Unbelievable. Microsoft lays off 18,000 workers while pressing Congress to expand the number of visas for engineers, mathematicians, scientists, and other workers. Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and casino operator Sheldon Adelson wrote an article calling for Congressional action to increase H-1B visas.
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Senator Jeff Sessions responded with rage, directed mainly at Gates and at the the tech industry as a whole. He said: “”What did we see in the newspaper today?” said Sessions, “News from Microsoft. Was it that they are having to raise wages to try to get enough good, quality engineers to do the work? Are they expanding or are they hiring? No, that is not what the news was, unfortunately. Not at all.”
Sessions said:
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“What is the situation today for American graduates of STEM degrees and technology degrees?” said Session. “Do we have enough? And do we need to have people come to our country to take those jobs? Or, indeed, do we not have a shortage of workers, and do we have difficulty of people finding jobs?”
“Sessions recently sponsored a forum that assembled some of the leading academic critics of the H-1B program. The group assessed the consequences of hiking the H-1B cap from 85,000 to 180,000, as proposed in the Senate’s comprehensive immigration bill.
“They warned of increasing age discrimination since most of these foreign workers are young, as well as make it harder for U.S. STEM graduates to find work. A cap hike could hurt wages as well. Critics say schools now produce many more STEM graduates than there are jobs for them.
“Microsoft wasn’t the only company to get in Sessions’ crosshairs. He cited a letter by more than 100 large corporations sent to Congress late last year, urging immigration reform. The signees included many companies, such as Hewlett-Packard and Cisco, which have had recent layoffs.
“And just as it is not always true what is good for General Motors is good for America, likewise, what may be good for Mr. Adelson and Mr. Microsoft and Mr. Buffett is not always in accord with what is good for the American people. I know that. They are free to express their opinion, but I am going to push back,” said Sessions.
*****please note
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Why we should NOT listen to Bill Gates’ ideas about pretty much everything, except computer operating systems (and maybe not then either):
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/07/ed_tech_promoters_need_to_realize_we_re_not_all_autodidacts.html
Guess that they don’t have the skills for the 21st Century. Can they read a cloze passage and compare and contrast or understand an authors meaning?
Good for Senator Sessions. I wish more of our “representatives” would see what is really happening in the U.S. I put the word “representatives” in quotation marks because most of Congress has ceased to represent us.
Threatened Out West.. how true! Robert Reich is addressing this issue.. take a read:
http://robertreich.org/post/93122315065
In my opinion we no longer respect working folks. The knowledge that CEO’s make 300 times what the average wage earner makes, says it all.
We???
Sessions needs to read this previous blog post:
A large number of those that will be layer off are employees of Nokia and do not work in the United States. It seems reasonable to me that Microsoft is laying off manufacturing employees working for Nokia and at the same time working to expand its engineering capacity.
Do you want Microsoft to expand operations in the United States or should it expand overseas where it has better access to engineering talent?
You conveniently overlooked this passage indicating that Microsoft is not the only company seeking low wage workers from elsewhere. “Microsoft wasn’t the only company to get in Sessions’ crosshairs. He cited a letter by more than 100 large corporations sent to Congress late last year, urging immigration reform. The signees included many companies, such as Hewlett-Packard and Cisco, which have had recent layoffs.
Laura,
Because the headline was about Microsoft, I posted about Microsoft. I am happy to discuss the other firms as well though.
It seems to me that someone who views individuals as all being of equal moral standing would want to favor one individual over another because of where they were born. A person might wish to be employed by company A at a low wage because the alternative to working at company A for the low wage is to work at Company B for an even lower wage. Why do you want to force that person to work at company B rather than allowing them to work for A? Is it simply that they were born in the “wrong” part of the world?
Because citizenship should still mean something. If companies like Microsoft who made it big due to America, they should be held accountable to America.
MatVale,
Being born in the United States gives a person greater moral worth than being born in India? I would be interested in hearing you elaborate on this point.
I can’t seem to find where MathVale said anything about greater moral value.
Dienne,
What does MathVale’s statement that “citizenship should mean something” as a justification for not allowing people born in some areas of the world from having the opportunity to improve their lives by working for Microsoft mean if not that we should allow people different opportunities based on where they were born? Is that treating people equally?
Again and again, we see Gates and other tech giants demanding more visas for foreign workers. Yet, there is no documented shortage of American STEM labor available. Gates wants to import foreign grads who work for less and lack citizen rights, making them very dependent on management to keep their positions, less likely to demand higher wages, to organize labor unions, or to leave Microsoft for other firms, because Gates is the big boss who controls their visa situation. Unprotected migrant labor produces huge profits in the agribusiness and meat-packing industries, but it also offers huge reductions in the wage package tech companies pay for graduate labor. Tech giants and other major corporations have not only have engineered flat wage levels for the past 3o years, but they have also withdrawn from paying corporate taxes, which are then transferred to those who have no choice but to got work daily to earn a living. What Gates is doing to the job market for his own profits, he is also doing to the education sector.
Yes, you are arguing moral value, I am not. Do not confuse the issue. Are you saying citizenship is no longer relevant in the labor market? If U.S. companies hire Americans, are they wrong in doing so in your opinion? Should intellectual property laws in China be applied to U.S. businesses? It is interesting as you seem to be arguing for global governance to parallel global commerce. Do you think nations are irrelevant?
I am saying that when you argue that individuals be given different opportunities in life based on where they are born you are making morally relevant distinctions based on their place of birth.
Moral value?? Really?? What is the moral value of laying off and/or not hiring Americans in favor of low-wage foreign workers? I don’t believe for a minute that the “moral value” of these workers are the driving force behind the actions of these companies.
And yes, as an American, I do want my fellow citizens and America as a whole to prosper. Find me a country on the planet where this is not the sentiment, and I’ll show you a failed nation.
Tony,
Low wage foreign workers would be even worse off without the opportunity to work at “low wages”. The radical reduction in worldwide poverty is due, in part, to these “low wage” workers having more opportunities.
TE: I find it ironic and repugnant at the same time that you argue the moral value of individuals in order to justify the importing of workers, and, I’m also assuming, the outsourcing of manufacturing and other jobs to other countries. YES, all individuals are equal. Despite your claim, no one here is arguing otherwise. HOWEVER, corporations are NOT treating individuals equally. The reason that corporations are trying to expand the visa program or outsource jobs is not because they are equal to those in the United States. It is exactly the opposite. Corporations move production or bring in workers from other countries because they are cheaper. They exploit workers here and abroad. They turn the other way when factories elsewhere pollute the environment or build factories that are unsafe. They ignore the slave wages that these people work under. They justify or ignore the lesser wages that they pay those who come on visas from other nations.
If, TE, these corporations really value human beings equally, as you imply, they would pay the same wages to all workers of that job, regardless of which state that person is a citizen of, or where that person lives. Corporations don’t. It would affect their bottom line. It’s that simple.
