Thread: WashTech offers action email to oppose Gates, H-1Bs

The WashTech web site provides an email for you to take action and send to your Congressperson in response to Bill Gates' demand for more H-1Bs and green cards.

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WashTech Correspondent
Los Angeles, March 12

Microsoft Chairman and founder Bill Gates today made another
pitch towards getting more H-1B workers in the country, telling
Captiol Hill that, "America will lose its status as a leader in
technological innovation unless it allows more skilled workers
to enter the country". He also called on Congress to increase
federal funding of research and development and take steps to
reform secondary education. The H-1B visa program remains hugely
popular, so much so that in 2007, the program's annual cap of
65,000 was met on the first day applications were accepted.

Since many companies use H1-B workers to eventually outsource
their technical projects, more and more American IT workers are
losing their jobs, easily indispensable in their own country
ever since the immigrant workers started arriving in droves in
the late 90s, to work for- what many times amounts to -half the
money and benefits. Marcus Courtney, president of Washtech, says
"U.S. technology workers have faced relentless economic pressure
during the past six years. Our economic recession made us lose
more than 100,000 jobs. In addition, more jobs seem to be
getting outsourced overseas than getting created here in the
U.S. The idea that our country is facing a serious shortage of
skilled technical talent and an increase in visas is needed
belies the economic reality faced by everyday tech workers.
Congress should be passing legislation to protect workers not
outsource more jobs overseas."

"We all want the U.S. to continue to be the world's center for
innovation, but our position is at risk," Gates said, arguing
that foreign workers come with higher educational qualifications
than their American counterparts. However, Dr. Ron Hira,
Assistant Professor of Public Policy at the Rochester Institute
of Technology, quotes USCIS data showing that the typical
foreign worker is neither more qualified than an American, nor
is being taken care of that well. Hira says, "Gates has
characterized H-1B workers as possessing "unique talent" and
skills and being paid large sums of compensation (more than
$100k). But the facts belie all of these characterizations. The
typical H-1B holder holds a Bachelor's degree and is being paid
$50k."

Anthony Bravos, 57, of Woodstock, IL, is a computer programmer
and father of two, who has been unemployed for two years. He
says he is deeply demoralized by his unemployment and by Gates'
actions. "Is Gates American only in name? His business practices
are so blatantly anti-American!" Bravos further adds, "I hate
watching the demise of my country. If we could just stop
corporate greed we can turn around our country, but that
requires good citizenship of corporate officers, something we
have not seen in over 25 years, and responsible government,
which also seems to have died 25 years ago."

Toni Chester, a New Jersey based senior Lotus notes and Domino
developer, says, "my career was destroyed by outsourcing of
jobs. In August 2001, I was displaced by Lucent Technologies /
Agere Systems. I had been working on the spin project as a
contractor when they retained a guest worker and discarded me.
That was the beginning of a long, dark period in my spotless
work history, where I was unemployed for a stretch of time,
unable to even pay my bills. What are your odds when a 1,000
resumes are going to a single opportunity! I had to learn to
claw to retain even short term IT projects. Today, I am a single
parent, and my commute is 5 hours long. I cannot see my child on
many days. The icing on the cake? My current job will be
outsourced to India in December, 2008."

Bravos says he is much angered by Gates' claim on wanting to be
the innovation nation again. Bravos opines that the next
generation of Americans will have a much harsher world to live
in, and he is wondering what outsourcing-proof career advice to
give to his honor student children. Information Technology is
not on the radar.
One wonders how Gates hopes America to be a leader in technical
innovation when American IT workers are being discarded in favor
of younger, cheaper foreign labor, and their own kids are not
considering IT as a career, the bloodbath in the job market
holding up too vivid of a mirror to the society.

Material from The Washington Times appears in this story.

You can take action on this alert either via email (please see
directions below) or via the web at:

http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/bg_h ... uwrzkewwxk?

Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/bg_h ... uwrzkewwxk?

We encourage you to take action by April 12, 2008

Gates demands more H-1Bs be allowed in USA

INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA THE WEB:
If you have access to a web browser, you can take action on this
alert by going to the following URL:

http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/bg_h ... uwrzkewwxk?

INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA EMAIL:
Just choose the "reply to sender" option on your email program.

Your letter will be addressed and sent to:
Your Congressperson

----THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT IN YOUR NAME----
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],

We, information technology workers of various disciplines, feel
that many qualified and willing candidates are not being
considered for the positions going unfilled in the American IT
industry. By law these candidates cannot be bypassed in order to
fill a position with an H1B.

We would ask you to consider this when reviewing Mr Gates'
Testimony of March 12th, 2008.

----END OF LETTER TO BE SENT----

Sincerely,
<< name >>

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Roll Call
GATEWAY TO THE CAPITOL: Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates (right) boards a subway to the Capitol on Wednesday with House Majority Whip James Clyburn (center) and House Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon.

I have 2 science degrees and have never been arrested!
(Gates can't say that! )

Additional resources to rebut the corporate propaganda:

Sona Shah:
http://www.news.com/5208-1022_3-0.html? ... 29&start=0

Kevin Flanagan:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 270141.DTL

Larry Lebowitz, Attorney, Cohen & Grigsby:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqGBIHmv7jo&NR=1

Is There Really an IT Labor Shortage?
By Ericka Chickowski
2008-03-05

( Page 1 of 5 )

Despite what you've been told about the IT skills shortage, there's a multitude of evidence that suggests that line of reasoning is a self-serving myth. Baseline cuts in to the belly of the IT shortage debate.

Over the last several years a number of IT industry executives and analysts have consistently promoted the idea that there exists an ever-present shortage of skilled IT workers in the market to fill the industry’s demand. High-profile executives such as Bill Gates of Microsoft and Craig Barrett of Intel have weighed in on their opinions about this shortage of good help in the server room and at the keyboard.

Most recently the theory of a growing shortage was bolstered by a December 2007 Gartner report entitled “The Quest for Talent – You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet.â€

Lou Dobbs talked about this and was livid how the legislators were fawning all over him and did not once ask for any amount of evidence for his remarks on a labor shortage of skilled and talented workers in this country.

I think that Gates leans towards foreign workers over Americans as he, like some of our politicians, want submissive and grateful followers who do not question their authority, and believe that in order to get that they need to replace Americans on all levels with foreigners. IMHO.......

I am sick to see our politicians falling for this and acting like love-sick puppies over Bill Gates and his money.

Signed and sent to all friends and family.

Originally Posted by PhredE

I have 2 science degrees and have never been arrested!
(Gates can't say that! )

Dang I wanted to see your picture Phrede. OH well, I knew you were intelligent now I know your honest. Kinda figured that anyway. LOL

Originally Posted by Gogo

Originally Posted by PhredE

I have 2 science degrees and have never been arrested!
(Gates can't say that! )

Dang I wanted to see your picture Phrede. OH well, I knew you were intelligent now I know your honest. Kinda figured that anyway. LOL

Re: Intelligence? Well, I don't know about that. Having said that, I will say that some of the absolute dumbest people I know are amply degreed, and some of the smartest ones have never set foot in a university. I do still believe in the utility of a higher education though - I guess, it has more to do with what a person does with the training and knowledge....