Comments on: White Collar Professionals Demand: Stimulate This!

By: Cher

Cher — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 04:35:35 +0000

I wonder why no one squawked when factories closed and blue collar jobs got sent overseas.

Now more than ever, middle class Americans are awakening to the nightmare that the same thing could happen to them.

No longer can the middle class continue to ignore the fact that, there is discrimination based on social class in determining who gets access to the distribution of a society’s resources unless, of course, the middle class is willing to accept their turn in doing without.

By: Ms Weiss

Ms Weiss — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:47:43 +0000

In many ways, the EB green card program is an even bigger threat to the careers of white collar Americans than the H-1B visa program is. If a company wishes to sponsor a foreign national for an employment-based green card, then federal law states that the firm must make a “good faith” attempt to hire Americans first. However, there are many ways around this requirement. In fact, many so-called open jobs are not really open at all, but are actually filled with H-1B workers who are desperately trying to get that green card sponsorship. Americans who apply for these so-called “open” positions will be summarily rejected with absolutely no transparency in the hiring process. For evidence of this you can view the following videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCbFEgFajGU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqGBIHmv7jo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx–jNQYNgA

America is the only country which allows discrimination against its own citizens in the workplace. These programs and practices should be ended immediately.

By: Ms Weiss

Ms Weiss — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:10:38 +0000

In my opinion, the H-1B visa and employment-based green card programs pose the greatest threats to the careers and livelihoods of white collar Americans. As Professor Norman Matloff (of UC-Davis) has written, the “prevailing wage” regulations for the H-1B visas and EB green card programs are riddled with loopholes that allow employers to underpay the foreign professional workers with respect to their American counterparts. The foreign workers are more than willing to accept these lower pay rates in exchange for the chance to be sponsored for an EB green card, which conveys legal permanent residence.

The vast majority of U.S. – based employers are classified as “H-1B non-dependent”. These employers can legally fire or layoff their American workers and replace them with (lower-paid) H-1B workers, even if the American workers are performing well in their jobs. For proof of this, refer to the U.S. Department of Labor Strategic Plan for 2006-2011, which is available at:

http://www.dol.gov/_sec/stratplan/strat_plan_2006-2011.pdf

On page 35 you will find the following passage:

“… H-1B workers may be hired even when a qualified U.S. worker wants the job, and a U.S. worker can be displaced from the job in favor of the foreign worker.”

This applies to all “H-1B non-dependent” employers. Since most U.S. based companies are classified as “H-1B non-dependent”, this means that the vast majority of firms in the U.S. can legally discriminate against American workers in favor of lower-paid alien workers.

Therefore, I believe that as the economy continues to contract, Americans are in even greater danger of being displaced by foreign workers on H-1B visas.

The H-1B and employment-based green card programs should be shut down.

By: Sandy Brewer

Sandy Brewer — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:39:24 +0000

I’m a former manager who retired and is now acting (but not for a living). You are all within the relm. Unfortunately, only a major correction in attitudes is going to get us out of this mess. First off, Companies must be willing to cut profit margins, which means stock holders have to accept a severe reduction in earnings. This can be offset by freezing or reducing wages, beginning with upper and middle management, and continuing down the spectre. That is the only solution that will return our technical and white colar jobs onshore. If two employees are proficient in software engineering, for example, but the company can get the off shore employee’s efforts for less in wage and benefit, while keeping the sales price of the product or service the same (increasing the margin) what incentive is there to hire or retain the higher priced US worker?
The other thing is to realize that Debt Based Financing and Debt Based Economics are the problem, and do something about it.
The last step is to remind our governments, at all levels, that the term “borrowing” implys “repayment.” That is something the seem to have forgotten.

By: Andy

Andy — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 22:39:24 +0000

I agree with Mike — and as a fellow communications professional, it’s disturbing to see clear, forthright communications as one of the first casualties of this process.

