Indian H1B vendors respond with Threats

Indian H1B vendors are threating "All Sorts Of Trade Problems" if the proposed restrictions on the H1B programs go through. In particular they are upset with to a clause in the immigration bill that prohibits companies from hiring H1-B employees if they employ more than 50 people and more than 50 percent of their employees are H1-B visa holders. The Indian H1B vendors also deny the H1B's purpose is to hold down U.S. Wages.

Take a look at this Article by John Ribeiro in Infoworld

All this occurs on the same day another 1,573 jobs are eliminated by IBM Services, following 1,300 announced earlier this month, IBM CFO Mark Loughridge said the company needed to address the cost of its services unit in North America. And Oracles CFO said that if the H1-B visa cap isn't lifted they will have to move operations out of the U.S.

If its not meant to keep wages down, then what else could it be for. I know of at least 2800 Americans that will be looking for work. Kudo's to Senators Durban and Grassley, I urge everyone to let them know that we support their efforts to reform the H1B system.

And the MBA's wonder why no American Students are going into Information Technology.

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If al-Queda is on the run can the Dems be far behind

Time and CNN are reporting that al-Queda is on the run in Anbar province, home of the Sunni insurgency. Attacks are almost none existent some days, less than 10 for the entire province. All due to the fact that the Sunni leaders are fed up with al-Queda and believe it is time for them to go.

Where this brings me to the point, where is the "Civil War" that the Democrat leadership promised us was in Iraq? May be we should start chanting, "No Civil War, Lets stay in!!" like they have been chanting "No WMD, Lets get out!!".

Can we impeach the Harry Reid for lying to us over the "Civil War in Iraq", like they advocate impeaching the president over lying to us about "WMD in Iraq".

Maybe they both had faulty intelligence.

It's really starting to look like the what the current CIA reports are saying is true this time. al-Queda is in Iraq and are the main cause of the current level of violence and not the "Civil War in Iraq between Sunni's and Shi'ites" that Democrats promised.

I hope we will be able to hold their feet to the fire for just one tenth the time they have held the presidents feet over WMD.

And maybe, just maybe more of the "Undecided Majority" will figure out that the Democrats have been lying to them again. i.e. When was Social Security supposed to go away if the Republicans had their way.

Just think, what happens if in 10 years Iraq is an ally on par with Japan or Germany and President Bush was the only politico that said "Stay the Course". Talk about a legacy, he'll look like another Lincoln, particularly to the residents of Iraq and Afghanistan.

I can't wait, I can't wait...

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H1B Bills only limit I.T. professional salaries

H1B Bills purport to help solve the Technology gap in US industry, but really all they do is hold down wages of Information Technology professionals.

Originally, they told us the H1B bills would allow companies to resolve the shortage of Information Technology professionals in the U.S. work force by importing professionals from overseas.

Prior to the first H1B, as an I.T. Professional you could expect a decent yearly raise to keep pace with industry salaries but since the advent of the H1B legislation industries salaries have been flat, ans so has the yearly raises. What they have done is driven thousands of former I.T. professionals to other fields, and discouraged new U.S. students from going into the Computer field.

After all, what future is there in a field with stagnate salary growth, and competition with thousands of foreign workers willing to take less than the going rate for the job your competing for.

Lately, there has been an up tick in I.T. salaries thus business again sees a need to increase the number of foreign workers to compete for the jobs.

I hate to say it but it looks to me like the MBA's want to make sure that they continue to make more than the geeks in the I.T. department.

eWeek has and interesting news article on the subject take a look here.

InfoWorld is none to happy either take a look here.

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Fred Thompson For President

Take a look at this exchange between Michael Moore and Fred Thompson:

First Michael Moore tries to challenge Fed Thompson to a debate, This from the Drudge Report:

LETTER:

May 15, 2007

Senator Fred Thompson
American Enterprise Institute
110 Seventeenth Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20036

Dear Senator Thompson,

Given that it has been publicly reported in The Weekly Standard, a leading neo-conservative publication, that you support Fidel Castro and the Cuban regime by being a purveyor of fine Cuban exports despite the trade embargo, I was surprised to see your recent op ed in a more traditional conservative outlet, The National Review, regarding my trip to Cuba (I suspect you choose The National Review in an effort to pander to an outlet that had criticized you for your opposition to medical malpractice legislation).

