President Blames Unemployment On Lack Of Tech Skills

IEEE ^

[Florida_Irish]

During a Wednesday morning (July 30th) press conference, President Bush was asked a question about jobs going overseas as a result of technological innovation. His response was:

"I fully understand what you're saying. In other words, as technology races through the economy, a lot of times worker skills don't keep up with technological change."

Many people have taken his response to mean that unemployment in the high-tech sector is the result of American workers who allowed their skills to become obsolete. This is an unacceptable explanation.

[laweeks]

"you know that the President wasn't being flippant"

I'm not necessarily saying GWB was being flippant, but I'm getting madder by the day seeing NOTHING positive happening in the economy to get jobs going. All I read about is stuff heading for Mexico, Canada, offshore, and now there's a flood of jobs to, of all places, INDIA where our customer service jobs have found a nest. The Cleveland school system refused to return my calls for a teaching job (even tho I'm qualified), but they, instead, went to INDIA to recruit the teachers, ignoring the fact that there are plenty of out of work, degreed, certified humans in the Cleveland area.

I'm tired of hearing how the economy is RECOVERING. It's dead. It's flat. One out of five factories up here in northern Ohio is EMPTY. And we're being told we have failed to keep up with our schooling? There's one hell of a lot of highly skilled, highly educated unemployed people coming thru our offices every day, and NOBODY wants them. Dammit! So there! Peace!

[N3WBI3]

I would rather have the republicans and democrats fighting all the time (1994-2k) than have one guy get to spend whenever he wants..

[Southack]

So you admit that Bush gave you a couple of tax cuts that directly impacted your paycheck, and yet you still claimed that the government was directly taking more out of each paycheck from you?!

And you admit that you have no data to support your wild-eyed claim that the middle class is "shrinking", yet you stand behind your assertation anyway?!

That's rich...

[Jhoffa_]

BWAHAHHAHA!! BWAHAHAH!!

I can't believe he said that. I should, actually.. knowing how Dubya feels about "free trade" and everything.. But it's just so arrogant and tone deaf, I can't believe he said it out loud.

This is NOT going to sit well with the American public.

He just generated allot of hate for himself and Dubya had better pray that the Dems don't pick up on this comment and beat him over the head with it.

[banjo joe]

Make yourself more valuable.
Heck yeah, pack in a cot and live at the office. Make yourself availble to work 19 out of 24 hours. Sleep 5. Eat from the vending machine and sponge off in the men's room. /sarcasm

[harpseal]

He didn't say that... he was using the technical field as an example and nothing more. He used the technical field to illustrate the unemployed worker training program. That's it.

So, please don't over-react to this article. The President has been taken out of context. (more so than usual)

It is not over reacting to e-mail GWB on the issue of offshoring any jobs, manufacturing and High Tech. Further the H1B issue should be brought to his attention. recognize that he is a politician with many demands on his time and that he needs to know thatpotential trouble spots are out there. No I do not find any Democrat I would consider voting for but GWB had better address this issue now or feel great diappointment next November.

[Southack]

c#34

[Jhoffa_]

Bump!

[lelio]

There's one hell of a lot of highly skilled, highly educated unemployed people coming thru our offices every day, and NOBODY wants them.

According to Bush they just need to retrain themselves. Like repeating "Would you like fries with that" over and over till they forget that they used to own a house, used to be able to send their kids to college, used to look forward to a vacation every year, and used to have hope that they'll have a decent job next year.

[RobFromGa]

THE PRESIDENT: Sure. Listen, I fully understand what you're saying. In other words, as technology races through the economy, a lot of times worker skills don't keep up with technological change. And that's a significant issue that we've got to address in the country. He did say it

What part of this accurate statement do you disagree with? He is talking about the manufacturing worker-bees who need better technical skills and instead have a bad high school diploma and possibly even worthless college experience. What they lack is marketable SKILLS.

Look at this another way. I have three young children, what jobs do they need to be prepared for in the future? These must be jobs that robots and computers can't do, and that people elsewhere can't do, cheaper than they can.

[ffusco]

OK. You think every tech job will eventually exported? Study business cycles. Every industry in the US has had periods of growth, consolidation and contraction and overseas export.

IT is no different from Steel, Textiles, Lumber, Oil or whathave you.

I really don't care much that some whining dude with a degree from Devrie can't make 75K a year anymore.

[Mad Dawgg]

"AMEN! And thanks for that great quote!"

The man responsible for that quote is my late Grandfather. He told me that wonderful piece of advice way back in 1977!

Thanks Grandpa it served me very well!

[clamper1797]

Would you like fries with that

I really hate to tell you but ... I just got back from Taco Bell and the lady at the drive thru window had one of those "dots" in the middle of her forehead. Even the fast food industry is getting "foreignized"

[VU4G10]

"President Blames Unemployment On Lack Of Tech Skills"

AMERICANS YOU ARE STUPID!

[hchutch]

Okay fine, when will there be heavy lifting to deal with the "lawyer tax"?

Tariffs and penalties for outsourcing will not solve the problem, they merely insulate people from the conseuqences of NOT dealing with issues like the "lawyer tax".

[lelio]

He is talking about the manufacturing worker-bee

Perhaps he is. Perhaps he's addressing the hundreds of thousands of laid off IT people. Who knows. I don't he does either.

[dirtboy]

So you admit that Bush gave you a couple of tax cuts that directly impacted your paycheck, and yet you still claimed that the government was directly taking more out of each paycheck from you?!

Uh, Southack, that's rich in turn - you are using the experiences of ONE person to make your point about an entire group. But I've come to expect as much from those who issue knee-jerk apologies for the GOP. And, for all the tax money the middle class may be getting from Bush, they are in turn just going to turn around and pay that to their state and local governments. The problem is not just with the feds, it's at all levels, and government is loathe to downsize, so middle-class taxpayers will be faced with increasing tax bills from all levels as they in turn face a shrinking job base and lower pay. You can snivel and nitpick that all you want, but that's the ground truth from someone who was out of work for eight months last year and saw firsthand the pain that millions are now going through. And, just because MY personal ship is now righted, I'm not going to pretend that millions of others in my previous predicament should now sink or swim - as the sharks are now being let loose in their midst.

[laweeks]

"According to Bush they just need to retrain themselves. Like repeating "Would you like fries with that" over and over"

Also, "Paper or plastic?"

Just got a job for a Deisel Fitter. Know any?

[carton253]

Where I sit... it is not dead flat... for the first time in two long years, it is beginning to move. Sales are up... my company is hiring again... and I got a big fat raise...

The construction notification manuals that I get and pour through are finally fat and sassy... (I only look at jobs that are over a million)...

If you had written your screed 6 months ago, I would have agreed...but not now... not where I am...

And the Cleveland construction manuals are really fat and sassy... and the Cleveland numbers are beginning to show some real growth...

I am encouraged...

So there!!!!!

And who, in the right mind, would want to live in Cleveland...? (the mistake by the lake...)

[harpseal]

Over priced is over priced.

Well lets see now one can definitely get lower prices by buying stolen merchandise but there the law is enbforced. with H1B and L1 visas the law is not being enforced. Therefor teh competition from criminal behavior (not on the part of the H1b holders but those who hire them) is what you are defending.