Minnesota Governor wants more H-1Bs
Minnesota Governor wants more H-1Bs
Date: Wednesday, January 18, 2006 2:51 PM
JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER
January 18, 2006 No. 1402
Governor Pawlenty of Minnesota says that he supports H-1B and employment
based green cards (EB-3). His website says that he wants an "Expansion of
the number of H-1B visas and employment-based green cards granted to those
studying and working in strategic areas".
Taking into account the blind support for H-1B on his website, there is an
unforgivable factual error:
An H-1B visa is a work visa available to someone who graduates
with a four-year degree (or advanced degree) from a U.S.
college or university.
The H-1B regulations don't require a degree from a U.S. college or
university - their degree can be from any university in the world. To make
things worse there is a large loophole that allows companies to hire an
H-1B just by declaring that his or her experience is "equivalent" to a
degreed person in a specialty related to the employment. Perhaps the
governor is getting confused with the additional 20,000 H-1B visas that
were approved for those who got graduate degrees in the U.S. Those visas
are in addition to the 65,000 that only require and "equivalent" degree.
Pawlenty also vowed to import more foreign doctors into rural areas of
Minnesota. He wanted to use J-1 visa waivers that allow foreign doctors in
med school to practice on patients in the U.S. while they wait for a green
card or H-1B visa. If you live in the country and your HMO assigns you a
young foreign doctor, be sure to thank Pawlenty!
Fortunately Governors cannot make changes to immigration laws such as H-1B
or EB-3 but he can lobby for it. He could be very influential on Capitol
Hill since he is considered to be a potential Republican presidential
candidate. Pawlenty vowed on his website to go to Washington to lobby for
more H-1Bs:
Next month, Governor Pawlenty will travel to Washington, DC to
lobby the Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship
sub-committee chairs of the U.S. House and Senate Judiciary
Committees to allow more than the 65,000 H-1B visas currently
granted each year for these specialized areas of work or study.
"Its time for the federal government to loosen its hold on
these important employment visas," Governor Pawlenty said.
"We need to keep more of the talented and hard working
employees trained in our colleges and universities here in
the state after they graduate."
The local press is very supportive of Pawlenty's obsession with increasing
the number of work based visas. This is what the Twin Cities Pioneer
thinks:
The most important provision of the governor's plan is to push the
federal government to expand the H-1B visa program. We've
editorialized in favor of this in the past and think it's an
important step in assuring that foreign-born students who earn
degrees here stay here to work.
The Pioneer couldn't resist the temptation to insult American engineers:
It's no secret many of our most talented scientists, engineers and
software programmers come here from other countries.
Considering that Pawlenty has no respect for the hard working American
scientists and engineers who toil away for Minnesota's high-tech companies
and research labs, this next quote by him is no surprise:
"It's time for the federal government to loosen its hold on these
important employment visas," Pawlenty said. "We need to keep more
of the talented and hard working employees trained in our colleges
and universities here in the state after they graduate."
High-tech companies aren't the only ones that praise Pawlenty. Latino
activists are very pleased that he wants to give illegal aliens guest
worker visas and amnesty:
Pawlenty also said he supports some kind of guest worker program
to allow foreigners to live and work legally in the United
States for a period of time, then return to their home country.
These pro H-1B editorials seemed very suspicious to me. I smelled to stench
of a shill at work so I went to the CompeteAmerica website, and wo and
behold, the Pioneer article is listed as one of their editorial plants!
CompeteAmerica is a proxy for the ITAA, and was established by Harris
Miller. To see their shill listing, go to this page:
http://www.competeamerica.org/editorials/index.html
One more thing; Pawlenty recently appeared on Lou Dobbs and pretended to be
tough on immigration. Unfortunately Dobbs was totally fooled. If you want
to read what this charlatan got away with go here:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0601/11/ldt.01.html
Pawlenty is tough on immigration compared to a police chief in Minneapolis
that told Lou Dobbs that he will not enforce federal laws as long as local
laws give illegal aliens sanctuary. Pawlenty, Dobbs, and the police chief
named McManus had a debate, and this excerpt is a classic even though Dobbs
was fooled by Pawlenty. At least McManus didn't get away with anything:
MCMANUS: Lou, for any local municipality to arbitrarily check the
immigration status of any individual in the street there is
nothing short of profiling. And it would also setback ...