In your May 2, 2007 National Review article, "Paradise Island," you specifically raised concerns about whether my trip to Cuba with 9/11 heroes, who have suffered serious health problems as a result of their exposure to toxic substances at Ground Zero that have gone untreated was somehow going to support Castro ad the Cuban government:

"It always leaves me shaking my head when I read about some big-time actor or director going to Cuba and gushing all over Castro." [http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=OWNhNzA2YmY3NTNjZjZhNjE1NmZjMDFkOTdjN2Q4ZmE=]

Putting aside the fact that you, like the Bush Administration, seem far more concerned about the trip to Cuba than the health care of these 9/11 heroes, I was struck by the fact that your concerns (including comments about CastroÕs reported financial worth) apparently do not extend to your own conduct, as reported in The Weekly Standard's April 23, 2007 story, "From the Courthouse to the White House Fred Thompson auditions for the leading role" (emphasis added):

"Thompson's work space looks just like what the home office of a successful politician or CEO should look like -- though a little messier: a large desk, dark wood, leather furniture, lots of books and magazines and newspapers, a flat-screen TV, and box upon box of cigars -- Montecristos from Havana." [http://weeklystandard.com/Utilities/printer_preview.asp?idArticle=13528&R=1136E33842]

In light of your comments regarding Cuba and Castro, do you think the "box upon box of cigars -- Montecristos from Havana" that you have in your office have contributed to CastroÕs reported wealth?

While I will leave it up to the conservatives to debate your hypocrisy and the Treasury Department to determine whether the "box upon box of cigars" violates the trade embargo, I hereby challenge you to a health care debate.

Survey after survey has indicated that health care is one of the top issues to the American voters. Today, more than 46 million people lack health are coverage, including 9 million children. We pay significantly more than any other country in the world -- and get less back. Americans life expectancy is lower than other Ground Zero 9/11 workers live in a society where the Bush Administration has shown more concern about their travel than about their health.

Our debate would provide you an opportunity to appeal to the right wing of the Republican Party by continuing to attack me; it would give me a chance to discuss health care and tell you exactly what happened in Cuba, given your apparent inters; and it would provide the American people an opportunity to see just how serious Hollywood can be, with a purported conservative and an avowed progressive Hollywood personality on stage.

Over the course of the debate, we could specifically address the following issues:

(1) Your work as a lobbyist in light of the fact that the health care and insurance industries have maintained the current health care system through their effective control of the political establishment.

(2) The fact that you raised hundred of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the health care and insurance industries.

(3) Discuss the fact, highlighted in yet another conservative outlet The New York Sun, that you inexplicably wanted to cut funding for AIDS research. [http://www.nysunpolitics.com/blog/2007/05/thompsons-1994-issue-positions.html]

(4) Your relationship with the Frist family and by extension HCA, one of the nation's largest for-profit hospital chains. It has been reported that former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (who was renowned for his over-the-television-screen Schiavo diagnosis) is serving as one of your confidantes on your potential presidential campaign. The Frist family has historically controlled HCA, which paid a record $1.7 billion in civil and criminal fines, including a $631 million penalty for Medicaid fraud -- in other words, ripping off the taxpayers.

(5) Discussing whether Arthur Branch, as the District Attorney of Manhattan, supports a woman's right to choose, gun safety reforms, gay marriage, the trans fat ban and anti-smoking laws (which would impact Cuban cigars, including your Montecristos).

Like American Idol, we could even have the country vote to determine which one of us wins the debate. Though in the spirit of full disclosure, I feel obligated to forewarn you that I was the winner of the 1971-72 Detroit Free Press Debate Award for the state of Michigan.

The winner of our health care debate could even light a Victory cigar with one of your Montecristos (though we may want to consider shopping them to the safe house where I have put a master copy of SiCKO in the event that the Bush Administration tries to seize the film).

Sincerely,


Michael Moore

And now Fred Thompson’s Response.

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Legoland Nixed?

Brain Yates let us down. I think I made mistake when I voted for Brian Yates in the last election he appears to be more concerned the diplomatic protocol than what is best for his constituents.

He said that the reason the $46 million was removed was because the developers never approached him about it. So it appears that the $770 million dollar project proposed to the former Western Electric campus may not happen at all. If I was a state legislator and someone wanted to build a three quarters of a billion dollar project in my district I would be knocking on their door asking what I could do to help.

I don’t think I’ll be making that mistake again.

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Rachel Competes in Lees Summit Chalk Walk

My amazingly talented daughter Rachel Ashley competed in the Lees Summit Chalk Walk on Sunday, April 29th. I have little doubt that she was robbed when she didn't win. And I'm not alone, both of the home town newspapers carried photos and one carried an interview with her.

Take this link to see the pictures I took at the Chalk Walk.

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