Published Tuesday, August 10, 1999, in the San Jose Mercury News

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

High tech visas (will) (will not) solve the problem

AFTER reading the essentials of Rep. Zoe Lofgren's BRAIN act (Page 1C, Aug.
5), one thinks Lofgren has been brainwashed by the high tech corporations.

Her plan is simple.  There is a reputed shortage of high tech
workers. There is a pool of foreign students in our universities with
the proper degrees. The BRAIN act bypasses current immigration limits
to hire these individuals.

However, this does nothing to solve the fundamental problem that there are
not enough American students enrolling in the disciplines that the high
tech industry wants. If the immigration limits are not increased for
the second time in two years, then there will be a decrease in the supply
of high tech workers, which will drive up demand and thus increase the
salaries for high tech workers now in this country (native and
foreign). The high salaries will encourage American students to study  high
tech disciplines. It is simple supply and demand economics.

The BRAIN act does not solve the fundamental problem, and will simply be
followed by even more relaxation of immigration laws. After all, the
BRAIN act comes on the heels of last year's immigration relaxation that
was supposed to solve the high tech worker shortage.

One has to wonder if Lofgren (D-San Jose) is representing the people of her
district or the corporate powers headquartered there.

Gary Sellani    
Fremont   


I am a resident of Silicon Valley with the highest concentration of
technology expertise in the world. However, I can claim that many of my
friends and I, all U.S. citizens with advanced degrees, are often
unemployed or underemployed. Many have created independent businesses
because they were laid off by corporate America.

Visit the talent market Web site in which technical and other independent
professionals put their services up for bid
(http://talentmarket.monster.com). Please note that there are few, if any,
companies even bidding in the technical categories where the asking rate is
as low as $20/hour. What's the problem here?

Are all American workers challenged in their daily work or could
companies be retraining them? Why don't we see the words "will train" in
employment ads anymore? Why are technical employment ads so specific that a
person with an advanced degree in mathematics or science cannot qualify for
a technical position? Why are we seeing major failures in the aerospace
industry after most experienced engineers were laid off?

A bill to increase the number of H-1B visa workers before every
worker currently in the U.S. is gainfully employed is a disgrace to the
American business ethic.

Let these whining companies with unskilled managers hire the laid-off
American worker. This worker is now manager of his/her own small
business and is looking for independent, contract work at a wage the market
has determined.

Luciana Messina    
San Jose   


SOMETIMES I don't know if I should laugh or get disgusted at the extreme
emphasis given to foreign high-tech workers. The truth is that the
United States is at an all-time low unemployment level, and absolutely all
fields are suffering form a lack of qualified workforce. Many marketing
professionals I know get at least one call a week from headhunters across
the nation.

Even though some Americans may be getting hurt by the import of labor,
overall the country needs more qualified people making sure things get
done.  Besides, several reports have shown recently that  immigrants
under-utilize public services, and that a wide percentage of entrepreneurs
are of foreign origin.  In other words, immigrants are staying away from
eating a big piece of the tax-funded pie like many think, and many are
generating new jobs, tax-paying wealth, and increasing the offerings to the
public.

Marta Donayre    
San Jose