Idiotorial in Arizona Daily Star
Idiotorial in Arizona Daily Star
Date: Tuesday, August 15, 2006 8:12 PM
<<<<< JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER No. 1537 -- 08/15/2006 >>>>>
The Arizona Daily Star is the latest newspaper to feature an idiotorial on
H-1B. These idiotorials masquerade as editorials but they are actually
plants by the special interest lobby group CompeteAmerica. The AZStar is
guilty of a gross violation of journalistic ethics because they
intentionally called it an editorial instead of an op-ed. Readers of the
newspaper have no way of knowing that the editorial was a shill plant by
CompeteAmerica.
CompeteAmerica calls their propaganda campaign "editorial support". They
aren't shy about listing their newspaper plants on the following webpage:
www.competeamerica.org/editorials/index.html
To fully understand the breech of ethics the AZStar has made, read this
excerpt about the difference between editorials and op-eds.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Editorial
Editorials are (usually short) opinion pieces, written by members
of the editorial board of the paper. They reflect the stance of
the paper and do not have bylines.
The opinions expressed on op-ed pages reflect those of the
individual authors, not the paper. The articles have bylines and
are usually written by individual free-lance writers or syndicated
columnists. Sometimes editorial writers write signed columns for
the op-ed page.
I have noticed a very definite trend in the last few CompeteAmerica
idiotorials. They avoid mentioning the bill they want to pass through
Congress by name.
A bill introduced in the U.S. House in June by John Shadegg,
R-Ariz., would expand the H-1B visa and employment-based green
card programs so that more talented foreigners could work in the
United States. A similar bill was introduced in the Senate, and
provisions of the bills are included in a comprehensive
immigration-reform package that has already passed in the Senate.
There is only one piece of legislation they could be referring to: The Skil
bill was sponsored in the Senate by George Allen (R-VA) and in the House by
John Shadegg (R-AZ). The bill numbers are S. 2691 and H.R. 5477.
The AZStar website allows you to leave comments if you sign up. I tried to
comment but gave up in frustration after numerous bugs discouraged me. I
notified the webmaster so hopefully by the time you try it will work.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/related/141581.php
OR
http://www.competeamerica.org/editorials/20060811_h1b.html
Published: 08.11.2006
H-1B visas allow educated entrants who enrich us all
Our view: U.S. needs foreign talent because American students, for most
part, aren't interested in engineering, science
Immigration reform would help the United States improve its competitiveness
in the global economy.
Immigration issues go beyond illegal border crossers and financial strains
on communities, hospitals and school districts. Many immigrants wear ties
and overcoats -- like doctors, engineers and researchers -- that our
country wants and needs
.
Highly educated and highly sought foreigners come to the United States on
"H-1B visas" and stay with employment-based green cards. However, the
system that allows them into the country should be fixed as part of a
comprehensive U.S. immigration reform package.
"Ideas don't really have borders. If you want to be the best . . . that
means being international," said Andrew Comrie, associate vice president
for research and dean of the Graduate College at the University of Arizona.
Increasingly, however, foreign scholars are having a hard time coming to
work in the United States. Washington allows 65,000 foreigners to come in
on H-1B visas each year, and an additional 20,000 H-1B visas are allocated
for foreigners with master's degrees or higher.
The 85,000 H-1B visas are not nearly enough to meet the demand. The 65,000
cap for regular H-1B visas for fiscal year 2007 was reached in May. The
20,000 cap for 2007 for those with advanced degrees was hit July 26.
With months to go before the fiscal year even begins, many American
companies and universities will have to wait more than a year, at least,
before they can import foreign talent.
In the meantime, those foreign workers, many of whom were educated at U.S.
universities, will find jobs in their native countries or elsewhere, and
they will be competing against the United States.
The UA has 317 faculty members who are here on H-1B visas, an additional
375 are here on shorter-term J-1 visas. Those faculty members represent 85
countries, including 110 from China, 59 from India and 36 from Mexico, said
Kirk Simmons, executive director of the UA's division of international
affairs.
Simmons said foreign faculty make a $100 million impact on the Tucson-area
economy every year.
"Without the ability to have these visiting scholars, it would not be
possible to be as successful as we are in securing these research dollars,"
Simmons said.
The United States needs foreign talent to stay competitive because American
students, for the most part, aren't interested in engineering and science
careers. Compete America, a coalition of companies, universities and trade
associations seeking to maintain U.S. leadership in the worldwide economy,
said:
* The number of engineering degrees awarded in the United States is down 20
percent from the peak year of 1985.
* In 2001, only 8 percent of all degrees awarded in the United States were
in engineering, mathematics or physical sciences, which is more than a 50
percent decline from 1960.
* More than 50 percent of all engineering doctoral degrees awarded by U.S.
colleges are to foreigners.
If the United States can't grow the brainpower this country needs, it
should find ways to import it.
A bill introduced in the U.S. House in June by John Shadegg, R-Ariz., would
expand the H-1B visa and employment-based green card programs so that more
talented foreigners could work in the United States. A similar bill was
introduced in the Senate, and provisions of the bills are included in a
comprehensive immigration-reform package that has already passed in the
Senate.
Immigration reform shouldn't tackle one problem, such as border security,
but all facets of the issue. Our nation will be stronger and more
competitive if Congress can agree on changes that allow all segments of the
immigrant community to contribute to our nation's economy.
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