DOBBS: Whoa, whoa, chief. Let me be clear because you constructed
what I said. And what I'm saying is the law says that if you have
a responsibility to determine the citizenship of any citizen you
bring into charges under criminal law.
Articles Used for this Newsletter
http://www.governor.state.mn.us/Tpaw_View_Article.asp?artid=1697
GOVERNOR PAWLENTY PROPOSES STEPS TO ENCOURAGE LEGAL IMMIGRATION
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/editorial/13621877.htm
Framing the immigration debate properly
http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2005/04/07_zdechlikm_pawlentynational/
Pawlenty for president or vice president?
http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_012080735.html
Framing the immigration debate properly
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.governor.state.mn.us/Tpaw_View_Article.asp?artid=1697
GOVERNOR PAWLENTY PROPOSES STEPS TO ENCOURAGE LEGAL IMMIGRATION -- January
12, 2006
Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced several new initiatives designed to
promote immigration that is legal rather than illegal. Pawlentys
proposals follow recent proposals to crack down on illegal immigration.
Proposals announced today include a new citizenship tax credit designed to
help immigrants with the costs of becoming a U.S. citizen and the creation
of a public/private partnership with the Itasca Project to provide quality
financial education to immigrants. The Governor also announced proposals to
increase the number of visas available to immigrants coming to Minnesota to
study or work in high technology, high need areas and a proposal to improve
the health and welfare of the legal immigration population already living
in our state.
"While we are cracking down on illegal immigration, we still want to
encourage legal immigration because we are a country of immigrants,"
Governor Pawlenty said. "However, immigration should be legal and orderly.
These proposals will help immigrants who do it the right way and play by
the rules."
The Governors proposals are:
Tax credit for immigrants seeking citizenship
Public/private partnership to help immigrants access financial and
economic tools
Expansion of the number of H-1B visas and employment-based green cards
granted to those studying and working in strategic areas
Creation of a Immigrant Investor Visa Regional Center to attract foreign
business investment to Minnesota
Grants for employers providing work-readiness English language
instruction to employees
Utilizing visa opportunities for foreign medical professionals in
underserved areas of Minnesota
Addressing health care challenges within the immigrant community
Citizenship Tax Credit
Governor Pawlenty said immigrants should go through a legal process and
that requirements for citizenship include studying American civics and
history, an effort to learn English, a loyalty oath to the United States,
proper identification and other requirements. English language classes
often involve a fee and the citizenship application fee is $330 plus a $70
biometrics fee.
Many immigrants desire to become U.S. citizens but lack the funding to make
it happen. Governor Pawlentys Citizenship Tax Credit will provide an
incentive for immigrants to learn critical language skills and will help
defray the costs of going through the citizenship process.
A tax credit of $300 per family will be available to families with an
adjusted annual income of less than $30,000 to offset English language
costs and citizenship application fees. This proposal would cost
approximately $1.7 million annually.
Financial Literacy Partnership with the Itasca Project
Many immigrants come to Minnesota with a strong desire to participate in
the economic opportunities that exist here but lack knowledge about our
banking and finance systems.
To bridge this gap, the Governor announced a new private/public partnership
with the Itasca Project chaired by Brad Anderson, CEO of Best Buy. This
partnership will connect members of the immigrant community with
information on the basics of financial and business institutions,
developing opportunities for immigrants to thrive economically. Highlighted
topics will include earned income tax credits, home ownership opportunities
and business start-up information.
The partnership will also include several outreach initiatives from
Minnesota financial institutions and non-profit organizations. State
government will play a key role in this partnership, promoting tax
assistance from the Department of Revenue, business start-up assistance
from the Department of Labor and Industry and mortgage assistance from the
Minnesota Housing Finance Agency.
