several months ago i read a fascinating story (wsj, print edition) about how latino activists hitched THEIR cause to corporate america hoping to garner more H1B job visas for engineers, programmers, etc. the latino activists hoped to innoculate the 12 million illegal aliens already in this country from political criticism by "proving" that america needs more (skilled, clean arrest record, drug free) foreign workers.
well, several months later, and big business has been totally unable to demonstrate ANY shortage of programmers or engineers. In fact, there are a number of bonafide, born in america citizens with those degrees looking for work.
and a whole lot MORE americans with humanties degrees who would undertake the arduous training if it were offered by a legit employer, and there was a job at the end of the tunnel.
the fortune 500 furor over not enough foreigners with "skills" has all but gone away, since the numbers were run.
I was always skeptical of this premise, as a perusal of my post top posts would show. In what universe would we grant more favors and privileges to illegal aliens and those who hope to emigrate, than our own unemployed?
Here's the suggestion I made at the time, and I renew it now:
Okay, big business - you can have ALL the H1B foreign worker visa's you want, with no numerical cap. But here's my ONE CONDITION:
for each H1B visa granted, you have to hire 10 actual citizens for new positions. 10% of your total workforce can be from India, Pakistan, South Korea, China, etc - actually 100% if they don't need an H1B visa because they're already legal residents or citizens. But if you want to start importing low priced foreign labor to take the jobs that would help our kids pay off their student loans, then you need to hire the unemployed already here, as well.
Any takers, corporate america?