Miller and his supporters, including those from the IT industry, have told me emphatically that there was/is a shortage of IT workers and that they desperately "need" to import foreign IT workers (see my recent diary, Skirmish on the Flanks). They say that not everyone has the peculiar mind set to write code, and the shortage was real. When pressed, they admit the imported workers "of course" were paid less. Like Bush, they steadfastly will not budge from this statement, since to do so would unravel their entire case. We can only continue to do as you are doing, Kathy, and repeat the case against Miller and the visas. Thanks for your persuasive presenatation of the facts.

When I was reading Skirmish on the Flanks, I was thinking that I would have a hard time trying to connect to the people there.  But this explains it.  They do think quite a bit like Republicans.

There are differences though.  Bush is affiliated with the grungy industries such as oil, while Miller is affiliated with info tech.  Due to this bifurcation of industrial interests, when Miller goes after big oil, drives his hybrid car (I have read about that hybrid car of his in at least 20 different places now.  Only once did I read that he's flown something like 100,000 miles), it appears that he is on the side of the little guy and at least values a subset of traditional Democratic values. IT does represent a more palatable cultural environment that tends to be supportive of multiculturalism and diversity, at least on the surface.

Nevertheless, they are both tops-down points of view, workers are human resources and families are incidental annoyances.  And like someone said in a different thread, labor is an input into a production equation.  Neither are particularly concerned with the little guy.  As a matter of fact, in one of the articles I read about this, Bush was really avoiding the issue instead of addressing it head on.

We really do need to regain some kind of balance between industry and its workers.  And that goes for all industry, not just oil.

The end of your diary nailed it with the question about marrying your (nonexistent) daughter.  Not too many people running for office inspire that level of trust, and that's a shame.

I'm sure that there are many Democrats a little bit like the ones you write about who do indeed have their hearts in the right place, but are financially well-off and removed from the daily interactions and events that we're all talking about.

The real solution is to train more Americans to do the tech jobs. I got into the field through a SETA program in Balitmore. Once you start taking the jobs away from Americans then there is no incentive for them to get the skills and so you have more shortages of Americans to do the work, a downward spiral. Also, the doorway to the higher paying tech jobs is often through the lower level jobs like those at the help desk, etc. Once you take away the lower level jobs you cut off an important avenue for advancement for American workers.

Why don't these guys just tell the truth and say Americans are too expensive and the more they can put out of work the better it is for the big companies. That's because if they told the truth they would be run out of town on a rail. That's actually what we should do.

I have a better idea. Tarrifs on all companies who import labor. Classify labor as a commodity and put an import tax on it.

Miller supporters keep going after Webb for not completely supporting Kerry in 2004.  It appears from the quotes above that Miller didn't exactly help us out there, either. 

In addition to which he raised thousands of dollars for Kerry.

Amount of money Webb has given any Democrat? $0.00

Miller may have had his differences with Kerry, but he did everything he knew to elect Kerry.

This brings back memories...

I worked for many months to convince members of the Kerry campaign that white collar job loss -- esp. high tech sector job loss and offshore outsourcing was a critical issue. I provided much of the information used in the creation of the Kerry white paper. I spent hours every week for many weeks on end talking to a high level Democratic Party insider about this situation. (He carried the essence of these conversations to the highest levels of the Kerry campaign.)

Though I found the final document far from ideal and its arrival so late in the campaign minimised its impact, it was "something" -- an acknowledgement that there is/was a problem.

Miller continues to advance a line of argument at odds with the Kerry white paper and the ongoing BLS reports on the erroding middle class jobs situation. Miller continues to propagate the myth that offshore outsourcing and worker replacement through NIV is due to a lack of training or educational deficiencies of Americans. (Isn't it ironic that Miller blames the public schools for failing to adequately prepare students for jobs he has helped move offshore or fill with imported replacement workers? Really, this is a bit much...)

The truth is that neither skill nor education has anything to do with the widening use of non-American workers and the movement of work offshore. It's all about what economists call "global labor arbitrage" -- replacing more costly American workers with labor from the Third World. (Yes, in the economists view, white collar workers are "labor" -- not "professionals".)

Perhaps the reason why Miller opposes/opposed the extension of TAA benefits to displaced white collar high tech workers is because it would have created a "paper trail" which could be used to identify the secretive lay-offs, reorganisations and replacement programs undertaken by corporations. It would have supplied the basis for tracking and evaluation.

Corporations and Miller's group, the ITAA have long fought all efforts to force reporting of corporate offshore outsourcing and worker replacement activities. If analysts had firm numbers to work with, the effects of outsourcing on American white collar workers could be more accurately documented and the myths of groups like the ITAA would be more readily exposed.

So long as the full extent of outsourcing is concealed Americans are less capable of fully understanding the monstrous situation of a middle class society in decay.

I don't exactly know what Miller's official campaign line is on programs such as the TAA.  When the position paper was released, the press didn't talk about Miller in connection with TAA, but he was mentioned repeatedly as a spokesperson opposed to capping visas.

In connection with some legislation, it was proposed that Homeland Security require that contractors use at least 50% mining, manufacturing, etc. from the U.S.  Miller had a hissy fit and said that he hoped that DHS could get their work done without computers and cellphones (paraphrasing).

Did you see the ad over there >----> with Susan dancing?  It would be nice to have an ad featuring you in a week or so. 

You're our hero and we do appreciate your work :)

On extension and caps of H-1B visas? 

On limiting L-1 visas?

How would Webb have voted on the recent Senate version of the immigration reform bill, which included provisions for increased H-1B visas as well as a new H-2C visa?

Here's a March 2006 statement by Senator Leahy on the legislation:  http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200603/030206c.html

Would Jim Webb differ?

I would be helpful to know how both candidates view this issue, in specifics, rather than just what Miller has done in the past.

That Webb will be unveiling more detailed position papers about these and other issues, but I'm not sure of the dates of this.  Sorry I can't be of more assistance.  All I can say is more information is forthcoming.