"Make It in America"

Hello to all my passionate followers!

I know you have been sitting on the edge of your seats waiting for more of my unconfined worldly wisdom as I share more information about the outsourcing menace affecting the security and availability of acceptable American jobs. I have been sitting on the sidelines for several months wondering if anyone really cares that corporate America has put profit before integrity when American jobs are at risk. Regarding that question, I only know that I care .... and that's what counts first! So today I begin a new process of sharing my observations with anyone else out there that cares about American jobs and our future as a healthy country.

Today I want to call attention to the new Democratic movement labeled "Make It in America" in today's Washingtonpost.com article dated Tuesday, August 3, 2010, 11:21. In that article my attention is drawn to the bold label: "New Democratic strategy for creating jobs focuses on a boost in manufacturing" . This message talks about the Obama administration's focus on a long term strategy that is captured in this quote: ""We know manufacturing produces good jobs, high-paying jobs," House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer(D-Md.) said Monday as Democrats released a report showcasing small gains in manufacturing since Obama took office. "We have committed ourselves to a long-term agenda aimed at enhancing the manufacturing capabilities in America.". Once again, certain Republican forces are doing their best to prevent the Obama administration from achieving something economically meaningful for this country and the strength of our people. It is very clear to this writer that when the original hate radio host Rush Limbaugh declared, “I hope he fails.” statement regarding Obama's election, our country was heading for a battle between ignorance/fear pitted against intelligence/progress. For those that want to read more on this new Democratic movement, refer to website address: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/03/AR2010080302685.html?hpid=topnews

As always, drop me a line regarding your thoughts be they positive or critical ! Regards ....

Nationwide H-1B Visa Scam

Well folks,

Here we go again with Corporate America's underbelly being exposed for it's addiction to greed and it's integral disregard for Americans seeking a job that provides a reasonable paycheck.

Today's post was inspired by a website on eweek.com that grabbed my attention as I reviewed web subjects that support my belief that corporate greed has eroded integrity and moral responsibility to provide Americans /with rewarding American jobs/training careers in this challenging economic time.

Perhaps, you too, would be attracted to a title that states "

Feds Bust Nationwide H-1B Visa Scam". Now doesn't that just make you want to have another cup of strong coffee and check that out? Or how about the statement from today's referenced website at "http://www.eweek.com/c/a/IT-Management/Feds-Bust-Nationwide-H1B-Visa-Scam/" that states a rather interesting bit of news as follows:

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Vision Systems and five other companies under investigation have said their H-1B workers have been brought to the United States to fill existing IT vacancies. Whitaker claims the companies have not always had jobs available for these workers, placing them in nonpay status after they arrive in the United States.

In some cases, according to the charges, the H-1B workers have been placed in jobs and locations not previously certified by the Department of Labor, replacing qualified American workers and violating prevailing wage laws. The companies and foreign workers have allegedly submitted false statements and documents in support of their visa petitions.

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According to this website, the "Federal Authorities" seek $7.4 million in forfeitures, however, now I wonder WHAT did the feds do with the $7.4 million in forfeitures? Are "Federal Authorities" using that money to fund new support for American worker's equal opportunity to find work opportunities? Or ... is the only game in town to curb H1B abuse is more like a *"keystone Kop" episode where nothing really ever gets done to stop the H1B crooks from ripping off American worker jobs? Check this site out and share your comments with me and the rest of the world. Big question is... "what should be done to to effectively give American workers a decent shot at a decent job opportunity? That's it for now. Take care.

*ref:

( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystone_Kops)

Demand for H1-B visa continues to rise

Hi Everyone,
I've been somewhat busy and not attending to this blog message as our "jobless recovery" unfolds. As we all know, the concept of a jobless recovery is based on the idea that employers will not initiate any hiring until the current employed work force reaches a point where they are either burnt out and quit or have been pushed to their peak productive ability. Unfortunately, the greed factor is the true master of both the employer and the employee here in America.

Today's discussion is focused on this given blog's title. I found this title on "The Economic Times" India website at " http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5300526.cms ". The following comments from that website caught my interest and maybe, you too, will roll your eyes. The comments go as follows:
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Latest figures released by the US Citizenship
and Immigration Services (USCIS) show an increase in the number of people applying for H-1B visas in the last two months.

As a result of which, till November 27, the USCIS had received about 58,900 H-1B petitions. This is still over 6,000 short of the Congressionally-mandated cap of 65,000 H-1B visas
in the general category.
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Now I would like to suggest that as our economy "recovers", who will get the good jobs .... Americans or ..... Outsourced resources? My suspicion is that GREED will push employers to hire those unfilled 6000 H1-B resources before Americans. As I have stated before in this blog, I believe that corporate America should have income incentives that would encourage the hiring and training of Americans rather than the past focus on cheap outsourced resources. In that regard, I invite your feedback on the following statements of belief:

1. I believe that President Obama's promise to tax American companies that hire outsouced resourses will take a big bite out of the outsourced hiring addiction.