I know you will somehow twist my words and continue this argument. I don’t care. As a debater and debate coach, I could probably slam you. But I don’t have the time or energy to engage you in a pointless tit for tat. You won’t learn anything because you refuse to.
Threatened,
You would give a United States citizen the ability to accept or reject an offer for employment by a company based on what that individual thinks best for themselves and thier family but deny that same ability to a non citizen.
I am surprised that you don’t see this argument given the long history of workforce segregation by gender suppressing teaching salaries in the United States. Workforce segregation by country citizenship has the same effect.
People: Stop reading AND stop responding to TE! He is an attention seeking, self-righteous, know-it-all “reformer” whose M.O. is described to a T in Wikipedia’s definition of an Internet troll, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll
“a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.”
That is what he has been doing here hour after hour, day after day, year after year. IGNORE him already! He is not deserving of our time and energy.
Cosmic,
It would make much more sense to respond to my argument than to call me names. I would be the first to wish that the world worked differently than it does. Basing policy on how you wish the world worked is a recipie for very bad policy.
Good call, Cosmic. The shoe fits and it’s being worn.
Dear teachingeconomist,
It seems you are bringing up Strawman arguments about morality. The simple fact is that corporations are free to look for lower cost wages by controlling who moves where while citizens (either US or India) are confined to move as the corporations allow. If we lived in a world where people were free to cross boarders to find higher wages, you would have a point. However, people DO NOT have the ability to move freely without either government or corporate approval. Hence, they are controlling the cost of labor in a non-free market.
I’m surprised you can’t see that is what is meant by “Citizenship should mean something”.
Or was that a insult to you?
Perhaps you need to fill out the Immigration “ID-10-T” form?
You mean better access to cheaper talent. The Silicon Valley has been pushing H1bs for years. H1bs work for less money and benefits, are indentured to the sponsoring company, have fewer job protections, are younger without families, and don’t ask questions. Our area is flooded with H1b workers living in vast apartment complexes to serve a big bank. While American STEM workers, particularly over 40, are serving lattes at Starbucks. If companies are to enjoy the hard won freedoms and business friendly policies of the U.S., they should be responsible and held accountable to American citizens first. “Free markets” seem only to be used as hammers against working Americans.
MathVale,
No I mean access to a higher paying job with Microsoft for individuals currently having to work for lower wages. Why do you deny those individuals the opportunity to earn more?
Nice strawman. But H1bs do not create higher paying jobs at Microsoft. They increase supply meaning lower pay. Pure and simple. That is their purpose, not some altruistic, benevolent interest of tech CEOs! All while Silicon Valley enjoys the benefits of a strong, pro-business government policy here in the U.S.
MathVale,
Do you think that the folks working with H1B visas do it because they are paid less in the United States than they would be paid in their home country? Of course not. Limiting jobs at Microsoft to people born in the United States will make some people born in the United States better off and some people born outside the United States worse off. That is what job preferences always due wether it’s based on race, gender, or country of birth.
“…or should it expand overseas where it has better access to engineering talent?”
Let me fix that for you:
“or should it expand overseas where it has better access to *cheaper* engineering talent?” Microsoft has plenty of access to engineering talent right here in the U.S. It’s just that our talent won’t work for $5/hour.
Dienne,
You need to remember that the reason folks are willing to work at low wages for any firm is that the alternative is worse. Condemning the poor to subsistence agriculture is not, in my mind, a progressive policy.
Ah, yes, your concern for the world’s poor is touching. So I’m sure you would support countries, such as Chile under Salvador Allende, who wish to implement protectionist policies that safeguard their own workers, no?
Dienne,
Protectionist policies are foolish and hurt the poorest in the world so I do not support them being used by any country.
Right. Chile was really suffering under Allende. Good thing Pinochet came along.
It would seem that these corporations are like countries onto themselves. All they think about is there own selfish good and not that they are in America, a product of American liberty, freedoms and rights and don’t have to give back anything at all to the country that helped make them what they are. Instead they deliberately hire people from other countries that are cheaper and younger and get rid of their current workers and ignore their own countries labor supply. The outrage that the senator feels is good, he’s right they are so selfish . And yet they are the first to wave the flag or wear a lapel pin with a flag or talk about how American they are. Its not what you say that makes you a good patriotic American it what’s you do for your country .And no teaching economist that reply did not suggest that it is more moral to be born in America than India, it suggested what Kennedy said in his inaugural speech. Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. These corporations are passing over well educated Americans for well educated Indians because they work for less. It’s that simple. Greed, not righteous morality as you seem to think is what motivates them. And frankly this greed and selfishness is the disease of our age, not to be rationalized away as business or that’s the way it is. It is destroying America one jobless American at a time. And these corporations don’t give a hang about America or what their responsibility as Americans is they just care about profit, money and this is soulless, and very very sad.
Julie,
You need to ask why these people are willing to work for such very low wages. It is because the alternatives are worse. Denying them the opportunity to work for these firms at these “low wages” will make them and their children worse off.
To teachingeconomist:
According to word by mouth, all investment in dictatorship country cannot move out of its country. If that is true, then I am really welcome Microsoft to expand its operation overseas until Gate becomes pennies-less man.
Look at Apple versus Samsung in Korea. Look at GM versus Honda/ Toyota/ Huyndai. Look at Gucci versus Chinese fake products… Yes, expand globally at the cost of our own American economy. The worst is that we are being killed by all malfunctioned products from unskilled, and uncaring foreign workers. Last, our security and finance are threaten by those terrorists who are smart enough to explore and exploit our system.
Those greedy tycoon eventually die without bringing any wealth with them, except being reincarnated into all savage environment where they helped to create = their mind or spirit drags them into where they belong and suffer without civilized consciousness.
This is the only explanation as why those barbarous leaders come from warring countries. Back2basic
Do you want Microsoft to expand operations in the United States or should it expand overseas where it has better access to engineering talent?
You are wrong.
They have access to engineering talent here. But US citizens would cost more, especially having been educated at, e.g., MIT.
Paul Craig Roberts write frequently on this, especially when the jobs report comes out.
http://www.paulcraigroberts.org
Abroad it will be.
Reblogged this on Kmareka.com and commented:
All this pressure from Bill Gates and his education reform to make more test-proficient students, and then he goes off and hires foreign workers instead of the Americans he is supposedly so worried about…
Yes, but it also makes us as Americans and our families worse off by eliminating high paying jobs one at a time. You can’t be that stupid to not realize that. What will happen when all of these engineering jobs are filled by H1B’s? How many American families will suffer then? We must first take care of our own before we look out for others. Furthermore, Mr. Economist it’s convenient how you forget to elaborate on how these foreigners hurt our economy by sending the bulk of their earnings back to their respective Countries to help support their families. If these were American workers the money would be spent right here in our economy instead of some third world country something which America is vastly starting to resemble. When you have workers sending their money out of our country and you have corporations doing the same by setting up shop outside of the USA in order to evade taxes you will end up with a Mexico in no time. We are already seventy percent there. Stop trolling and take your head out of your rectum. Your opinions strongly resemble those of the oligarchs who have destroyed our country with their greed and moral ineptitude.
