Just had a thought ...

[NanceGreggs]

... so I'll throw it out there.

A little political activism:

If you are near a company that is outsourcing jobs to overseas labour markets, make signs and/or banners and place them on the company's fences, parking lot entranceways, where they can be seen by passers-by, along with flyers to be placed on executives' windshields, that say:

"WE'RE HIRING 'EM OVER THERE, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO HIRE 'EM AT HOME."

This sends a message to the corporation, and let's the public know at a glance who is sending American jobs out of the country. And because it so closely resembles Bush's "Fighting 'em over there ..." quote, it will remind people that it's Bush's policies that are not only allowing this to happen, but are encouraging it.

[Greyhound]

1. Great idea. Minor correction, it was the Clinton administration that

started the H1-b and L-1 visa programs. :shrug:

[NanceGreggs]

4. But we didn't see the enormous drain of American jobs ...

... until Bush. No one connects outsourcing to Clinton. As far as the public is concerned, this is another stone around THIS Administration's neck, just like Iraq.

[Greyhound]

6. Well as an IT professional let me assure you that millions of us saw

and connected it directly to Clinton. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to learn that laid off IT workers were a significant number of * voters. If you didn't live through it, you just don't know.

[NanceGreggs]

8. Sorry, and I DIDN'T know ...

... I should add that I've been living in Toronto for years.

I'd never even heard about 'outsourcing' until just a few years ago, when 60 Minutes did a piece on it.

I still think that most of the public (except, of course, people like yourself who were victims) connect this with the present Administration. For once, maybe the silence of the MSM on an important issue like this has worked in the Dem's favour!

[Greyhound]

9. Lucky you, being in Canada, where your government protects its

citizens (at least a little). Anyway it was, and to a large degree still is, a bloodbath. Of my graduating class of ~40, only 3 were able to stay or return to IT.

[NanceGreggs]

12. You're SO right, re 'lucky me' ...

When I first came to Toronto (from NYC) in the 'seventies, I HATED it here. Toronto seemed SO small town compared to home.

But over the years, I've come to love this town, and this country.

I have never even HEARD of someone having their job 'outsourced' here. My son (also an American) moved to Florida a few years ago, for business reasons. When I saw what he (then a healthy 25-year-old) had to pay by way of health insurance premiums, I couldn't believe my ears!

I was also truly shocked a few weeks ago, when someone here at DU started a thread about pot-smoking (note my avatar!). Ninety-five percent of the responses were: "Used to do it, but not anymore due to random drug testing at work."

I am a court reporter, and have security clearance to work on trials that involve governmental and financially-sensitive information. I have NEVER been asked to take a drug test - in fact, although I know stock brokers, lawyers, undercover cops, etc., I don't know of ANYONE who is subject to random drug tests.

What is my country coming to? My husband (who I met here, but is also from the States) and I used to talk about going 'home' when we retired. We gave up on that scenario long ago, for the reasons (as well as others) mentioned above.

[Greyhound]

14. Just rub it in, you beast.

[LiberalEsto]

7. Now Bush wants to lift the limit on H1B visas

which will kill off the few remaining computer tech jobs for American workers.

[LiberalEsto]

10. NOT TRUE. Bush 1 signed H-1B law in 1990

http://www.h1b.info/about.php


About the H-1B Visa
by JJ Kuhl (May 2003 revision)
In March 2003, the American Engineering Association reported that the U.S. high-tech sector lost 560,000 jobs--a 10 percent decline--between January 2001 and December 2002. During the same period, companies sponsored more than this number of high-tech workers on H-1B and other temporary visas.

The Immigration Act of 1990 established an annual quota of 65,000 H-1B visas. The stated purpose was to bring "the best and the brightest" to American shores. This number of available visas became a fixed requirement under the World Trade Agreement.

During the late 1990s, the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), whose members include the major US technology companies and the India outsourcing companies, lobbied both Congressional Democrats and Republicans with high campaign contributions to raise the H-1B cap to 195,000 workers annually. They succeeded once in 1998 to raise the cap temporarily to 115,000, but that wasn't enough for ITAA.

Also:

http://www.zazona.com/ShameH1B/H1BHistory.htm

1990

President George H.W. Bush's signing of the "Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1990" is often considered the day H-1B was born.

[Greyhound]

13. I write corrected. Thank you.

It would've been nice if Clinton had stopped it.

[LiberalEsto]

15. Yes, it would have been nice if he had.

There would be a lot more Americans working for middle-class salaries today if H-1B had been canceled. Many of our friends would have been spared years of unemployment and underemployment.

I think Clinton had to do a LOT of cleaning up after the economic mess made by B*sh #1. Then, two years into his term, he got a rethug-controlled House, which limited his ability to do things. I can't say what Clinton would have done about H-1B.

[leftstreet]

2. Excellent idea. Wrong target.

Execs already know what's going on. They'd just laugh.

A great flyer would be one listing any local corps outsourcing, then your "over there" message.

Target: mall parking lot, grocery store parking lot, etc.

:thumbsup:

[NanceGreggs]

5. Sorry ...

... sometimes I am SO INARTICULATE, I'd swear Bush is rubbing off on me (arughh!)

What I meant was to place the banners, signs, etc. on company fences, parking entrance-ways and so on, where the public can see them as they walk or drive by.

Flyers on cars in the lot (especially 'Reserved for Management' cars) would just be AN ADDED BONUS!

Thanks for prompting me to make that correction ...

[leftstreet]

11. Ah. Yes a good plan.

As much public exposure as possible.

[Branjor]

3. LOL!

That's a winner! And so true :(