Jobless push for visa reform (Bills in congress to fight L1 abuse)

http://www.computerworld.com/careertopics/careers/story/0,10801,83888,00.html ^ | Patrick Thibodeau

[Mick2000]

AUGUST 11, 2003 ( COMPUTERWORLD ) - WASHINGTON -- The controversial L-1 and H-1B visas are under assault in Congress, in large part because of the activism of a group of laid-off Connecticut IT workers. Of the five bills that have been introduced this year to reform the two visa programs, three were written by Connecticut lawmakers.

"We've heard quite a bit from constituents in our district concerned about losing their jobs," said Lesley Sillaman, a spokeswoman for Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), who is seeking restrictions on L-1 visa use.

The group DeLauro has been working with, the Organization for the Rights of American Workers (TORAW) in Meriden, Conn., was formed less than a year ago. One of the group's founders, James Pace, a laid-off IT consultant, learned the ropes of activism in the early 1970s, when he fought the state's motorcycle helmet law. "It all comes down to backyard politics," said Pace.

Laid-off IT consultant James Pace is a leader in TORAW’s fight for L-1 and H-1B visa reform. Among other activities, TORAW attended an open forum meeting that Rep. Nancy Johnson held in her Connecticut district several months ago. Six TORAW members in the audience peppered Johnson with questions about the visa programs. "We took over the whole meeting," said Pace. Subsequent local newspaper coverage focused on offshore outsourcing.

On July 28, Johnson, a Republican, joined Democratic Sen. Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut in sponsoring the USA Jobs Protection Act to reform the visa laws.

[Mick2000]

That is funny, especially when the data is either two years old or else nothings changed in the past two years.

http://www.bls.gov/emp/emptab3.htm

Notice any similarities?

[ArneFufkin]

So, what are the new numbers?

[meadsjn]

I'm a conservative. I'm an American. I have skills, education and an innovative mandate that cannot be matched by some schlump from a Third World country. I have pride, dignity and an obligation to produce. I don't cry like a toddler when life's challenges get thrown in my face.

Oh, so you're another government employee with a secure income and zero exposure to the real world.

[Mick2000]

Here's one:

"Now, all kinds of knowledge work can be done almost anywhere. "You will see an explosion of work going overseas," says Forrester Research Inc. analyst John C. McCarthy. He goes so far as to predict at least 3.3 million white-collar jobs and $136 billion in wages will shift from the U.S. to low-cost countries by 2015."

And, if you add up the BLS estimates for jobs created from 2001 through 2010,you get 3.45 million jobs created. If these estimates, are right, doesn't seem like much growth will be taking place, if any, at all.

[riri]

Yes, but have you been to Shanghai recently? You can just feel the excitement, the building is reminiscent of America in the 1950's, you can smell the progress in the air...

(Do I sound really worldly, important and international yet?)

[ArneFufkin]

Don't worry Mick, Rosa DeLauro will take you to her bosom and protect you from those scary, swarthy foreigners.

[Mick2000]

I've been to Beijing. It is a very impressive, modern place, though I'm sure it pales with everything that's happening in Shanghai and Hong Kong.

[Mini-14]

I read the same article as you did. I did not find the article convincing. The article alleges that older workers will retire right on schedule, regardless of the recent shrinking of their 401K plans.

That is a big and UNPROVEN assumption.

[Mick2000]

I'm not scared of them in fact I know quite a few of them. 75% of the people I work with are H1b's and most of them are some of the sharpest people I've met. I definitely respect them.

Which also is why I'm so concerned. The average American worker can not and should not be expected to compete (through overseas outsourcing) with someone making 1/2 their salary or thereabouts (in the case of L-1's) or 1/8th to 1/10th their salary in the case of outsourcing it doesn't make sense.

[Nowhere Man]

So you're fine with hiring illegal immigrants?

Hey, don't feed the trolls! I've learned that in the last few days. Myself, I'll do what I can to keep jobs in America and to hopefully stop the L1 and H1B programs by getting the word out. "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!"

These folks are lost causes and the only way they will see the light is if they lose their jobs themselves. If I may use religion for a sec, I do take solace in what Jesus said as He was on The Cross, "forgive them Father, they do not understand." Hey to some of these people, we may look like kooks and things like that but many times in history, the smartest man in town is often the village idiot or the town drunk. I'm not saying none of us are like that per se, but many times we are branded as such. This weekend, I'll get to work writing my Congresscritters and even President Bush using Harpseal's program as a template.

[Doe Eyes]

the primary driver which is that the yuan is pegged to our dollar at a 8.3 to 1 ratio making their costs 8 times as cheap as ours.

The Japanese Yen trades at over 110 yen to the dollar, so their costs are 110 times less than ours. How can we compete with these cheap currencies?

[Mick2000]

China pegs their yuan value to the dollar (8.3 to 1), guaranteeing their products will be quite a bit cheaper.
Japan doesn't, the yen floats.

I probably shouldn't have put the exact ratio on costs in since it may not be that, but there certainly is a good deal of disparity in costs. It would be nice of the difference was less than 8 to 1.

Here's the best article I could find on this:


http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/world/6556460.htm


Four U.S. senators last month sent Treasury Secretary John Snow a letter urging him to "investigate" China's currency strategy and take steps to protect American business. The two Democrats and two Republicans agreed that the yuan is undervalued by anywhere from 15 percent to 40 percent and gives Chinese exports "a nearly insurmountable advantage against United States producers," the letter said.

[janetgreen]

Watch for this issue at www.numbersusa.com. Free fax services, faxes pre-written and pre-addressed, mainly relating to illegal immigration and foreign visa workers. It's a good way to make your voices heard in Washington.

[JNB]

To be blunt, people with your view points are a very tiny minority of the people who actually vote GOP. The Neo-Conservative viewpoint that promotes globalism may dominate "conservative media" and many in the GOP leadership, but in the real world, it doesnt really exist. You say the GOP doesnt want white working class(blue collar) males? Fine, without the people you so despise, the GOP would have prehaps 140 house seats and 35 senate seats.

[Deport Billary]

I think Bush is in for a big surprise when he discovers that visa workers can't vote, and unemployed white people are not a republican constituency...

[hedgetrimmer]

visa workers can't vote

Oh I am sure they do in California. We have an assemblyman in Salinas who said on television a few weeks ago that the illegal aliens were his constituents.

[Once-Ler]

Thank you for providing some common sense counter point to the whiney "American dream is gone" defeatists on this thread. I'm sorry I don't have the time to debate the protectionist knuckle-draggers tonight. Fortunately you have done a superb job on your own.

[JNB]

Common sense? Saying that the GOP doesnt need working class white males is common sense? Sorry, but dogmatic free traders, aka neo-conservatives are as clueless as liberals when it comes to the real world.

[Paul Ross]

Ping.