The Real One,
Why is it that you think the welfare of citizens in other countries that are hired at “low wages” is not relevant to a discussion about outsourcing? Disturbing to those that don’t want to think about it true, but it is relevant.
By your formula every American citizen with a decent job should give it up to someone from a third world country because they are poorer. Actually we all should give up our jobs because there are plenty of people in the world with less. There must be an H1B economist out there eager to step into your shoes.
And in exchange Americans will be given well paying jobs in other countries.
Sen. Sessions has it right. There’s plenty of available engineering talent right here in the U.S. if greedy corporations were willing to seek them out and pay them competitive wages. It’s these kinds of behaviors by big corporations that’s killing job opportunities for our young college and tech school graduates and experienced but displaced older workforce. It’s helping to suppress economic recovery, especially by the middle class, and it discourages high schoolers or the unemployed from pursuing higher ed or other advanced training. And by the way, 20 years ago corporations routinely invested heavily in in-house training programs; today, they expect every new hire to already know and have mastered 90% plus of what they’ll do in the jobs they’re seeking.
It all boils down to corporate greed and their desire for cheap, young labor — the kind of employees who are unlikely to talk back to the boss or be in need of much health care, have no tradition of “workers rights” or unionization, and won’t stick around long enough to expect a pension, productivity bonus or merit pay, or any other costly perks.
So true…I have a friend who works in a data entry job for a VERY well known US company that has outsourced their work in the Philippines, and gets paid about $1.30 USD. They routinely work 50+ hour weeks, 6-7 days a week, and have no job protections of any kind. Is this the “moral value” the economist above is proud of??
Tony,
Would you like the workers in the Philippines to go back to subsistence agriculture?
TE,
Many, of not most, of us would like you to go back to subsistence agriculture.
You may as well, as you are a master of subsistence thinking.
Robert,
Any thoughts that are relevant to the discussion?
TE
Honestly, I don’t want the American workers to be forced into subsistence farming. This is a race to the bottom for workers, with a very few capitalists at the top gaining the rewards. Oh, and then blaming teachers for not doing a good enough job educating people.
English,
Any thought on forcing citizens of Bangladesh back to subsistence farming?
TE, why not move to Bangladesh and teach all the people and authorities how to set up a better system and life? Don’t you think you staying here is hurting them over there?
Do you have any relevant thoughts to this (or any other on this blog) discussion?
Robert,
Again you seem a little confused about the discussion here. It concerns both international capital flows (giving the poor access to the means of production) and international trade (allowing the poor to sell the fruits of their labor to the rich). I am arguing that blocking either path will result in there being more extremely poor people in the world, and that we see the fruits of more open economies in the unprecedented decline in world wide poverty.
Do you have a position on this?
Robert,
Do you think I could teach English in Bangladesh?
“….And by the way, 20 years ago corporations routinely invested heavily in in-house training programs; today, they expect every new hire to already know and have mastered 90% plus of what they’ll do in the jobs they’re seeking.”
Why should tax payers further subsidize big business in this way when there is no return on our (American citizen’s) investment?
These corporations do not invest in education, in the environment, in eldercare or retirement for our citizens. They need to have there corporate citizenship revoked.
Good for Senator Session!!
Where are the others that know what he knows but are silent in order to keep their own jobs.
Laying off experienced employees and bringing new younger recruits. Where have we heard that before?
Amazing, things are so bad that even a GOPer is blasting the phony baloney rationale for increasing H1B visas, thereby stabbing American workers in the back and then throwing salt on the wound for good measure. Paul Krugman debunked this zombie myth that there aren’t enough US tech workers or STEM educated graduates. There are plenty of US tech workers, they are ready and willing and they are seeking employment. Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and Cisco, etc., do not want to pay fair wages to US workers. As it is, they have reduced too many workers to permanent part time workers but that’s not enough for the greedy CEOs. They want even more indentured servants known as H1B visa workers who work for less with no benefits and who can be fired or let go without too much fuss.
absolutely right–cheaper labor produces richer owners.
Ira,
Cheap labor means that the folks taking those low wage jobs are better off than they would be without the opportunity to take those jobs. Why do you discount the gains to workers based on their nationality?
You are really being obtuse, TE. Those jobs were once filled by people making middle-class wages with benefits who were then able to support their families. They’re now being filled by people making poverty wages. This isn’t a net benefit for anyone other than the owners – it’s a net loss and one cause (among many) of the ever-widening wealth gap.
Dienne,
They are being filled by people who would make even less if they did not have the opportunity to take those jobs.
Denying them the opportunity to take those jobs lowers their salaries in just the same way that denying women the opportunity to take most jobs lowered salaries for the few jobs , like teaching, that women were allowed to take.
So I guess you’re saying that it’s a good thing to make paupers out of people here, as long as people in some foreign country are making slightly more than they otherwise would. Guess we’ll have to agree to disagree on that.
Dienne,
Is it a good thing that there are many fewer people in the world living on less than $1.25 a day? Absolutely. Has this resulted in people in the United States becoming paupers? Of course not.
TE,
I understand your argument completely about how it helps those people who otherwise would have no employment in these very economically depressed countries. I’ve seen it first-hand in places such as Cebu City, Philippines. The money these people make is better than the local average, but no where close to the level of economic success of those who previously held those jobs in America.
Also…what happens to those Americans who are released? What is to become of them?? Job training for tech-skilled Americans in their 40’s and 50’s?? Age and income discrimination are very real things here in US hiring practices. I want to hear your ideas on these points.
Tony,
The problems that people face when their jobs are destroyed by technological change (songs are often posted here so let me add one from OCMS: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_-hmhF9cn_k ) , changes in trade patterns (though this is often enabled by technology changes), and changes in tastes ( you might look up another Old Crow tune We Don’t Grow Tobacco for a song about that) is a problem that every dynamic economy has to deal with.
The right answer has to be helping the folks whose jobs have been destroyed to find other things to do, not freezing the economy so that individuals can always be assured of lifetime employment in one industry. Retraining, a willingness to move even to North Dakota, and perhaps even a new understanding of the value of older employees by employers are all part of it.
That being said, I do think that the trade created issues are declining. The world economy has had to deal with China’s relatively rapid integration into the system, and I think that caused some short term problems. With the decline in the size of the labor force in China along with the rapidly rising wages (though as you point out, still far far below wages in the US), I expect manufacturing growth in the US to return to a more normal level.
