reread again.
There is a tendency demonstrated over the millenniums that the wealth and power tend to concentrate in the hands of the few unless the preventive measures are taken like inheritance tax, property tax, antitrust laws, division of powers, various redistribution schemes etc ...
If this concentration is allowed to be completed we end up in a stagnant oligarchy where the powerful exploit the masses of serfs.
Yeah, because we wouldn't want money to concentrate in the hands of citizens when it can go to the government instead. How will that help America accumulate the savings and capital we need to compete again?
It's what they always do and it's pretty "funny". LOL
In-as-much as your culture and way of life is being threatened, did you ever consider Canada?
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.