"I am very pleased that Brad Anderson and the Itasca Group have stepped
forward to join us in providing financial literacy to our immigrant
communities," Governor Pawlenty said. "These business leaders know the
importance of immigrants to the future success of our state economy."
Pushing the Federal Government for More Visas
Governor Pawlenty will also seek to expand the number of H-1B visas and
employment-based green cards for students educated at Minnesota colleges
who wish to work in high technology, high need areas. An H-1B visa is a
work visa available to someone who graduates with a four-year degree (or
advanced degree) from a U.S. college or university. The program is designed
to meet companies needs for high-technology talent and is especially
important to biomedical engineering, medical research and software
development companies.
Next month, Governor Pawlenty will travel to Washington, DC to lobby the
Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship sub-committee chairs of the
U.S. House and Senate Judiciary Committees to allow more than the 65,000
H-1B visas currently granted each year for these specialized areas of work
or study.
"Its time for the federal government to loosen its hold on these
important employment visas," Governor Pawlenty said. "We need to keep more
of the talented and hard working employees trained in our colleges and
universities here in the state after they graduate."
Global Investor Visa Program
Several states have recognized the value of foreign business investment to
their economy, especially in depressed economic areas, and provide
incentives for businesses to bring foreign investment to their states. One
such program is the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa program, managed by USCIS
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (a division of the Department
of Homeland Security). USCIS is authorized to designate "Regional Centers"
that focus on specific geographic areas and promote economic growth through
increased export sales, improved regional productivity and creation of new
jobs.
The Governor and DEED Commissioner will apply for creation of an Immigrant
Investor Visa Regional Center in Minnesota to provide an incentive for
foreign investors to establish businesses and create jobs in Minnesota.
As an incentive to invest in Minnesota, qualified immigrant investors will
be eligible to receive "Immigrant Investor Visas," allowing them to reside
and conduct business in the United States. In order to qualify for an
Immigrant Investor Visa, a foreign investor must invest at least $500,000
in a new or existing business, and create at least 10 new jobs for U.S.
workers, or maintain the current level of employment in a struggling
business. This is another way to bring global talent and resources to our
state through existing law.
The Language of Success - Helping Employers Teach Their Employees English
Minnesota employers know that having a workforce that can speak functional
English improves the productivity, health and safety, and efficiency of
their entire operation. Providing job skills improvements such as language
courses also improves employee retention by building loyalty and career
pathway opportunities.
Governor Pawlenty is proposing the establishment of a $3 million grant
program through the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Board that will help
provide work-readiness English language instruction to approximately 1,100
employees. This grant program will be especially valuable to the financial
services, health care, and food processing industries. It is funded by
employer contributions and is administered by the Department of Employment
and Economic Development.
Expand Physician Numbers in Medically Underserved Areas
Many areas in Minnesota have a critical need for physicians and this
problem will increase as our population ages in the coming years.
Currently each state in the nation can obtain J1 visa waivers for 30
foreign physicians in medically underserved areas through a program known
as Conrad 30. Last year, Minnesota only used 21 J1 visa waivers, despite
the states limited number of medical doctors in underserved areas,
especially in Greater Minnesota.
Governor Pawlenty is directing the Minnesota Department of Health to reach
out to rural and inner city areas to ask if they are interested in applying
for the federal "Medically Underserved Population" designation through the
Governors Office and then using Minnesotas allotment for foreign
doctors. To be considered, an area must experience "unusual local
conditions which are a barrier to access to or the availability of personal
health services." Requests would include a written recommendation from the
Governor and a local health official.
Improving Health Care for Immigrant Families
Local public health officials are facing two significant challenges
regarding Minnesotas immigrant population: Hepatitis B and Tuberculosis
(TB). Persons born outside the United States are much more likely to be
affected by these conditions. Total funding for both initiatives is
$500,000 and will come from the Health Care Access Fund.
