Bill's SKIL Bill - correction

Date: Friday, May 05, 2006 8:39 PM

JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER

May 05, 2006 No. 1472

In the previous newsletter titled "Bill's SKIL Bill" I stated that
CompeteAmerica is an ITAA spinoff created by Harris Miller. That is not
true, although Harris Miller's relationship with CompeteAmerica is far from
casual - they are more like partners in crime.

I publish so many newsletters that sometimes I forget what's in them! In
the newsletter "Compete America May 06, 2004 - No. 1006" was about the
origins of CompeteAmerica and why ABLI changed their name. You can read
that by going to the online archive (link at the end of every newsletter).

CompeteAmerica originated from the American Business for Legal Immigration
(ABLI). The ABLI was a powerful alliance of corporations that lobbied for
H-1B. In 2000 they sent their infamous petition to Congress asking for more
H-1Bs. The petition was signed by a multitude of employers and special
interest groups. You can view their letter here:

http://www.zazona.com/ShameH1B/Library/Archives/ABLI.htm

The ABLI changed their name to CompeteAmerica in 2004. You can still view
some of their old webpages on the CompeteAmerica website. Here is one of
them:

http://www.competeamerica.org/news/alliance_pr/20040204_flex.html
L Visa Program is 'Critical Tool for US-Based Multinational Companies'

Harris Miller had a prominent role in the ABLI and they often worked in
cahoots with each other. Occasionally Miller acted as a shill-for-hire by
representing ABLI as an official spokesmen. Immigration attorney Shusterman
still gives Miller credit for his activities on behalf of the ABLI.

In 1999 Harris Miller forged a partnership with the ABLI in order to lobby
for an H-1B increase. It was a marriage made in heaven. Together with an
alliance of 11,000 companies they succeeded in convincing Congress and
President Clinton to raise the yearly H-1B cap from 65,000 to 195,000.

Harris Miller will be the focus of many newsletters until the Virginia
primary is settled on June 13th. Miller is running in the Virginia
Senatorial primary against James Webb. If Harris "the Shiller" Miller wins
the primary Virginia voters will get to choose between him and Senator
George Allen (R, VA), one of the co-sponsors of Bill's SKILL Bill. Some
choice, huh?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://www.shusterman.com/abli.html
Despite the many education and training programs offered by these companies
and numerous others, most industries are finding it extremely difficult to
recruit and hire qualified information technology professionals. Harris
Miller, President of the Information Technology Association of America
(ITAA), also testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, emphasizing
that "access to the IT industry's basic commodity -- skilled people -- has
reached a perilous state." Miller is also a spokesman for ABLI, a coalition
of more than 200 business associations and companies.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://www.crn.com/sections/breakingnews/dailyarchives.jhtml?articleId=18804297

ITAA, ABLI Partner To Spotlight Worker Shortage Crisis

By Tim Scannell,
Arlington, Va.

2:24 PM EDT Fri. Jun. 11, 1999

The Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), an industry trade
organization, has joined forces with the American Business for Legal
Immigration (ABLI) coalition, a lobbying group, to call attention to the
impending shut down this month of the H1B immigration program.

The H1B program, which is managed by the U.S Immigration and Naturalization
Service (INS), allows a specific number of foreign technical workers to
temporarily fill vacancies in U.S. high-tech companies. This quota was
raised last fiscal year to 115,000 people from 65,000 people, but is
already near capacity due to the extreme shortage of skilled computer
workers in the U.S. As a result, the H1B doors most likely will be closed
this month, and will not be reopened until October 1, at the start of a new
fiscal year.

The INS shut the program down in May of last year, which only compounded
the problem since the backlog of worker demand swelled by about 30,000
applications after the program was suspended. These requests automatically
were assigned to the new fiscal quota, which chipped away at the fiscal
year's numbers by almost 30 percent.

"Raising the visa cap was a temporary fix by government," said ITAA
president Harris Miller in a prepared statement sent to its membership. The
industry "needs to lead the effort to train more skilled workers to meet
the growing need."

The ITAA linked up with the ABLI to alert its more than 11,000 member
companies and government officials that quotas soon will be reached and
more effective changes may be needed in the H1B program.

The ABLI, based in Washington, D.C., is a coalition of more than 200
business associations and companies that is lobbying for changes in current
government immigration laws. Microsoft Corp., Sun Microsystems Inc., Texas
Instruments Inc., and other ABLI members testified before Congress in
February about the serious shortage of skilled high-tech workers and its
impact on U.S. companies' ability to grow and compete.

At present, there are some 346,000 unfilled IT positions nationwide, says
an ITAA study, although this number could be substantially higher based on
studies conducted by companies like Microsoft.

The ITAA, based in Arlington, Va., also is supporting a number of
alternative solutions to H1B, including such things as tax incentives for
company-sponsored training programs and a scholarship fund that would
support an IT university or other scholastic program.

"The worker shortage is drastic," Miller said. "It's time for industry to
overhaul the way it recruits and trains workers."

More information on the ITAA and its position on the current worker
shortage is available at the organization's Web site at
www.itaa.org/workforce.

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