Idiotorial supporting H-1B increases

Date: Wednesday, August 10, 2005 4:50 PM

JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER

by Rob Sanchez
August 10, 2005 No. 1309

An editorial appeared in a California and Florida newspaper in support of raising the H-1B cap. They are using the fact that almost all the visas for 2006 have been reserved as a reason that the limit should be raised. The rational that employer demand should set the limit has been used ever since the first big increase in the yearly cap on the number of visas since 1998.

I suspect that this is the work of CompeteAmerica because these editorials have all the hallmarks of others they have planted in newspapers. Notice the author never appears so it looks to the reader like the editorial was written by the staff of the newspaper.

CompeteAmerica usually brags about their editorial plants but as of the time of this newsletter they haven't listed it yet. Give them a few days to update their website because you can bet they will want to brag about their new shilling accomplishment. To see a listing of their editorial plants go to:

http://www.competeamerica.org/editorials/index.html

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http://www.venturacountystar.com/vcs/opinion/article/0,1375,VCS_125_3990575,00.htmland
http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/perspective/article/0,2071,NPDN_14966_3989953,00.html

Editorial: Special visas needed
August 10, 2005

One of the genuine plusses in our convoluted immigration laws is the H-1B visa. This lets highly educated foreigners with special skills -- engineers, mathematicians, scientists, doctors, nurses, teachers, computer programmers and, for whatever reason, fashion models of "distinguished merit and ability" -- live and work in this country for up to six years. It allows employers to fill jobs where there is a shortage of qualified applicants and, since the H-1B holders can apply for green cards and earn permanent residency, it creates a pool of people likely to become citizens.

Labor unions have complained the H-1B visas are a source of cheap labor taking jobs from Americans and cutting wage rates. But the law requires foreigners be paid prevailing wages and the employer prove no U.S. citizen is available for the work. Congress caps the number of H-1B visas at 65,000, but for three years, it had to triple the number available.

Demand is bumping against the limit. The Associated Press reports 52,000 visas pending or approved for the federal fiscal year starting Oct. 1. In other words, the visas will be gone before the year starts. The AP further says half of the visas issued so far have gone to foreigners with advanced degrees in math and science. These are people we want.

Congress should raise the visa limit to a realistic level that balances demand and supply. It's only self-interest. Better to have these workers here than have employers ship those jobs overseas.

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