Re: Bill Gates and the H-1B Visa, Chapters 1 and 2

SJL wrote:

Chapter 1 contains some clips from Lou Dobbs and a clip from Ron Hira.
Chapter 2 is edited with clips from Mr. Bill's speech to the House Science & Technology committee from March 12.

Chapter 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BIvffAHsJs

Chapter 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDltU1ysQTE

I was listening to a MS exec-in-charge-of-something-about-hiring talk about the "problem" on a radio talk show during my commute this morning. He laid out a pretty good (sounding) argument in defense of the pursuit of H-1B applicants for them. There weren't a lot of holes in what he said.

Of course, if you listened for what he _didn't_ say, holes were easy to spot.

One very particular element has been nagging at me since. I can't quite put it into the right words, but maybe others can see what I'm getting at and flesh this out.

MS doesn't profit from hiring H-1Bs. Yes, they might get a wider talent pool. And, yes, they might execute hirings for lower salaries. And, yes, there are probably various elements that affect their bottom line during the time a H-1B holder works for them. But it still isn't quite "profit".

However, if MS can hire a thousand H-1Bs every year, from India, China or wherever, and if a thousand temporary employees end their contracts and go home every year (replaced by new H-1Bs), what is the impact in the following year on MS sales in those countries?

If I came from India and worked at MS for a couple years, absorbed MS technologies, used MS tools, learned MS products inside and out, what am I likely to do when I go home to India and start my own business? Will I run it on System i?

Tom Liotta