[lelio]

Contrary to popular myth, it is not cheap labor that finds companies locating overseas.

Could of fooled me, as an Indian programer is 1/10th the price of a US one.

[estpeter]

We can't discount the role of big labor in this. My late husband worked many years for GM and every time the contract came up for renewal it was for more money, more benefits. etc. Great while it lasted but the bubble could not go on forever. Something had to give..and it did.

[edger]

Indian programmer is 1/10 the price of US one.

Doesn't matter! In the US, labor costs are 10 percent of production costs. Peripheral governmentally imposed tax and regulatory costs are 22 percent.

Henry Lamb of WND.com said recently, "To stop the outflow of American jobs, all that is required is to repeal the minimum wage law, outlaw labor unions, repeal the Americans with Disabilities Act, dismantle OSHA, abolish the EPA, repeal the Endangered Species Act, abandon the Ecosystem Management Policy, repeal all articles of the Clean Water Act that affect non-navigable waters and, in general, return America to the social status of India, China and the other nations to which American jobs are flowing."

So you can see how Kerry is going to solve this problem, right?

[BJungNan]

Could of fooled me, as an Indian programer is 1/10th the price of a US one.

Yes, programmers in India cost less. And a big part of the reason why is the cost of doing business in the U.S. I would guess that 50% of the savings you mention is costs unrelated to direct pay.

I don't think the point of the article is entirely invalidated by the loss of U.S. programming jobs. And the question remains, do we continue to drive business out with highly non-productive and needless costs or do we correct the situation.

I suspect this will never get a fair hearing anywhere but here on FR. The media will never ask Kerry if government regulations - regulations he voted for - are part of the problem.