To help with Hepatitis B, the Governor is proposing a new initiative that
will increase the education and access to immunizations in several targeted
geographic and ethnic communities, thereby raising immigrant immunizations
rates. The program will provide state and local outreach and case
management efforts to improve outcomes for infants born to mothers who have
hepatitis B.
A tuberculosis reduction project will also be targeted to specific
immigrant populations for outreach and case management at the state and
local level to improve the expertise and capacity of our local public
health clinics to provide culturally-appropriate services to persons with
TB. The funding will also ensure that medications are available to treat
those infected with TB.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/editorial/13621877.htm
Posted on Sun, Jan. 15, 2006
Framing the immigration debate properly
We hope Thursday's immigration proposal from Gov. Tim Pawlenty puts to rest
the catcalls -- including those in our Letters to the Editor column -- that
he's a racist. As we said in our Jan. 4 editorial, dealing with illegal
immigration is about the rule of law, not about race or ethnicity.
Indeed, we don't care about the race, color or religion of any illegal
immigrants. We suspect the governor doesn't either. The fact is that they
broke our laws to get here. And while the U.S. has a long history of
welcoming with open arms refugees fleeing repressive regimes like those in
Somalia and Laos, we don't think the fact that the local roofer is paying
$12 an hour off the books puts the vast majority of the current wave of
illegal immigrants into the same category.
"While we are cracking down on illegal immigration, we still want to
encourage legal immigration because we are a country of immigrants,"
Pawlenty said last week. "However, immigration should be legal and orderly.
These proposals will help immigrants who do it the right way and play by
the rules."
That not only makes sense to us, but also goes a long way toward making it
clear that the governor is not anti-immigrant. Like us, he's
anti-law-breaking; it's an important distinction.
The most important provision of the governor's plan is to push the federal
government to expand the H-1B visa program. We've editorialized in favor of
this in the past and think it's an important step in assuring that
foreign-born students who earn degrees here stay here to work. It's no
secret many of our most talented scientists, engineers and software
programmers come here from other countries. But because the H-1B program is
limited to 65,000 visas a year, the program is often closed in the first
few months of the year.
"It's time for the federal government to loosen its hold on these important
employment visas," Pawlenty said. "We need to keep more of the talented and
hard working employees trained in our colleges and universities here in the
state after they graduate."
We agree. We're also encouraged that the governor is petitioning the
federal government. While there's certainly a role for the states,
immigration is primarily a federal issue. Once people here in the states
understand what the feds are going to do to stem the tide of illegal
immigrants, states and local communities can better figure out what role to
play.
Where we find fault with the governor's program is in some of the
give-aways. For instance, he wants to give a $300 per family citizenship
tax credit that would help pay for English language classes and the
standard citizenship application fee. The program would cost an estimated
$1.7 million a year. Viewed in a broader context, it's a drop in the
bucket. It wouldn't even cover one semester of English as a second language
classes at Century College, which would require four credit hours at $116
an hour for in-state students.
We'd also take issue with the governor's Immigrant Investor Visa program,
which would give tax credits to any foreign-based business that makes at
least $500,000 of new investment in Minnesota. Like our criticism of his
JOBZ program, we think the way to lure businesses to Minnesota -- be they
homegrown or from overseas -- is by making Minnesota a place where
businesses want to relocate, regardless of incentives. The way to do that
is by making the tax rates competitive, the regulatory environment
reasonable and easy to navigate, and having a work force with the skills
required in a 21st-century economy. Pawlenty's proposal to give a tax
credit to any business that invests $500,000 or more is just another
example of government picking winners and losers.
Having said all that, we're encouraged the governor is clearly thinking
about the conundrum of illegal immigration. And we're not so naive that we
don't recognize that it's an election year. But there are certainly some
things to like in his latest proposal. We look forward to an open and
healthy debate about its provisions.
