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.

[GingisK]

The article did not provide Bush's answer. Did he refute the idea, or move on to another topic? The answer is the key. Judging by the article, I'd conclude that he agreed. Where is the rebuff?

[Florida_Irish]

I meant just a pro-American third-party candidate. Not Perot himself.

[luckydevi]

I am a college student and yes I am worried about this as well. I do fear that my job options will be limited. I know many who are working overseas in foreign countires, I hope I do not have to resort to this.

[dirtboy]

What the hell does this have to do with anything.

We like to know if posters have an agenda, we get a lot of trolls here who misrepresent who they are. Plus, about the only folks I see defending the H1-B program any more have a vested interest in it.

I hate outsourcing as well, I know its bad for this country. But the solution you and many others offer is terrible. It will hurt us not help us.

How will curtailing a program be so terrible when the condition upon which that program is predicated no longer exists? It's kinda like continuing flood relief for a location that now is facing drought conditions.

[Joe Hadenuf]

"Is there a Perot running this year?"

"If there was someone on par with Perot running against a clown and a gorilla, I'd be voting for either the clown or the gorilla."

You bet, and if you become unemployed, you can use the clown and gorilla for entertainment until you learn new skills to compete. Worst case scenario you could start a neighborhood zoo for the children. And you could get a couple of baboons and breed them for extra cash between jobs.

[dirtboy]

I am a college student and yes I am worried about this as well. I do fear that my job options will be limited. I know many who are working overseas in foreign countires, I hope I do not have to resort to this.

Well, don't you think that it's a good idea to curtail H1-B visas, a program set up to alleviate a shortage of IT workers which is a condition that no longer exists?

[Southack]

"If not, we vote third party in '04. A loss will do the GOP good to bring it back to the right and on the side of Americans. I understood his comments and the context. In fact, I read the transcript before posting to make sure of the context. Most readers, and myself, have it right: Bush has lost his sense of reality."

It's not Bush who's lost his sense of reality. Wishing that Democrats can be brought back into power to perpetuate Roe v Wade and leftist activist judges in the massacre of more years worth of children in the womb is hardly in line with reality, and certainly not conservative of you.

[y2k_free_radical]

I admit my ardor for BUSH is cooling as he is only advised by BIG BUSINESS types

[VadeRetro]

Bush just lost several thousand tech worker votes with this line.

This at best shows cluelessness. It's not going to play well the next time he sets out to sell folks that his team has all the answers we need.

[StolarStorm]

Thanks for answering the question regarding your nationality. Your silence told us. Perhaps you should attempt to get your country of origin to follow your free market and capitalist ideas? Last time I check India was quite socialist. Amazing hypocracy of foreigners expecting us to roll over for them. How about we just turn our country over to you and yours?

[LanPB01]

It does my heart good to read someone that actually seems to agree with the idea of the free market. I sometimes forget that I'm on FreeRepublic when every other post I read is someone whining because an employer found someone who can do a job cheaper and better than he. What is this, DU?

[thackney]

Please see my post #45.

I post the entire question and answer. I included a link to the transcript of the entire press conference. The q&a are about 2/3 down.

[luckydevi]

Government regulation never works and for some odd reason it causes harm. The truth is once the economy turns around( and it will be sooner rather than later), this will be a non-issue

[Afronaut]

Pep Boys to Close 33 Stores, Lay Off 860

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Pep Boys closed 33 stores and laid off 860 employees Thursday in a restructuring the company said will save $11 million annually. About 700 store employees lost their jobs because of the 33 closings -- about 5 percent of Pep Boys' 629 stores. Another 160 corporate employees were laid off to streamline the management structure, the company said

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/030731/pep_boys_closings_3.html

[Brian S]

"Screaming Threads", Batman! This puppy zoomed. Good find and post.

Tell me again that the economy/jobs will not be an issue in 2004.

I would like to believe somebody at the RNC is paying attention...

[StolarStorm]

As a college student, you don't know anything. When I was safe and secure in the cozy college environment I thought as you did. Reality has a way of changing your mind on a lot of things.

[RaceBannon]

Then go back and read it. I never called on the Government to create a program for me to fix it, I call on them to protect us.

"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution..."

I believe securing the blessings of liberty include protecting our countrymen from foreign imports and foreign government run companies putting us out of business through uneven trade.

[Florida_Irish]

I want Bush to get back on our side. There's time until the election. If he straightens up and starts to do some good and protect U.S. jobs, I'll gladly vote for him again.

We need Republicans to act like Republicans, not just parrot industry lies about the mythical skill shortage in the US.

[ColdSteelTalon]

No its many companies not investing in their employees when technology changes. They just farm it out to India or something. Thank God my tech support job requires me to be physically at the machine and the comapny i work for would never allow the systems to be located in a foreign country.

[kitkat]

***This sounds trumped up.***

You're right. They didn't bother to give the FULL quote. So, here it is, and it makes much better sense than the partial quote:

***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.

I think my idea of reemployment accounts makes a lot of sense. In essence, it says that you get $3,000 from the federal government to help you with training, day care, transportation, perhaps moving to another city. And if, within a period of time, you're able to find a job, you keep the balance as a reemployment bonus.

I know the community colleges provide a very important role in worker training, worker retraining. I look forward to working with our community colleges through the Department of Education, coordinate closely with states, particularly in those states in which technology is changing the nature of the job force.

I've always found the community college -- and this is from my days as the governor of Texas -- found the community college to be a very appropriate place for job training programs because they're more adaptable, their curriculums are easier to change, they're accessible. Community colleges are all over the place.

And -- but you're right. I mean, I think we need to make sure that people get the training necessary to keep up with the nature of the jobs, as jobs change. ***