There are already at least 600000 H-1B in this country (almost 75% from India). Now the spouses on H-4 will also be able to compete for jobs. This order by Obama is plain treachery as far as native workers are concerned, Bring them on one status, then suddenly change the rules and force of glut of workers in this country. This was Obama's answer to Jennifer Wedel's question in Arizona when she asked why her husband was laid off for an H-1B worker! Imagine, he came to this conclusion after months of soul-searching.... The problem is Republicans are even worse - Orrin Hatch sponsored the new bill to increase H1B. Initially this flood of H-1B was started by a myth: "STEM shortage"... It was very effectively perpetrated by rich owners like Gates and Zuckerberg. It worked but then people understood it was SCAM and very systematic study has debunked this nonsense. There is no shortage and the only reason the H-1B system remains is to depress worker wages, kill the domestic tech industry and has resulted in massive age discrimination.. Sad, but our politicians are sell-outs to lobbyists and we have no hope!

Also please have a look at unemployment for college graduates is at 2.7%, its very low and no industry or economy can have price stability and sustainable growth if there in no labor infusion from outside.
http://www.bls.gov/news.rel...

Also look at

Many estimates suggest that the long-run normal level of the unemployment rate--the level that the unemployment rate would be expected to converge to in the next 5 to 6 years in the absence of shocks to the economy--is in a range between 5 and 6 percent. Policymakers' judgments about the long-run normal rate of unemployment in the Summary of Economic Projections are generally in this range as well. For example, in the most recent projections, FOMC participants' estimates of the longer-run normal rate of unemployment had a central tendency of 5.2 percent to 5.5 percent.

from http://www.federalreserve.g...

Point I am trying to make is US economy needs labor from outside, its sheer economics. Opinions driven from an individual's perspective cant lead to sound policy decisions.

I also want to add that any immigration policy abuse like H1 abuse by sweatshops should be stopped but saying that the entire program of getting controlled amount labor from outside US is absurd.

It would have been so much better had we not divided this world into countries, religions and races.

What some immigrants have done for America: http://www.nbcnews.com/news...

It is not about immigrants. it is about the liars. It is time to tighten up the screening process to filter out the scam.

KQED is so biased. It just repeats the corporate propaganda without doing any investigative report.

The problem of H-1B exploitation is world-famous. Check this out, it's from one of United Kingdom's major newspapers, the Guardian -- winner of the prestigious Pulitzer prize in journalism. They invented a new word in the English language -- Techsploitation to describe the indentured-servitude going on the tech industry in Silicon Valley. They even create a whole comic strip for it. I just love the British sense of humor

http://www.theguardian.com/...

I trust the Guardian a whole lot more than the figure from the B. institute that says H-1B earns 26% more than American engineers. Give me a break, Facebook et all is giving to B. institute to make up this figure.

Come on, check which country takes most of H1 visa in 2014? your guy talking about "Asian", this included Taiwan, Japanese, Malaysia and Chinese, I don't think they like USA; especially Chinese, they are more richer than your talker

I think the problem is not about H1B program. But the stealth contractor companies, recruiters and those individuals who make up fake certificates, diploma and fake working experience. These under qualified candidates get H1B with fake documents. They should be deported.

Here is how to be competitive again in the newly booming tech industry: start very early from your own elementary schools: the mass media ( the likes of Justin bieber and his little "girlfriend" which is no more than a human bubble head you set up by media companies to grab the minds of kids) has been perpetuating a culture that highly values flashy limelight, partying, fratboys-style lives, kids are inundated with the hidden message that these are the "cool" things to do. STEM - loving students are cast into the stereotypes of "nerds", and if u are Asian, congratulations, you are even more of the quintessential nerd.

But guess what, society rewards you based on your utility, and turns out that "nerds" do possess some valuable , very valuable skills , and it's even more urgently needed in the tech boom. Hence the football team jocks which were so popular at a time end up flipping burgers and the "nerds" land a job in silicon valley after 6 hard years through college and grad school. Basketball players seem to have fancy lifestyles but the are only < 1000 positions in the NBA, what really counts is the real, practical jobs that need STEM

China has a 1500 history of a formal selection process based on learning and exams. It certainly has its drawbacks, but it does instilled a culture that values and respects disciplined , hard learning.
So to some of the bitching and whining losers here , when u complain, look across ur cube and look at ur Chinese or Indian coworker and think whether u were partying while he is busting ass doing schoolwork

Another native asked my why I went to grad school. pursuing advance education, which is such a natural desire back in my country, turns out to be a strange thing for these "native American".

Yes I did ask, but to say it's a strange thing, is a mischaracterization of the question. I don't at all support the Bieber/Kardashian fluff mentality to which the OP speaks and as I replied to you below, if there is a purpose to the additional formal education then I find it completely natural. And that "purpose" can simply be because one is passionate about it.