If you really want to worry about lost jobs, robotics should be your concern. Take the professional driver, for example. Self driving cars, trucks, and busses will undoubtedly save many lives and do much to improve the environmental efficiency of our transportation network, but they will destroy an entire profession (just as the gas powered engine destroyed the harness making industry in its time).
Your argument is a false equivalency, TE. IF the corporations were keeping their workforce here, instead of colonization overseas, then those other countries would begin to use their own capabilities to create their own high tech companies and employ their own people. Yes, it would require time and effort. But history has proven, time and again, that colonization, physical or financial, does NOT benefit the colonized, only the colonizer. Check out Wallerstein’s World Systems Theory, or the concept of neo-colonialism. I teach AP Human Geography, and these themes come up again and again. You can see neo-colonialism in the Rwandan genocide, in the French sending in arms to various groups in the mess in the Central African Republic, and to the outsourcing of manufacturing world wide. As I said upthread, if these corporations really cared about the plight of people in poverty-stricken states, they would pay those workers the same, regardless of where they were.
The economic record is quite the opposite. The more open a country to the international economy, the better the domestic does, including growth in income for the poorest in that economy. Wallerstein is incorrect.
Um, TE, you’re going to need to cite a source for that last ridiculous claim. Something not connected to Milton Friedman and his ilk, please.
Dienne,
Here is a paper that reviews the literature: http://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/journals/openness_growth_link.pdf
I would also suggest doing a search using the terms “openness trade economic growth”.
Sigh. Your tendency to bring up strawmen gets old, TE. Anyway, you have never addressed my central argument, made twice in this thread. If a corporation REALLY cared about workers worldwide, would they not pay equal wages, regardless of location? $40,000 a year for an engineer, which is low for an engineer in the U.S., would be life-changing in the developing world. It would allow money for innovation and building of local capacities. It would help increase education. It would change nations. Wallerstein never said that nations should decrease contact with the outside world. He said that the wealthy nations exploit developing nations, making those developing nations more dependent on the wealthy nations, and thus stymieing those nations’ abilities to grow their own economies. I see that happening politically and economically all over the world. You do not see that. More’s the pity.
Without taking a position on this issue, I can say that there is a difference between believing that globalization and/or outsourcing are altruistic and believing that globalization and/or outsourcing can have the effect of improving the lives of low-wage workers.
Threatened,
The answer to your question is no, if corporations really cared about people they would not pay every employee around the world the same wage. That would result in far too few people being hired in countries where workers have relatively low productivity and condemn far too many to life of grinding poverty.
Wallerstein is mistaken about the means of transferring value from relatively poor countries to relatively rich ones. Dependency theory is an inappropriate application of Marxist thinking about class exploitation.
True, FLERP. That is an excellent point. However, even somewhat higher wages for those working for American corporations in the developing world would have amazing consequences, without an enormous impact on that company’s bottom line. So even if these companies don’t pay the standard wage for those in the U.S., why won’t these corporations at least demand (and pay for) worker safety and environmental controls in manufacturing in developing nations? Why did many corporations move out of Mexico, etc. to places like Bangladesh when Mexican workers began demanding higher salaries?
Right in the abstract on the cover page of your link, TE, there is this caveat: “The second caveat relates to the ability of developing countries to gain productivity growth through trade liberalization. To do so, it may very well be necessary to invest in, e.g., education facilities, to ensure property rights and to build up institutions.”
Gee, that’s a pretty big caveat, considering all that the U.S. and other western powers have done to undermine education, property rights and institutions.
Dienne,
I know it is not the custom here, but I would suggest actually reading the paper.
Do not fall for the Dem / GOP divisive tactics. Both parties sold their souls a long time ago. In fact, this discussion alone in regards to jobs being filled by foreign workers is a result of a Democratic President . Mr. Billy boy Clinton signed NAFTA and that was the death of most of our Countries high paying jobs. How this man is regarded as one of the best Presidents of all time is beyond me. The Democrats represent the freeloaders; while the Republicans represent the very wealthy. The middle class do all of the work like suckers so that the rich can remain prosperous and the losers can get their free handouts and we do all while remaining unrepresented by any of the two so called political parties. They have both sold us down the river. Just look at Obama ‘ s union busting, bank bailouts and privatization schemes and tell me how they differ from the Republican economic ideology.
You are mistaken, The Real One. The Democrats and Republicans are so similar today because they both represent the wealthy. Neither represents the poor or the middle class. Journalists have noted that Obama has said the words poverty and poor less than any other president. Although he has talked about the middle class, his policies benefit the rich more than anyone else.
And those “freeloaders” you mentioned, 53% are seniors age 65 & over. Another 20% are people with disabilities who are not elderly. 18% goes to working households” (those who make unlivable wages). “Only about 9 percent of all entitlement benefits go toward non-elderly, non-disabled households without jobs (and much of that involves health care and unemployment insurance)”
See: “Who receives government benefits, in six charts”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/09/18/who-receives-benefits-from-the-federal-government-in-six-charts/
> Bill Gates’ mug shot for driving without a license 1977 > > > >
There was always a lot of debate on the “skills gap”.
Not among ed reformers and not among anyone in DC, but it was never accepted as indisputable fact.
I mean, obviously, there’s some incentive for CEO’s and politicians to attribute unemployment and stagnant and falling wages to shortcomings in WORKERS rather than shortcomings in US political and business leadership. One can understand why that group of people would do that.
There is absolutely no reason to accept everything Bill Gates and Arne Duncan and Scott Walker says as fact. None. This never should have been swallowed whole.
Yes they both represent the wealthy but the Dem’s buy their votes by assuring handouts to the freeloaders. While the Repub’s buy their votes by issuing corporate tax cuts and in incentives to already mega wealthy corporations. I have no problem with the elderly receiving benefits because they have paid into the system with a lifetime of labor. However, when I go to the grocery store and get asked to buy a hundred dollars in food stamps for $50 by a young thug who could be out busting his hump as I did when I was young it sickens me. Or when I see a 19 year old baby mamma with 5 kids in line with two carts of groceries that I helped pay for its also disheartening; but the kicker is when you go outside and the baby mamma is driving a brand new infinity. I work in a low income school where 80 percent of the students are on free or reduced lunch. These students can not bring a pencil calculator much less a sheet of paper to school. Most of their parents don’t work however, they show up to school with almost every new Jordan sneaker release the day after they drop. How do these poor people afford various pairs of sneakers at $170 a pop? It’s called gaming the system! There is no incentive for an uneducated person to work because when you combine their handouts they make a lot more than they would in the jobs they are qualified to fill. While your defense of the “freeloaders” is noble, it is misguided. Just look around and you will see that there is rampant abuse within the system and it must come to an end. What about those who receive all of these benefits and work under the table for unreported cash payments? These are also the people who will receive the highest income tax refunds. I personally know someone who receives a plethora of benefits and takes the money to Cuba to live like a King. He returns every couple of months and returns to Cuba to do the same. These are the people whom I was referring to in my earlier post.
