Posted on 02/04/2002 6:15:27 PM PST by JoeMomma
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I started out majoring in Computer Science and got as far as Programming in C but then Congress increased H-1B visas and I said goodbye to it. They're encouraging Americans NOT to take Computer Engineering with these policies, but try to get them to understand that. They could care less.
Actually, opposition to the H-1B visa program is a bipartisan thing, just as enacting it was bipartisan as well. H-1B is supported by Al Gore, George W. Bush, John McLame, Bill Clinton.
Many of the folks who oppose the H-1B is just as diverse -- Pat Buchanan, Ralph Nader, Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA), Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-AR), Sen Tom Harkin (D-IA), fmr Sen. Carol Mosely-Braun (D-IL), Sen. Carl LEvin (D-MI), and Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO).
Yep -- I am. I've not been laid off or anything or even fear being laid off (in fact, I'm actually up for a promotion). But it does bother me that our country is selling out to big businesses who are in search of cheap workers. I bring up this issue a lot because I'm just surprised at the lack of outrage at it. Our tax money is supporting a program that unemploys many Americans in the tech field.
Read another post I made today -- How to Tap India's Cheap IT Labor -- it's an article that appeared in CFO Magazine's website. To me, it's immoral that corporate America is handing Congress a lie about "this is not about lowering IT salaries" and then a financial trade mag pretty much admits that it is! It's insulting to the intelligence that there's a supposed shortage in the tech fields, layoffs are widespread in the tech fields, and yet companies lobby for MORE H-1B's in a recessionary period.
Congress is all about money and where they can get more. Trade groups (like ITAA, the tech industry's think tank in support of H-1B) are created using a 6-figure check from some CEO, while an employee group takes time and effort and what little money it can get.
Okay I will bite. Where is the data to support this? If there are hundreds of thousands of Americans with the proper skills and who are fluent in the computer languages that Microsoft and other H-1B hirers are looking for why isnt there rampant unemployment in the computer programming field?
If someone is fluent in Cobol and the company is looking for someone who is fluent in some other language, then the individual is unqualified for the position. Its just like showing up for interview to be a Japaneese interpreter and only know English and Spanish.
From the article it sounded as though the author expected the companies to hire and then train Americans in the computer language and how to do the task that they want completed. Sorry that wont wash. Potential employees are responsible for their own education. Why should a company teach a potential employee how to make a living so that guy can then go across the street and sell his new skill for even more money. No way. You want the job, you show up qualified for it.
This whole rant over H-1B is idiotic. If Microsoft and others cant bring in workers to do the work here, they can have it outsourced to firms in India and Singapore who would be happy to do it and they wont even pay US taxes. Its a global economy. Better get used to it. Get a skill someone is willing to pay more than minimum wage for or suffer the consequences.
Okay I will bite. Where is the data to support this? If there are hundreds of thousands of Americans with the proper skills and who are fluent in the computer languages that Microsoft and other H-1B hirers are looking for why isnt there rampant unemployment in the computer programming field?
If someone is fluent in Cobol and the company is looking for someone who is fluent in some other language, then the individual is unqualified for the position. Its just like showing up for interview to be a Japaneese interpreter and only know English and Spanish.
From the article it sounded as though the author expected the companies to hire and then train Americans in the computer language and how to do the task that they want completed. Sorry that wont wash. Potential employees are responsible for their own education. Why should a company teach a potential employee how to make a living so that guy can then go across the street and sell his new skill for even more money. No way. You want the job, you show up qualified for it.
This whole rant over H-1B is idiotic. If Microsoft and others cant bring in workers to do the work here, they can have it outsourced to firms in India and Singapore who would be happy to do it and they wont even pay US taxes. Its a global economy. Better get used to it. Get a skill someone is willing to pay more than minimum wage for or suffer the consequences.
Okay I will bite. Where is the data to support this? If there are hundreds of thousands of Americans with the proper skills and who are fluent in the computer languages that Microsoft and other H-1B hirers are looking for why isnt there rampant unemployment in the computer programming field?
If someone is fluent in Cobol and the company is looking for someone who is fluent in some other language, then the individual is unqualified for the position. Its just like showing up for interview to be a Japaneese interpreter and only know English and Spanish.
From the article it sounded as though the author expected the companies to hire and then train Americans in the computer language and how to do the task that they want completed. Sorry that wont wash. Potential employees are responsible for their own education. Why should a company teach a potential employee how to make a living so that guy can then go across the street and sell his new skill for even more money. No way. You want the job, you show up qualified for it.
This whole rant over H-1B is idiotic. If Microsoft and others cant bring in workers to do the work here, they can have it outsourced to firms in India and Singapore who would be happy to do it and they wont even pay US taxes. Its a global economy. Better get used to it. Get a skill someone is willing to pay more than minimum wage for or suffer the consequences.
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