To that end, we hope these clearly pro-immigrant proposals -- even the ones
we disagree with -- put to rest the unfounded claims that the governor's a
racist. That's simply so much noise. It's time we move off that and get
onto debating the real issues of legal and illegal immigration.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2005/04/07_zdechlikm_pawlentynational/
Pawlenty for president or vice president?
by Mark Zdechlik, Minnesota Public Radio
April 8, 2005
Gov. Tim Pawlenty greeted members of the Minnesota delegation to the
Republican National Convention during a reception at the Carnegie Deli.
(MPR file photo)
Karl Rove, the man considered to be the political mastermind of the Bush
White House, will be in Minnesota Friday night to raise money for
Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Pawlenty is up for re-election next year.
Some powerful Republicans also view Pawlenty as a potential presidential or
vice presidential candidate in 2008. Most agree though that Pawlenty's
prospects for national politics hinge on his ability to maintain his "no
new taxes" pledge and to get re-elected in what could be a tough campaign.
St. Paul, Minn. The president of the national anti-tax increase group
"Americans for Tax Reform," Grover Norquist, said more than anything else,
Gov. Pawlenty's success in keeping his "no new taxes" pledge has caught the
attention of Republican insiders around the country. Particularly, Norquist
said, because Pawlenty is gaining a reputation as a successful Republican
in what has been a predominantly Democratic state.
"I think it makes all of the difference in the world when you're going to
people and asking for their trust if you're running for the national level
to be able to say, I make this promise to you that I won't raise your
taxes, and you can look at my 'X' number of years as governor as see that I
can do it," Norquist said.
Karl Rove
Norquist said Karl Rove's fundraising visit clearly signals the Bush White
House has confidence in Pawlenty and considers Minnesota important to
national Republican politics. Long-time national Republican activist and
strategist Paul Weyrick agreed but offered some context.
"I wouldn't read a whole lot more into it because Rove is holding
fundraisers for practically everybody that you could consider to be a
potential candidate for the presidency in 2008," Weyrich said. "In Gov.
Pawlenty's case, assuming that he's going to run for re-election, he'll
need plenty of funding, and Karl Rove is a hot item."
But Weyrich added that as Rove raises millions for Republicans around the
country, he's also talent scouting.
"I expect that Rove won't stay in this White House for more than a couple
of years," Weyrich said. "And at the conclusion of his service to the
president, I think he's going to be looking for a client to guide into the
White House in 2008. And I think this may be one way that he's looking at
all potential clients for himself."
In Gov. Pawlenty's case, assuming that he's going to run for re-election,
he'll need plenty of funding, and Karl Rove is a hot item.
- Republican activist Paul Weyrick
Pawlenty dismisses talk about running for national office. Last month on
his weekly radio show after a discussion about steroids and professional
baseball with Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-NC, Pawlenty responded with a joke
when McHenry asked him to consider running for president in '08.
"Well, I tell people I'm going to run for the president of my youth soccer
league," remarked Pawlenty, laughing.
Carleton College political science professor Steven Schier downplayed the
significance of Rove's visit in any national campaign Pawlenty may be
considering. Schier said the White House is much more focused on the 2006
congressional elections than the 2008 presidential race. Schier said Rove's
real interest in coming to Minnesota may be giving the GOP a leg up in next
year's Senate race.
"I think Rove knows that Minnesota is going to be ground zero in the 2006
cycle, and having the incumbent Republican governor running well will help
with the Senate race," Schier said. "I think it's really premature for us
to think about Pawlenty running for president in 2008 when it's quite
likely he'll have a tough re-election campaign in 2006."
And Shier said if Pawlenty is unable to get re-elected next year, there's
no way he'll rise to national politics.
While national Republican strategist Paul Weyrich also cautions not to read
too much into Rove's trip to Minnesota, he said Pawlenty's potential value
to a national GOP ticket goes well beyond his record on the issues. "The
battle for the soul of the Republican party definitely is in the Middle
West, and when you get to a general election, probably the Midwest will
determine the outcome," Weyrich said. "Republicans have to do well in the
Middle West and having somebody from the Middle West on the ticket would
definitely help with that."