The problem is capitalism.
The census is pretty reliable:
The U.S. Census Bureau reported today that 74 percent of those who have a bachelor’s degree in science, technology, engineering and math — commonly referred to as STEM — are not employed in STEM occupations. In addition, men continue to be overrepresented in STEM, especially in computer and engineering occupations. About 86 percent of engineers and 74 percent of computer professionals are men.
“STEM graduates have relatively low unemployment, however these graduates are not necessarily employed in STEM occupations,” said Liana Christin Landivar, a sociologist in the Census Bureau’s Industry and Occupation Statistics Branch.
Despite the fun talking points jeering at art majors, here’s what most people really study in college:
“At 9.1 million, the college major with the most graduates was business, while multidisciplinary studies was the major with the smallest number of graduates at 275,000.”
http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/employment_occupations/cb14-130.html
Yes, this does not surprise me, as the business degrees are generally among the least intellectually demanding. And most employers realize that STEM workers are very smart people who can travel many different career paths, and have a lot of upsides.
It’s funny, though, how you never hear business degrees described as useless or a poor use of funds.
To listen, one would think there were hordes of people getting art history degrees.
I hear it a lot, even if I don’t count the times I’m the one saying it. My colleagues and I don’t place a ton of weight on applicants’ undergraduate records generally, but I can definitely say that the overwhelming consensus is that there is no less impressive undergrad major than the “business” major.
By contrast, art history = great. Philosophy, classics, theater, music = great. Communications = ugh.
Chiara,
Actually I describe them that way all the time when talking to potential economics majors, especially if they eventually want an MBA.
You lost me at “theater.”
I love the theater majors!
And I *heart* art history majors!
And I’ve always had a problem loving long legged blonde blue-eyed nurses. They get me everytime.
FLERP!
You forgot the Education major.
Pity I’m not a constituent of Mr. Sessions. If so, I would email him about the Concept, Harmony, etc. Gulen charter schools that are partaking of visas to import teachers.
Google Arne Duncan and “skills gap”. It is astonishing how completely they have bought into this:
“It’s no secret that in the last decade, international competition in higher education and in the job market has grown dramatically. As Thomas Friedman famously pointed out, the world has flattened. Companies now digitize, automate and outsource work to the most competitive individuals, companies and corporations.”
Thomas Friedman is a NYTimes op-ed writer. That’s all he is. He writes opinion.
Is there some reason the US Department of Education believe he’s an expert on the US workforce and quote him in nearly every speech?
Duncan is traveling to Toledo tomorrow. It is, after all, the start of the campaign season.
I wonder if he’ll parrot Thomas Friedman’s pearls of wisdom to people there. Who better to understand the challenges of the US middle class than a millionaire op-ed writer for the NYTimes, right?
Outsource our education to private interests and outsource our jobs too. And yet- people still vote these pols in. Bill should go and hire some of the Gulem grads and maybe brainstorm with them since they love importing teachers.
Gulen not Gulem
Although “Gulem” is somewhat close to Golem, an apropo discription of cultish corporate reformers.
Oh, I get it! Take jobs from qualified U.S. citizens so that they have to go on relief & those of us still working can get taxed more to pay for the unemployed while the 1% rakes in even more money through all the tax loopholes & the new cheaper labor!
And the kids of the cheap labor households get to eat, let us not forget that part.
Perhaps we do not want to “compete” for who will work for less T.E. How would you feel about losing your job to someone willing to do it for less? Would that be okay with you. How about helping these poor people develop their own industry that can support them, real fair trade, not exploitation. I would favor Theodore Roosevelt’s policies regarding our corporations. Tariff the snot out of them if they want to import cheap stuff here, make it more worthwhile to produce and sell here. Charity should begin at home, If I am in poverty I can’t help anyone.
Old Teacher,
Actually it is probably the other way round in my case. As a non-tenure track faculty member I am paid about 80% of what my institution spends on a tenure track faculty member and teach more courses than is standard for a tenure track faculty member in my department. Somewhere out there might be a person who would have been hired on tenure track but for my willingness to work for less than the average tenure track wage.
What you need to understand is that people accept low pay and poor working conditions because the alternative is worse. The key to improving their welfare is not to create a small number of high paying jobs in Bangladesh, but a large number of jobs that pay better than the rural and informal jobs those folks already have. That is the path to development.
from http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2013/04/more-evidence-corroborating-professor.html
“The manufactured STEM ‘crises’ has from the onset been a means to drive down the salaries of those professionals who often don’t see themselves as being working class. Starting with Bill Gates’ drive to grant more H1B visas to certain workers under the guise of “not enough qualified candidates.” What this really means is not enough candidates willing to work on the cheap. Ultimately the same market forces that allow the owners of the means of production drive wages down are at work. Sadly, since many professionals aren’t class conscious, the only things that could reverse this trend — working class push-back and unionization — aren’t being discussed.”
Man, I don’t envy Microsoft. Not only are they battling in arguably the most competitive sector of the world economy, now they’re being asked to sacrifice operational efficiency to provide the largest possible number of good jobs for red-blooded Americans. While at the same time producing enough of a dividend and sufficiently appeasing the markets to generate a clockwork =/>8% annual return to keep those pension funds looking good.
That is a heavy lift.
Not to mention the giant hole they dug for themselves with Windows 8.
Or Vista. And yet, MS continued and continues to make $$ hand over mouse.
They don’t make money from me anymore, my spouse and I have switched to OSX and my middle child is a linux user (the first thing he did with his latest computer purchase was to remove Windows 7)
We have more than one troll here that’s worthy of being ignored.
I think we should outsource Bill Gates to some country we don’t like. Syria might be good.
Gates probably wouldn’t mind, since he could continue to pursue his goal of a Common Koran.
And we’d get him out of our hair. Everyone would be happy — except the Syrians, of course.
Then again, maybe not. We wouldn’t want to start another World War.
Boo Hoo for Microsoft, one of the biggest monopolies on the face of the Earth. They stifle innovation unless it comes from them because the last thing in the world they want is a world of open code and access to information. They want to be the only choice in computing. Competition in education for thee, monopoly in the market for we the oligarchs. T.E. why the pity for Microsoft? They dug their hole, isn’t that how the market works? Oh, I forgot, there aren’t many options in the too big to fail economy.
If Microsoft was a monopoly they would not have to worry about poor software. We would all be listening to our Zunes and Nokia handsets would be flying off the shelves.
Why is no one able to concede the simple point that the interests of American workers and those of foreign workers are not perfectly aligned?
No one has denied that point. But exploiting foreign workers and depriving American workers of middle class jobs is not the way to help either constituency. We live in a country where the average CEO makes nearly 300 times what the average worker makes – clearly workers’ wages are not too high. Whether here or in foreign countries, corporations can be expected to pay livable wages.
