Re: H1-B - Reply to have this sent to every congressman on your behalf

Dear Programmer,

I am writing to you as a friend in the IT industry. I have been working in this industry for over 8 years. I've seen the good times, and even during these difficult times I am fortunate enough to be working and consider myself well paid. Nevertheless, I have become increasingly concerned about the H1-B law and have wondered what steps I could take to ensure that programming continues to survive as a viable career.

You must understand the good times will never come again. If we ignore the dot-com boom, the previous years paint a bleak picture of the future of IT. Businesses have historically been skeptical about IT's ability to generate a positive return on investment. During the years prior to the dot-com boom, industry would have benefited from a higher spending on IT, but their skepticism about technology prevented them investing more. If these years are any indication, IT industry will never return to the size it was during the dot-com bubble.

Not counting H1-B's there are over 6 million programmers in this country. We would be lucky if the IT industry generated enough jobs in the next few years to keep us all working at fair wages. However, with over a million programmers here on H1-B visas, and with an additional 100,000 H1-B's coming into the country every year, this is unlikely to happen.

The H1-B law is not wrong because immigration is bad. Immigration is good; while it does tend to lower wages, it also stimulates the economy and helps keep the United States competitive.

The H1-B law is wrong because it expects programmers to bear 100% of the costs of immigration, and get none of the benefits. If Congress were to pass a law bringing in hundreds of thousands of factory workers, this would benefit programmers. These factories would need sales databases to track the products sold, CAD software for developing new products, and HR databases to manage and track the employees. These factories would generate thousands of programming jobs, and also lower the prices of the things programmers buy. Yet Congress will never pass a law that hurt its' darling factory workers. Factory workers-and nearly every other occupation in the US-in the eyes of Congress, should be protected. Only programmers should bear the full brunt of foreign competition. By passing an immigration law the specifically mentions programmers, Congress is saying: "Programmers are not equal citizens. They do not deserve equal protection under the law."

You must wonder why I am writing you. I am writing you because I want you to do something. I want you to agree to have the attached letter forwarded to Congress automatically on your behalf. I also want you to pledge $50 to your senator if he votes against H1-B.

There are 6 million of us. That's 300 million dollars-more than enough to swing votes. And $50 is a small price to pay for being able to continue your chosen career. Even $50 to every senator and congressman-around $1500, is still a small price to pay. You've spent thousands more than that on books and training.

Respond to this email and I'll have the following letter sent to every congressman on your behalf:

Dear Senator:

I am writing to ask you to vote to lower the limit on H1-B visas as proposed by Representative Tancredo of Colorado. As you have no doubt heard, there is massive unemployment in the IT industry since the dot-com crash. Certainly it is ridiculous for employers to claim there is a shortage of programmers in these times, but nevertheless some employers continue to make this claim.

The question is not whether programmers are paid more than marketing majors. They most certainly are, and this alone is not sufficient evidence of a so-called "shortage". I have never met a programmer who was not in the upper 5% of intelligence. Programming is difficult work.

The question is not whether, in a free and untampered market, programmers will be paid more than most other college graduates. The question you need to ask yourself when considering Tancredo's bill is: Do American programmers deserve equal protection under the law?

All American workers are protected from foreign competition. There is a shortage of truck drivers in the US willing to work for $5/hr, and no shortage of truck drivers in India willing to work for this wage. Nevertheless, no one is suggesting that we bring over truck drivers on temporary visas.

American programmers deserve the same things all American workers deserve. We deserve the market clearing wage, whatever it is. Companies should not be allowed to whine that they cannot afford the market clearing wage, and get Congress to pass special laws that apply only to programmers.

American programmers deserve equal protection under the law. By definition, this means immigration laws cannot specifically mention programmers in an attempt to lower the average wage.

There are over 6 million American programmers in the US. Individually, we look small compared to the companies that lobbied for the H1-B bill. Together, however, our salaries represent over $420 billion in GDP and almost $150 billion in tax revenue. If united, the programming profession could be one of the strongest voting blocks in the US.

I'm doing my part by pledging $50 to your campaign fund if you support Tancredo's bill reducing the number of H1-B visas. You will soon receive letters from hundreds of thousands of other programmers also pledging $50. Please join us in opposing the constitutionally questionable and economically unsound H1-B law. Received on Sun Apr 28 2002 - 16:45:55 CDT