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.

[Moonman62]

The president's premise is wrong. People in the US have plenty of skills. It's the lack of business investment. Of course, as I predicted, the president wants to spend more money. The only bright spot is that the money would go to individuals rather than a government agency, although I imagine the agency responsible for the disbursement will be extemely inefficient, affirmative action, and unionized.

[dirtboy]

I pray that the alleged "victims" of corporate outsourcing do not prevent me from hiring or firing whoever I like.

Hire and fire them here. But the H1-B visa program was predicated on the notion that there was a shortage of tech workers in the mid-to-late 1990s. That is no longer the case, and it should be ended.

BTW, most of the H1-B holders I have worked with weren't worth much, but they worked for peanuts, so they got hired.

[clamper1797]

I am an individual

What you are Sir is a dispicable lowlife free "traitor" without a lick of loyalty to your fellow American ... good day

[Sangria]

Maybe it's a nice way of saying that some people never had any technical skills.

[carton253]

Well.. that's a different subject. One that the President didn't really address in a 45 second response during a press conference.

[oceanview]

then you better start lobbying to stop people whose jobs have been offshored from voting.

[MichiganConservative]

The problem is not just with the feds, it's at all levels, and government is loathe to downsize

When are we going to see our "conservative" president start enumerating the federal government spending he plans to CUT? When can we expect a list of programs that Congress is going to eliminate? Or can we all expect a 2.4 trillion dollar budget next year? Has your governor state that they are going to reverse the spending splurges from the 90's?How about reducing regulation on businesses? Any talk of that from anyone? I haven't heard much from the feds other than "spend spend spend". The tax cuts will be nice, but we need smaller, less intrusive, governments.

[lelio]

I love America because it still is the only place on earth I have a chance of being an individual.

And why do you think you have this chance? Because our standard of living is much higher. You can be an individual all you want over in India or Pakistan, you'll just be working 12 hours out of the day to put some food in your mouth.
I understand where you are coming from, but we, as Americans, have to stick together and try and improve the standard of living for all of our citizens. Otherwise we're just a bunch of mercenaries. Mercenaries didn't found this country, nor did they found Galt's Gulch.

[Willie Green]

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.

Yeah, I imagine Dubya must be so clueless that he believes Mexican and Chinese peons have greater skills than the American Middle Class.
Ol' Juanterm better change his tune if he wants to maintain support of his conservative base.
He's not gonna achieve that by joining Charlie Rangel and the "Blame America First" crowd.

[Southack]

"How is that groundless?" lelio

Dirtboy made two groundless claims.

1. That the government was now taking MORE of a bite from American paychecks today.

2. That the entire middle-class in America was literally shrinking in size.

Then he admitted that he had no data at all for his middle class claim, and that he had personal data in his own paycheck that was **contrary** to his tax-bite claim.

Hence, "groundless"...

[dirtboy]

Baseless speculation...More groundless speculation.

Try reading the papers, Southack, and read up on the tax increases being proposed around the country, and the ones that have already passed. And fine, if you want to remove increased taxes from the equation, do it. There are still plenty of downward pressures on middle-class incomes in the tech sector.

[dandelion]

Bush didn't come up with those policies; the Democrats crafted eight years of this crap. As to what he supports, show me where BUSH said he supports those things, and I'll look at it. Give me the transcript so I can see where he said it, since I'm eager to know, too.

[TopDog2]

That was my point. If the base is having second thoughts, those less committed must be also.

[ffusco]

Bravo. I agree completely. Although some folks insist that exporting manufacturing will eventually hobble China's economy by creating their own middle class with rising expectations and diminishing returns.It's economic warfare.

[dirtboy]

Then he admitted that he had no data at all for his middle class claim, and that he had personal data in his own paycheck that was **contrary** to his tax-bite claim.

I'll get you data, Southack, if you insist on ignoring the stories in such liberal rags as the Wall Street Journal about the changes to the workplace over the last few years. But you're just making a fool of yourself in demanding that the obvious be proven to you.

[lelio]

I do not think she would be calling for the government to interfere with the hiring policies of corporations

So if China said "We're in the market for a nuclear weapon to drop on Washington DC, will you sell one to us?" Ayn would just be fine with that? That the government can't interfere to make sure that we have a livilihood tomorrow?
Yes, that's an extreme example. So is the government telling me that I can only hire people that wear blue sneakers. However it isn't a binary operation -- there has to be some government involvement in the marketplace. I would like to see it limited as much as you, but I think the government should step in here for our own good.

[ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton]

President Bush:

You explanation that the cause for the current Technology unemployment is that people haven't kept up with training.

As an unemployed tech worker, I disagree. Many people are losing cutting edge jobs because they are being outsourced by cheap offshore labor.

Our expenses in this country cannot be reduced to the expenses of tech workers in India.

While it might not be possible to stop this tendancy, we CAN stop the workers coming into this country.

Please reduce the H1B and S2 visas.

This is a legal way for companies to sidestep supply and demand economics in wages.

I am concerned Republican Voter

[Mr. Bird]

I was listening to the presser and got the distinct impression the question was referring to workers who did not have marketable skills. There is absolutely no route using the English language to translate "technology is taking over jobs" in to some comment on technology jobs themselves. The question, and the answer, were directed to unskilled workers in the U.S. who find fewer and fewer opportunities to sell their services for a wage.

In addition, the word "information" should not be implied as a modifier when using the word "technology". Sometimes "technology training" hasn't the slightest connection to the IT sector. Sometimes, there are other worlds out there, beyond programming and system development. Sometimes, there's a s***load of jobs in those worlds, too. Now is one of those times, if anyone would care to look.

[laweeks]

Things the government CAN do:
1. Cut taxes dramatically (not just little weinie cuts)
2. Reduce the incredible burden of regulations (OSHA and EPA . . . most states have their own anyway)
3. Protect our borders
4. Eliminate capital gains taxes . . .
5. Cut government spending (eliminate Dept of Educ, Federal EPA, etc.)

These things, and I'm sure others, can be championed by good, well-focused, federal executive leadership. He has a bully pulpit. He should use it and quit playing kissy-face with the libs.

[wesdale]

I am loyal to my fellow Americans, when they are loyal to me. But if they expect me to subsidize their own complacency or ask me to ignore the fact that they are less valuable than they claim, then my allegiance to them ends. I will not ignore the truth.

I love this country because everyone has a chance, not because everyone has a right to be employed.

Will you next ask that the governemt fine corporations for not hiring people according to their citizenship? Will you ask that they be shut down for outsourcing jobs or importing labor? Will you expect jack-booted thugs to break down doors to prevent honest businessmen from making honest decisions about what's best for their business?

I am an American. I don't want the governemt making those decisions or using force to coerce me.