Dienne,
The problem is that large companies pay better wages in the developing world than the citizens there could earn otherwise (actually that is also true most places that the larger the company, the better the pay). If you insist on ending what you see as “exploitation” you will make those workers in the developing world worse off.
Exploitative work or no work are not the only two options, TE.
Dienne,
Not working is not an option. The choice is between what you call exploitative work and something worse.
REALLY, TE? That’s pretty racist of you.
Threatened,
I have no idea what you mean. Can you elaborate?
FLERP!,
I think the difficulty in acknowledging that the interests differ is that conceding that point next requires a decision on how much weight to give the interests of American workers and how much weight to give the interests of foreign workers. Some who post here are willing to say “charity begins at home” which I interpret as giving little weight to the interests of foreign workers. A person wants to claim to give all individuals equal weight and still be against open trade and outsourcing must argue that American workers and foreign workers interests are perfectly aligned.
The reality, of course, TE, is that you and your other “free market” friends couldn’t care less about the poor, of this or of any other country. Survival of the fittest, after all, amiright?
Dienne,
You are mistaken about my views, at least. I am advocating for policies that have reduced world poverty at an unprecedented rate.
Perhaps you would like to read this: http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21578665-nearly-1-billion-people-have-been-taken-out-extreme-poverty-20-years-world-should-aim
TE: Extreme poverty is considered less than $1.00 US per day. So, if someone is now making $2.00 a day at a sweatshop clothing factory in Bangladesh, in a dangerous factory, spewing out pollutants (this is all too common in Dhaka), making clothing for Walmart, then he’s out of extreme poverty. You’ll forgive me if I don’t celebrate.
Threatened,
I think you might well celebrate if you found a job that doubled your income and because of that your father decided not to marry you to the village headman.
Yay Sessions! Yay Diane!! Yay to the pushback!
I see a lot of half truths and misconceptions on this thread.
1)Lets assume the H1B employees are to blame for American job losses. The policies to employ H1b Visa holders (in the name of cutting costs) is due to a competitive tech and economic landscape. Most of these companies have shareholders to cater to…..right? intense pressure to meet up to expectations and shell out profits and all..right? and if company A declares a loss (due to high cost of Labour ala unions)..the CEO of these companies would be chastised. So why blame these companies for looking out for “their shareholders” who are AMERICAN SHAREHOLDERS??? Your Arrows should be pointed at the system that encourages cutthroat competition and not on the end policy.
2)I see there is this notion (on here) that H1B folks are like workers in a sweat shop in say…..China or Bangladesh…..hahahahaha. Let me tell you the reality, H1B folks (otherwise known as contractors who are mostly foreigners) are paid more that full-time staffs (who happen to be mostly American/Green card holders). The only difference is the benefits system. Contractors are not paid benefits while full time staffs are paid benefits. In case of doubts, do some basic research on tech contractors pay and see for yourself.
3)Thirdly, what is wrong with some competition? I have never seen an instance where a fellow is laid off, just to be replaced by someone with H1B. The concept is simple, Talent and hard work (and the constant zeal to improve oneself) is the key. If you are good at what you do, you WILL HAVE A JOB REGARDLESS!! Stop blaming the foreigners( basically a watered down AMERICAN term for the infidels).
4)You do realize these so called H1B holders are taxed heavily?? Yet again, some research on this will put things in perspective. They are actually productive and contribute to the economy (instead of the AMERICAN and illegal immigrant moochers who live off the benefits system).
5)Americans still constitute the majority of employees in American companies. Take a poll or better still look at the compositions of these firms (will look something like 85% white male and the rest).
all i see on here is fear mongering and doomsday preppers.
my 2 cents
To Tim and teachingeconomist:
This is May from Canada. Yes I have been an immigrant for the past 37 years in Canada. I understand that both of your argument is to sympathize with the rich without civilization, but only greed and lust for control.
As for the argument sake, nobody wants to be born into savage/barbarous environment, such as cruel personality (see money/material life as a better way of life more than being humanity); hostile society (see power in making other suffering as a better way of life more than being humanity); lusty control (see competition and war as a better way of life more than being humanity).
Yes, everyone loves to live in a peaceful surrounding, such as being with all civilized people (see kindness as a better way of life more than money); compassionate society (see sharing innovation to make all sentient beings to live a better life as a better way of life more than invading and exploiting others = being savage/barbarous).
Would you, Tim and teachingeconomist, prefer to live as political animal, or as a civilized human being?
We live under the guidance of the dualistic good and evil principle, and in the influence of the permanent law of universe cause and effect = karma. However, we are the master of our own fate. As a result, Public Education System is the ultimate medium which all educators must empower it to cultivate all young generation. We need to be taught that being humanity, or being considerate is always much more important than being barbarous and clever because that is the only way to be a master of our own fate.
To you teachingeconomist, please treat your wife and children, then your own community’s homeless people with respect and caring before you try to help all homeless, abused/battered women and children in other countries. In other words, please DO NOT advocate any law that will damage your own country’s economy in America. This is the ultimate course Economy 101 that you must learn before teaching it.
Back2basic.
Back2basic,
My argument is that the best way to reduce poverty in the world we actually live in is to give the poor access to modern means of production and than allow them to sell the product of their work to whomever is willing to buy it. To deny the worlds poor this opportunity is to condemn them to more generations of grinding poverty.
To teachingeconomist:
According to word of mouth, all investment in dictatorship country cannot move out of its country. If that is true, then I am really welcome Microsoft to expand its operation overseas until Gate becomes pennies-less man. In those dictatorship countries, their legal systems are named jungle laws.
Look at Apple like iphone, ipad versus Galaxy Samsung in Korea. Look at GM cars versus Honda/ Toyota/ Hyundai car. Look at Gucci watches, purses…versus Chinese fake products… Yes, expand globally at the cost of our own American economy. The worst is that we are being killed by all malfunctioned car parts from unskilled, and uncaring foreign workers. Last, our security and finance are threaten by those terrorists who are smart enough to explore and exploit our software system and defense system
Those greedy tycoon eventually die without bringing any wealth with them, except being reincarnated into all savage environment where they helped to create = their mind or spirit drags them into where they belong and suffer without civilized consciousness.
This is the only explanation as why those barbarous leaders, and followers come from warring countries. Back2basic
That is an interesting argument T.E. Ask the Indian farmers about how Monsanto and government officials collude to deny them the means to grow their own food. It is, after all, just good business. As I teach my elementary students, businesses exist for one purpose, that is to make money. You idealize and idolize the notion of “giving access to the means of production, but those means are already tightly controlled. Microsoft for instance has been found to have violated anti-trust laws many times. I use open source software that was originally quashed by Microsoft until they lost cases in foreign courts. The fines they have had to pay are chump change to them. As far as worrying about poor software, they really don’t seem to worried, they are still making money.