But your comment reads to me (and I may myself be projecting) that it is a foregone conclusion that hours in classrooms and labs are presupposed across the board as the only viable path to knowledge, enlightenment and superiority. I've known many PhD's who were no brighter and nor capable in their craft than I am in mine. It is an accomplishment to be sure. But now you seem to be projecting your own cultural biases assuming that the path most revered in your culture is the only acceptable one.

There are always outliners. I never said formal education if the only way. Among all the ways to Rome, I believe there are ways fast or slow, steep or flat. Formal education is the certain way to obtain a certain amount of knowledge. Of course, there are more to expect when one join the industry. Why would one take the uncertainty? Either one lack the desire to succeed or one is too complacent to learn.

One Hundred years ago, our schools were called grammar schools. High school education could be sufficient then. Nowadays, high school diploma could land you nowhere.

Of course, if one is not to make a living from engineering, one could argue the formal education is not necessary. I believe Human being advances because they accumulate their experience and call them knowledge.

I used to tune in for NPR when I drove. In the last two years, I would have to stop that habit. The NPR is no longer neutral or independent. When the media wants to pass a bill so that the middle class pay the illegal immigrants, the legally undocumented, they interviewed these illegal immigrants. Did they interview the middle class families that are living from pay check to pay check because 30 to 50% of their income are already turned to to the government? When the media wants to pass a bill so that the middle class pay for preschool for everyone, they interview a single mother who failed to plan her life and who already received WIC and subsidy, also the numerous family with more than 4,5 kids. Did they interview the middle class family who could only afford to have 2 to 3 kids because they could not pay the preschool tuition, college tuition? I feel sad for these poor families. However awarding them equals encouraging the irresponsible behavior in this society.

It is more effective to find the father and ask for child support instead of asking tax payer to pay the child care.

Employers love it when engineers fight each other - rather than them.

All political systems - capitalism and communism alike - and everything in between - are exploited by the wealthy and powerful. Population (read that OVER-population) pressures force wages down and prices up. "Workers of the world, unite!" Instead of competing - which is only beneficial to the powerful class - we should be supporting each other. The powerful WANT us to kill each other off. They use us to engineer THEIR success and protect THEIR interests. History repeats itself. The quest for power only leads to dictators and wars. Only the distribution of power - not the consolidation of power - leads to peace. Engineers only build the weapons of their own destruction at the behest of the powerful.

Did u just time travel back from 1960 communist CCCP? Your Marxist slogans are too far fetched even for this lefty radio

did you just travel back from the 50's?

Someone demands the middle class to distribute wealth using his/her sheer power. Was distribution of power ever mentioned? What does executive order or veto mean to you ?

My fathers and uncles fought and died in WWII against Nazism and Fascism. They unionized and worked for the rights of the working class - the class that makes employers wealthy. If you want to defend the ultra powerful as though they would defend YOU, keep on expressing your misinformed opinions. Even Bill Gates and Warren Buffet agree that the working class has been getting the shaft.

Executive orders and vetoes can be overturned by 2/3 vote of Congress - if something is in the best interest of common citizens, and not just the ultra wealthy corporations.

what about executive action and memos, that are not executive orders? Can they be overturned by 2/3rds of the legislature?

you can google that information. you can also see how many executive orders were made by each president. GBush made many more than Obama. Have you noticed how much criticism Obama is getting for his - and for not going to war as quickly as Bush did?

As a rule of thumb, those who hate the federal government the most are the ones who lost the Civil War. The same ones hate Obama - see any connection?

The problem is that money controls politics.

Wow that escalated quickly - in no time the comments section has become a heated debate of immigration policy dotted with racial attacks.

For those who said immigrants are stealing your jobs, don't forget lots of jobs are created by immigrants. According to Forbes, 40% of Fortune 100 companies are founded by either immigrants or their children.

Comments about Indians are not racial attacks. They"re fellow Caucasians.

Yeah right, comments about African Americans can't be racial attacks either cause they're fellow Americans.

Since you didn't come back to answer, I'll assume you're misquoting Forbes' quoting PNAE about the F500.

What that statistic teaches us is over the long run immigrants have been somewhere in the rough vicinity of performing on par with their native counterparts in terms of founding successful companies.

I am not saying immigrants create more jobs than their "native" counterparts. I am just pointing out they're here to just "steal" jobs.

Yes, the racism on display is truly idiotic. Virtually everyone here had ancestors who were immigrants, so you'd have to be pretty stupid to advance a xenophobic argument against guest workers (but that never stops the xenophobic, I guess).

Also, you're correct: all the morons of the world always claim "oh, those immigrants are job-takers"; but immigrants are also entrepreneurs! They create just as many jobs, or more.

The only reason they are entrepreneurs, is that they are not able to legally work in this country. The legal ones, with a visa, join a company.