Just saying “transparency” over and over again does not automatically invoke it.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:06:22 +0000

I agree wholeheartedly. As a senior advertising copywriter who was laid off in november, I’ve heard plenty about how the stimulus will create jobs via infrastructure improvements. That’s all well and good for blue-collar workers and engineers. But what about people such as me; white-collar workers who make their living via communicating, by connecting ideas with interested individuals? We seem to be left out in the cold. Ms. Diamond is right — there are plenty of ways the government could use those of us who do the heavy lifting with our minds and creativity rather than with our backs and arms (and this is not to disparage blue-collar workers, who work hard and deserve every opportunity they can get). But by focusing mainly on infrastructure rather than knowledge-based information and communications, President Obama (who I enthusiastically supported for president) is missing the point, and marginalizing a huge segment of American workers.

By: Dawn

Dawn — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 05:55:22 +0000

Well said! As a former technical support specialist and trainer who lost a job in January 2007, I’ve yet to secure a new IT opportunity here in New England. Competition for the few jobs that there are leave most prospective employees who aren’t 25 year old males, wondering if their resumes have been turned in to paper airplanes that are being flown into the abyss of office cross cut shredders. With over a decade of experience in IT, I now work at part-time job with no benefits for minimum wage until things change.

In the meantime, I continue to run my blog methlabhomes.com to warn others about homes that have been used as meth labs; homes that are being rented and sold to innocent individuals. Once they find out that they’ve been living in a former meth lab is typically when I hear from them. They’re hoping that I can tell them about a rescue plan that will help them to pay for the decontamination of their home. They’re hoping that I will tell them that their homes pose no danger to themselves or their children. They’re hoping that I know of someone who can help them by providing them with the thousands of dollars they need to make their homes safe to live in. Unfortunately, all I can do is offer my emotional support and share some information with them that they don’t always want to hear – if they’re living in a contaminated meth lab home, it’s best that they find a new place to live asap. Once they do that, their health symptoms may improve but their financial problems don’t. Paying rent to live in another home while they’re still paying the mortgage on their contaminated home isn’t something they can do, so they often let it go in to foreclosure.

If Obama really wants to help stop foreclosures and do something that will improve our environment and the health of children in the U.S., he needs to do something to help the forgotten victims of the war on meth. He has got to mandate that banks reveal to buyers if a home was ever used as a meth lab too. Right now, banks have a meth lab bailout plan – they don’t have to disclose the history of any homes they sell. Yet, private sellers aren’t allowed to claim ignorance like banks can do. If a private seller knows that the home was once a meth lab, they need to disclose that. Banks shouldn’t be any different. Letting families with children move in to homes that the government classifies as “hazardous waste sites” by letting banks off the hook…that’s wrong on so many levels.

By: Mike Rothschild

Mike Rothschild — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:57:56 +0000

What about he one million plus jobs in this country occupied by H-1B guest workers?
The domestic work force was completely bypassed for these jobs.
If congres would put this right, and it wouldn’t cost any money, the middle class just might be back in business.
Besides, it’s the right thing to do.

By: Brent Pittman

Brent Pittman — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:02:39 +0000

President Obama and Congress: Wrong Direction

Why are President Obama and Congress rejecting other economic solutions? Is this their first cover-up? No need for more taxpayer bailouts and economic stimulus, if politicians would do the following: First, repeal all sales taxes and replace the lost revenue with an import tax/tariff on imported labor and manufactured goods. Second, repeal all local tax incentives that shift business costs to taxpayers and that create poverty wage jobs (click on http://www.flyergroup.com and enter Brent Pittman in the search for details within letters);or change these incentives to pay a living wage, minimum wage of $14/hour (parent with one child). Third, re-regulate banks and financial corporations. Fourth, enact a windfall profits tax on oil and gas companies; but, rebate this money through tax incentives for drilling and building refineries (including ethanol ones in other countries) as well as eliminating the $.54/gallon import tax on sugar cane ethanol. This strategy will slow these companies from using excess profits to enrich executives and to buy company stock. Fifth, increase taxes on fuel guzzling vehicles, wealthy individuals and corporations (eliminating corporate welfare and tax loopholes) to pay for the Wall Street bailout, the Iraq war and to pump more oil in Iraq for export. These strategies will lower the $11 TRILLION ($14 TRILLION forecasted) taxpayer debt leading to a stronger dollar that will reduce inflation and increase the number of good paying jobs with benefits for American citizens.

Brent Pittman Brownsburg, IN 317-852-4470 February 10, 2009