2. I believe that President Obama's promise to give tax breaks for American companies that hire Americans will have a dramatic effect on American employment as the Great Recession continues to end.

3. I believe that the so called *"Stimulus money" to bail out dysfunctional banks and financial institutions should, in fact, be made available to help train countless young Americans that have been pushed out of the job market for lack of skill or training.

* More on where stimulus money goes, refer to URL "http://www.recovery.gov/Pages/home.aspx")

Feedback appreciated on your point of view on these topics discussed here.
That's it for now. Take care

White House Establishes Corporate Fraud Task Force

Greetings all you seekers of knowledge. What's entertaining (and educational) to me about the Internet, and especially blogs, is this new-found medium that helps create cyber communites of common interest. Communities that help us all to learn about events that shape our collective world-view mindsets. Today's discussion is rooted in an interesting website name that succinctly captures my own world-view about corporate greed, h1b visas, job quotas, USA unemployment problems, and the whole USA economic mess. How do you like this domain name? :

http://www.h1bvisasucks.com/

Now I must admit that the site name does seem to be somewhat biased at first glance, but, let's explore the message embedded in it's name a little further. Here's an interesting link from this site to a well done blog at " http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing_room/" where you'll find (as they say) current photos, video, and blogs, as well as proclamations, executive orders, and press releases related to our subject matter.

Meantime, back to our subject website " www.h1bvisasucks.com/ ", admittedly, it does not appear that much has been added to this blog since the early 2000 years but it is interesting that someone was unhappy about H1B subjects back then and the blog is still active. I am suspecting that the person who started this blog actually got a job shortly after creating this website. That's it for today, as always, your comments are welcomed. Cheers

Jobs, Economy, and America's Outsourcing Wake Up Call

So here we are in the spring of 2009 where flowers are blooming and American jobs are dying. One gift that time has given me is the ability to look back at mistakes and ...sometimes... learn from them.

As one who started out in technology programming machines that are now in the "Computer History Museum" ( located in Mountain View, California), I can remember when American ingenuity and American innovation had the romantic endorsement of our culture to follow the motivating words of the old Star Trek introduction narrative... "To go where none have gone before". In this case, the early technology pioneers were romantic figures that dared to tame an unknown world of data by capturing information and making sense of that collection beyond just a calculation at the bottom of a report. The modern Silicon Valley "was" identified as a center of technology innovation because our culture encouraged creativity and thinking outside the box at that time. Alas, I believe our culture is losing that aspect of creativity as jobs today have been lost to the outsourcing trend.

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* For purposes of clarification note that, according to the U.S. Citizenship Immigration Service the "H-1B visa program" referred to in these reports is defined as follows:

"U.S. employers may employ foreign workers with specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in a specialized field and a bachelor's degree or its equivalent. Typical H-1B occupations include architects, engineers, computer programmers, accountants, doctors and college professors. The current 2009 annual cap on the H-1B category is

• General Quota - 65,000
• Advanced Degree Quota - 20,000
• Chile and Singapore - 6,800 ( from 65,000)

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In my ongoing discussions I will especially focus on how the outsourcing of American jobs has caused a reduction in American technical expertise and greater dependence on foreign workers. I want to point out that the very skills that define the need for foreign workers are the same skills and training denied to American workers. After all, why train an American when a foreign worker is cheaper? In addition, I want to establish that corporate America's outsourcing direction has been validated primarily by such motives as greed, subservience to share holders, increased profit margin at any cost, and avoidance of federal taxes. I am suggesting at this time that the carrier host for what I call the "greed virus" has been spread by this job outsourcing process.

Given the current economic crisis in this country, the "greed virus" infection appears to have spread to other sectors of the American business environment such as banks and credit card predators. This "infection" has also allowed corporate America to force wages down within the IT market and (given that IT jobs have been at risk to outsourcing) has caused a drop in students seeking computer science as a career path. The drop in computer science career interest, of course, means that more dependence will fall to the outsourced resources. Something wrong with this picture?

Could it be that the price of cheap foreign labor and a business culture that continues to overlook the importance of a respectful relationship between companies and employees has partly caused our current economic crisis? In this report, I have focused on technology because I personally know many technology people who have lost their jobs ( and expertise ) to the outsourcing process. *

I now suggest that outsourcing American jobs (logically based on greed rather than a trusting relationship with employees ) has acted very much like a viral infection creating an adversarial relationship between employees and employers. This has resulted in a breakdown of our national economic vitality. I will later be saying more about the "outsourced virus", but for now, I invite other ideas and thoughts on the following questions for my next post:

1. How should America resolve this breakdown of trust and respect between employees and employers?

2. How will this country regain its economic health... both in the technology field and the overall American job market?

3. Do you believe there's something wrong with the H1B visa quota math?

4. Do you you think that more H1B visa permits should be allowed in this country?

* As a footnote outside of the technology focus, I believe we can use, as a dysfunctional example of corruptness, that the "greed virus" has also infected the integrity of our banks and related credit card companies.