The H1B program was relatively small (compared to today's size). Folks didn't understand it. Plenty of employable folks (heck they were migrating from top schools to the area from across the country). But even though folks didn't understand it (per "dire need"
- they understood they why... there was someone willing to work for quite a bit less for one of those visas. And the push worried many folks. Again - at that point, in the heart of the hi-tech boom, there was no visible need. No companies were withering on the vine because they could not find qualified workers. It was about reaching into cheaper labor markets and increasing profits.
15-20 years later... your post resonates. Even more than back then. How many older hi-tech workers, highly skilled and qualified, are available and capable of empty IT jobs that exist (no need for a pipeline to "create" the job), but are being unfilled while the company waits to get an H1B visa worker at lower price. Cannibal capitalism is very profitable for those at the top.
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