OldT,
Indeed businesses, international or domestic, do not intend to make life better for the citizens of a country. Put enough businesses together in one place and a better life is an emergent property. Cut out the international businesses, and it will take far longer for that better life to emerge.
Old Teacher,
There are 263 million people in India working in agriculture. The vast majority of them have likely never heard of Monsanto.
Ah someone who knows about the criminal gang of immoral bastards known as Monsanto. Our government gives billions in aid to other Countries with strings attached that these Countries grow Monsantos poisoned GMO garbage. The same garbage we are being fed; and then we wonder why we as Americans are always so sick. If you ask me, it’s seems like a perfect plan. They get us sick to we can visit the Doctor and as a result, we can assure mega profits for the medical pharmaceutical and insurance cartels.
We do not have a “health care” system. We have a 2.8 trillion dollar disease maintenance system.John Rockefeller was to medicine what Bill Gates is to education, all powerful controller through foundation money and a deliberate control of the narrative by purchasing the media and the placement of his people in key government agency positions.
John D. Rockefeller used his foundation to give grants to universities that would teach allopathy, relying on pharmaceuticals and surgery, to the exclusion of all other therapies.
In the early half of the 20th century, petrochemical giants organized a coup on the medical research facilities, hospitals and universities. The Rockefeller family sponsored research and donated sums to universities and medical schools which had drug based research. They further extended this policy to foreign universities and medical schools where research was drug based through their “International Education Board”. Establishments and research which were were not drug based were refused funding and soon dissolved in favor of the lucrative pharmaceutical industry. In 1939 a “Drug Trust” alliance was formed by the Rockefeller empire and the German chemical company I.G. Farben (Bayer). After World War II, I.G. Farben was dismantled but later emerged as separate corporations within the alliance. Well known companies included General Mills, Kellogg, Nestle, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Procter and Gamble, Roche and Hoechst (Sanofi-Aventis). The Rockefeller empire, in tandem with Chase Manhattan Bank (now JP Morgan Chase), owns over half of the pharmaceutical interests in the United States. It is the largest drug manufacturing combine in the world. Since WWII, the pharmaceutical industry has steadily netted increasing profits to become the world’s second largest manufacturing industry; [2], [3] after the arms industry.
The Rockefeller Foundation was originally set up in 1904 as the General Education Fund. The RF was later formed in 1910 and issued a charter on May 14, 1913 with the help of Rockefeller millions. Subsequently, the foundation placed it’s own “nominees” in federal health agencies and set the stage for the “reeducation” of the public. A compilation of magazine advertising reveals that as far back as 1948, larger American drug companies spent a total sum of $1,104,224,374 for advertising. Of this sum, Rockefeller-Morgan interests (which went entirely to Rockefeller after Morgan’s death) controlled about 80%.
“People don’t want to work” is an incomplete statement. Complete -they don’t want to work for that pay under those conditions.
Sorry if somebody else has already brought this up, but I didn’t notice it in any of the comments . . .
There’s an op-ed in USA Today (posted 5:25 p.m. EDT July 27, 2014) signed by five academics that have done actual research on the subject of Diane’s post. Here’s an excerpt:
“As longtime researchers of the STEM workforce and immigration who have separately done in-depth analyses on these issues, and having no self-interest in the outcomes of the legislative debate, we feel compelled to report that none of us has been able to find any credible evidence to support the IT industry’s assertions of labor shortages.”
And another one:
“The facts are that, excluding advocacy studies by those with industry funding, there is a remarkable concurrence among a wide range of researchers that there is an ample supply of American workers (native and immigrant, citizen and permanent resident) who are willing and qualified to fill the high-skill jobs in this country. The only real disagreement is whether supply is two or three times larger than the demand.”
Does this mean Gates and other tech moguls are trying to use their money and their clout with public officials to further suppress wages in the high tech industry? It sure looks like it. Notice the writers make the key distinction between “advocacy studies by those with industry funding” and legitimate academic research. It looks like the moguls are selling yet another BIG LIE.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/07/27/bill-gates-tech-worker-wages-reforms-employment-column/13243305/
The column deserves a wider audience.
A little history on H-1B visas:
Elaine Chao held the position of Secretary of Labor from 2001-2009 under George Bush. She is Senator Mitch McConnell’s wife. During her tenure, the department became a rubber stamp for completely illegitimate H-1B visa applications. The cap on the number of visas was vastly increased. The workers that were brought over from other countries for supposedly temporary work have stayed. These foreign workers have been paid significantly less than their American predecessors. Those eight years had a devastating effect on the American workforce. It is an ongoing problem with no end in sight and very little oversight.
http://www.fairus.org/site/DocServer/h1breport_2003.pdf?docID=261
Despite the well-documented troubles that have afflicted the high tech industry over the
past three years—countless companies have gone out of business and millions of workers have lost their jobs, creating a growing pool of available labor—many companies continue to import workers from overseas.
The H-1B and L-1 visa programs allow people in professional occupations to work in the
United States on a temporary basis. At a time of high unemployment, the high tech industry is flooding the labor market by importing workers who are willing to work more cheaply than American high tech workers. The high tech industry’s push to maintain high temporary worker visa levels in the face of economic downturn and rising unemployment stems from a desire to have a supply of cheap, exploitable foreign workers—not from any evidence of a high tech worker shortage, as the industry originally claimed when it pushed for the program to be increased.
❏
Temporary foreign workers are paid lower salaries than their American counterparts,
driving down the prevailing wage and putting American workers at a competitive dis-
advantage.
❏
Employers are laying off American workers and replacing them with cheaper foreign
workers under the H-1B and L-1 programs. No law prevents this.
❏
The temporary worker program is rife with fraud and abuse. The required government
review of H-1B applications is a rubber stamp operation and is not safeguarding
American jobs as Congress intended.
❏
Although the H-1B program is meant to provide companies with labor unavailable in
this country, no evidence exists of a worker shortage; to the contrary, the market is filled
with laid off, unemployed American high tech workers.
Accidentally lost my comment, here goes again. I listened to the speech and find it ironic that it is a Republican speaking these words. Shame on the New Democrats. Is there any difference really? I am skeptical of Sessions and all national leaders across the spectrum when it comes to public education. Note he made no mention whatsoever of the STEM propaganda against our public schools, an area where Master of the Universe Bill Gates has had such prominent and unwarranted influence. As always, public education is easily ignored when convenient and a dangerously easy scapegoat when a leader needs a target on which to pin blame and demand accountability.
Still, the winds are shifting slightly. Politicians have enjoyed congratulating themselves for their bi-partisan cooperation on corporate education reform. I love a paradox and have longed for the day when both parties are trying to distance themselves from what they have wrought. Even more, I’d like them to simply admit they have been wrong and actually start trying to help and improve our PUBLIC schools rather than undermine their very existence.