Weyrich said one potential weakness for Pawlenty could be his call for more
state-sponsored gambling. Weyrich said that might not sit well with social
conservatives around the nation, just as it's drawn criticism from some
Minnesota Republicans.
"It's not a deal killer, but it doesn't help him. And, you known, it would
probably have to be overcome," Weyrich said.
Rather than discourage talk of a Pawlenty run for president, some Democrats
say they welcome the speculation. The head of the Minnesota DFL party says
if voters think the governor is interested in a different job it'll make it
harder for him to win re-election next year.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_012080735.html
Posted on Sun, Jan. 15, 2006
Framing the immigration debate properly
We hope Thursday's immigration proposal from Gov. Tim Pawlenty puts to rest
the catcalls -- including those in our Letters to the Editor column -- that
he's a racist. As we said in our Jan. 4 editorial, dealing with illegal
immigration is about the rule of law, not about race or ethnicity.
Indeed, we don't care about the race, color or religion of any illegal
immigrants. We suspect the governor doesn't either. The fact is that they
broke our laws to get here. And while the U.S. has a long history of
welcoming with open arms refugees fleeing repressive regimes like those in
Somalia and Laos, we don't think the fact that the local roofer is paying
$12 an hour off the books puts the vast majority of the current wave of
illegal immigrants into the same category.
"While we are cracking down on illegal immigration, we still want to
encourage legal immigration because we are a country of immigrants,"
Pawlenty said last week. "However, immigration should be legal and orderly.
These proposals will help immigrants who do it the right way and play by
the rules."
That not only makes sense to us, but also goes a long way toward making it
clear that the governor is not anti-immigrant. Like us, he's
anti-law-breaking; it's an important distinction.
The most important provision of the governor's plan is to push the federal
government to expand the H-1B visa program. We've editorialized in favor of
this in the past and think it's an important step in assuring that
foreign-born students who earn degrees here stay here to work. It's no
secret many of our most talented scientists, engineers and software
programmers come here from other countries. But because the H-1B program is
limited to 65,000 visas a year, the program is often closed in the first
few months of the year.
"It's time for the federal government to loosen its hold on these important
employment visas," Pawlenty said. "We need to keep more of the talented and
hard working employees trained in our colleges and universities here in the
state after they graduate."
We agree. We're also encouraged that the governor is petitioning the
federal government. While there's certainly a role for the states,
immigration is primarily a federal issue. Once people here in the states
understand what the feds are going to do to stem the tide of illegal
immigrants, states and local communities can better figure out what role to
play.
Where we find fault with the governor's program is in some of the
give-aways. For instance, he wants to give a $300 per family citizenship
tax credit that would help pay for English language classes and the
standard citizenship application fee. The program would cost an estimated
$1.7 million a year. Viewed in a broader context, it's a drop in the
bucket. It wouldn't even cover one semester of English as a second language
classes at Century College, which would require four credit hours at $116
an hour for in-state students.
We'd also take issue with the governor's Immigrant Investor Visa program,
which would give tax credits to any foreign-based business that makes at
least $500,000 of new investment in Minnesota. Like our criticism of his
JOBZ program, we think the way to lure businesses to Minnesota -- be they
homegrown or from overseas -- is by making Minnesota a place where
businesses want to relocate, regardless of incentives. The way to do that
is by making the tax rates competitive, the regulatory environment
reasonable and easy to navigate, and having a work force with the skills
required in a 21st-century economy. Pawlenty's proposal to give a tax
credit to any business that invests $500,000 or more is just another
example of government picking winners and losers.
Having said all that, we're encouraged the governor is clearly thinking
about the conundrum of illegal immigration. And we're not so naive that we
don't recognize that it's an election year. But there are certainly some
things to like in his latest proposal. We look forward to an open and
healthy debate about its provisions.
To that end, we hope these clearly pro-immigrant proposals -- even the ones
we disagree with -- put to rest the unfounded claims that the governor's a
racist. That's simply so much noise. It's time we move off that and get
onto debating the real issues of legal and illegal immigration.
www.ZaZona.com
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