[TriLUG] OT: PT One tech issue from tonight's debate

[Scott Chilcote]

On 10/17/2012 09:14 AM, William Sutton wrote:
> Ugh, politics.
>
> I'm with Aaron one one thing:  If you want to come to this country,
> work for a living, pay your taxes, and be a responsible member of
> society, the doors should be wide open.  That's part of what made this
> country so strong in the 1800s and early 1900s (technology or no).
>
> William Sutton

I strongly agree with this sentiment.  However, there are more variables
in this problem that affect Americans working in math, engineering, and
science than having a free and open immigration policy.

Most of the older geeks who use this forum are familiar with the issues
already, so I'll keep this brief.  There are nations where the cost of
an education as well as the cost of living is far lower than it is in
the USA.  If we allow skilled technologists from those places to come
here to work and live a very minimal existence for enough years to build
up a nest egg, then return to their home countries... Will there be a
viable job market for US citizens who want to do the same thing?

There's nothing hypothetical about this issue.  During the 00s, tech
companies were going to great lengths to deceive the government into
believing that their jobs were going unfilled. They used tactics like
advertising their open positions in small town papers, miles from
anywhere a qualifying American might find them.  With a track record of
empty positions, they used this false evidence to get HIB quotas
increased.  I remember seeing a briefly famous video of a consultant
explaining how to do this, secretly recorded at a conference.  "Get rid
of your overpriced American geeks, before your competition does."

If we had an internationally level playing field, the disparity between
US salaries and those of other countries would go away and take this
problem along with it.  Until that happens, it's going to be a bumpy
road for those of us who want to stay here long term.  One approach is
not to rely on an existing company for employment, but join forces with
other unemployed geeks and start our own companies.  Not anyone has the
resources necessary to pull it off.  It's a much harder path, but the
rewards are a lot higher when it works.

     Scott C.