You are incorrect. I don't know where you got your information from--obviously, you made it up from your own head. But in fact, legal immigrants MAKE companies, they don't only join them, as the Economist points out:

http://www.economist.com/no...

I'm curious what you think that statistic teaches about the issue. Also was it Forbes saying Fortune 100's or Forbes quoting Partnership for a New American Economy's stat about 40% of Fortune 500 companies?

OK so it's Forbes quoting PNAE. My point is immigrants don't just "steal" jobs, they create jobs. Without immigrants, America will be nowhere near where it is today.

Didn't mean to be overly critical on the source just making sure I'm speaking to what I think I'm addressing. But the stat can be VERY misleading. On casual reading, it can appear as though immigrants are nearly four times as successful in creating jobs as native born. what that study actually points to is nothing special over the long run. Please don't take that as immigrants are bad, but PNAE's studies are designed to play out the superhuman story.

Oh no I am not using that stats to glorify the immigrants for more than what they deserve. I am just tired of seeing all the xenophobic people who think the country owe them a good job and good pay without really looking into the mirror lately.

I am also aware of the shady practices of companies taking advantage of the H1B visa situation. But to blame the H1B visa holders for that, it's almost like blaming a victim for the crime.

Let's go to the extreme and hypothesize that we'll be eliminating the H1B visa system. What good does that do for us? The next Google's founder will start their business in Singapore, Sweden, or any other country with open arms for skilled workers. We'll struggle to fill our Silicon Valley jobs with people who can barely do calculus.

We are all children of immigrants, so the statement loses it's meaning. It's like - well, so what?

That means, blaming immigrants for one's own incompetence is stupid.

The Native American were also wiped out when the European first immigrated to America.

what the hell does that have to do with the price of curry in India ???

It means that one is stupid if one says "immigrants go home." Because YOUR family is an immigrant family.

Pretty simple, but happy to explain it. Got it now, troll guy?

By you logic thane it's ok to say: "I was born here - you weren't - you go home".

No, by my logic, EVERYONE is welcome here.

The person I was replying to was the one who was screaming "GO HOME," as you can see if you read his comments below.

The middle-class creates jobs by buying things and making purchases, and H1B scabs are destroying the middle-class. And besides dumb-dumb, H1B's don't come here to create companies, and H1B is NOT AN IMMIGRANT VISA, IT'S A TEMPORARY WORK VISA - GET IT THROUGH YOUR THICK HEAD. America doesn't owe H1B scabs a job. "Temporary", as in GO HOME NOW

America doesn't owe you a job either. Capitalism doesn't care what color your skin is or where you were born. All it cares is where to find the most skilled workers to make the most profit. You can yell at them to GO HOME all you want, but if you're not the competent lot, the loser is gonna be you, H1B or not.

Is your own heritage Native American? If not, then shouldn't you be screaming at yourself to "GO HOME NOW"?

The arrogance of people screaming and yelling about how others should be kept out, while they themselves are only fat and happy because they or their ancestors were allowed in, is the very definition of hypocrisy.

Besides which, the poster is correct: immigrants CREATE jobs.

Non-starter argument. Policy and law deal primarily with today. Hopefully we learn lessons from the past, but the government that holds sway over the land is the authority of that land. It may not suit your fancy and maybe there's even a moral or philosophical argument, but thousands of years of human history across the planet are not on your side on this one.

re: "immigrants CREATE jobs", immigrants do create jobs, destroy jobs, give money, steal money, kill people, heal people, just like native born. To make such a broad sweeping statement is to completely miss the primary problems and challenges with the currently perverted policy.

Non-starter argument. You argue that "the government that holds sway over the land is the authority of that land," but then claim their policy is perverted when it suits you, thus objecting to that same authority that you just got through asserting for them.

Also, you fail to specify what problems exist with current policy, so no one reading your post has any way of knowing 1) whether they agree with you about the extent of such problems, or even if they are problems at all; or 2) what you propose to do about them.

Finally, you fail to refute my assertion: immigrants do create jobs, and that is a fact. Other posters are asserting that they do not (one even farcically claims that only illegal immigrants are entrepreneurs, but that once they have legal status to work here, they are uninterested in entrepreneurship, but only want to work for someone else's companies). It is a simple fact, and one measured by scientific study, that even immigrant populations containing millions of poor are a net positive to a developed host country's economy, not only through their entrepreneurship, but simply on the taxation versus benefits balance sheet:

http://www.economist.com/ne...

No, I didn't say the government has created a perverted policy, you read into my admittedly imprecise statement. My statement was to point out the INTENT of the policy has been perverted into primarily a cheap labor tool mostly by corporations--much like the luxury SUV tax was intended to give the small construction worker-type company a leg up became a way for well-paid execs to get cheaper Escalades.

I'll come back to edify you further when I have a bit more time later.