This story is missing a giant piece of the picture with respect to Microsoft. First of all, they acquired nearly 30,000 employees in their recent purchase of Nokia’s phone division. A huge majority of the employees being laid are from that acquisition and are based in Finland.
The company also has a new CEO who is in the middle of a big shake up to streamline operations company wide so he is making relatively small cuts that add up when a company employs 130,000 people.
Finally, Microsoft wrote a white paper to the federal government detailing a plan for expanding the use of H-1B visas. They present research that of all American graduates today, only 3-4% graduate with STEM degrees. They also present data showing that by 2020 19% of the American job market will require STEM degrees.
That is bad news for everyone. They detail how much more expensive it is to hire a STEM graduate from abroad. It requires large signing bonuses that cover relocation to the United States often requiring covering the cost of transplanting an entire family. Its much easier to hire American but the talent isn’t here right now.
That’s why Microsoft proposed paying the federal government extra for each H-1B visa over the current limit and dedicating those funds to some program (which would surely be raided and wasted) that would help to grow the number of American STEM grads.
This is a complicated issue and to discuss it in the way Mr. Sessions did or the way the author presents it here is dishonest and not helpful. It honestly makes Sessions look stupid and uninformed. Bill Gates hasn’t been the CEO of Microsoft for 14 years. He left full time work for the company in 2006. I don’t even understand why Microsoft was brought up by Sessions. Stupid.
The whole “STEM Crisis” is trumped up. It’s a way to increase the bottom line of corporations: http://waynegersen.com/2013/09/07/stem-myth-and-shareholder-primacy/
We do not have a “health care” system. We have a 2.8 trillion dollar disease maintenance system. John Rockefeller was to medicine what Bill Gates is to education, all powerful controller through foundation money and a deliberate control of the narrative by purchasing the media and the placement of his people in key government agency positions. Monopoly, copyright and government contract. Same story. Same bad outcome.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Medical_Association
If wages are not rising, there is no shortage.
The teacher cleansing at LAUSD has gone on by way of RiFs , false allegations and displacements. Thanks 2 thev Reed Case , seniority was bypassed about five years ago. The purges began and while they laid off veteran teachers, John Deasy was recruiting TFA temps. Two years ago Walmart brought 700 interns into the district, paying their wages and no doubt writing it off like BIC, the program that has teachers serving students moldy muffins, old milk and expired junk food every morning. It costs 12 days of instruction each year to accomodate this nonsense, which was never needed because free breakfast was always available in cafeterias . A better breakfast at that, since fresh fruit , juice, milk and eggs are offered along with hot cereal and fresh coffee cake .
Everything is desiigned to humilate and demoralize teachers. Theu are not waitresses. Waitresses make more money and get a little respect.
Interns are given the classes of teachers who are told their positions are being terminated . They get traded in for newer cheaper models. Psychologist Social Workers are watiching 22 year old rookies take their places. Veterans face daily ambushes and have been written up because their floor is dirty or a light switch is broken!
Despite new influx of funding Sup. Deasy has not returned custodians , who were all but wiped out in lay offs. As a result public schools are depressingly unkempt and in disrepair.
A request for clean up and repairs took a long time before the lay offs ;now there is no one to give the requests to at many schools. Guess which schoola this takes place in… The poor ones. Watts, South Central, Athens, Wilmington
The use of fireig labor is akso employed .
LAUSD also has a number of improrts on staff, but to me this is a very fine way to enable diversity; however, to LAUSD, it is about cheap , overqualified help they have leverage aganst. When a couple at one school became allies of the faculty that were questioning an abusuve princioal and arbitrary district policy that damaged students’ potential and safety, they were swiftly swept into a kafkaesque nightmare where their ViSA was threatened by the district. If they continued to speak out they were looking at losing what they’ve built here. They had two very young children. They retreated.
While the veterens get purged the teachers with 10 years or less are forced to knuckle under. There is an enormous number of these teachers who took part in teacher loan prigrams the district sponsored, even peddled during the height of the housing boon. When the bottom fell out, these teachers were under water.
Deeply under water.
The teachers from Spain, Pakistan, India, Taiwan, Argentina, Australia and Nigeria were among them. Imports are very professional and know their stuff but the values in American vex them as much as incompetent , corrupt school operations and employer persecution. I believe they are miserable more often than not but they tell me it is so easy to live in this country.
It won’t be fir long, at the rate we are foing
The American teachers targeted in which hunts and scams like VAM, lay offs intentionally set up without returns and displaced colleagues stained by reconstitutions, poor evaluations and subbing in a proverbial mine feilds where principals write them up for crazy reasons may disagree with the idea life is so easy in the USA.
It maybe for IVY league tfa interns. None of the TFA I knew were IVY leaguers. Most were older state college types and damned good rookie teachers who planned to teach forever.
This new breed must be in deference to Arne’s slam on Us that are not”private” or profitable/prestiegous like Yale.
There is a very disturbing element in all of it we rarely seem to discuss. That is the fact that American Corporatins are in a sense returning to the slavery we abolished well over a century ago but cannot seem to shake from our culture.
While black men are still living in cages, be they cells or housing projects, our capitalist criminal factions are not only profiting from it , there is a pipeline from our schools that feeds the prison with the courts’ apparent blessings . Everything is becoming a money making venture , yet these greedy fools will not pay a living wage to workers here . Dont they understand that labor is the life blood of consumers who they need to buy their computers, software, sedans, prozac, Big Macs, smartphones, and 6 foot tv sets?
Moreover , do they think it is okay to pay Chinese slaves a dollar for 12 hour days making a million tablets in some factory ?
Saying they treat these people better than the communist tyrants who pay half that and beat them is hardly a justification.
Why arent these individuals being socially ostracized and forced to fix their broken moral compass? Is it because we actually believe the abuse of humans across the workd mahes the iPad cost less? Or have we become unable to recognize them as humans?
It doesnt seem like our collective moral compass is working very well, dies it? I dunno if Apple even has factories in China, as there is a prevailing belief that that lie was perpetuated to damage Jobs, who was reviled by some as an an exacting and uncompromising individual, but those very traits may be why he woukd never sink to that.
I think we know one guy that is perfectly capable of dominating the narrative so Jobs is remembered as a hypocrite instead of a visionary. No one is safe from such errant lies . But I say boycott Microsoft . HP and Cisco. The products are siubstandared just like Gates’ ethics. Even if Jobs did the slave scene, Apple offers superior service and products. One has no need to worry about firewalls that unleash a new virus forcing constant purchases for protectuon.
And as educators , we can apprecuate Jobs relationship to education. He disliked philanthropy, he knew giving was good business because it was a great marketing ploy. One learns a program and sticks to it, no?
I know the man is dead and tim cook runs the show, but despite the iPad fiasco at LAUSD, Apple has some integrity . What we really need is innovation that liberates us from fee market free for all for monopolies. Even more than voting, what we buy is an untapped source of public power.