The Progressive Geek

 

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This episode opens with a skit with the help of Bill from The Florida Soapbox podcast.  Bill also has a new podcast titled The World News Review which will be coming out in January.

Next, I discuss the Christmas resolution that passed in congress and my full support for Jim McDermott who voted against it, in which I am in complete disagreement with Lou Dobbs and Ken Schram who I feel completely missed the point as to why to vote no on this Republican resolution.

Indians are now praying to the Visa God for, not entrance into heaven, but entrance into the United States in order to take an American Worker’s job.

 Amazon.com is moving its headquarters from Seattle to … Seattle.

…or so says Shelly Burroughs in a voicemail left at my home today.  Of course, being The Progressive Geek, with my intense distrust of our anti-American dysfunctional government, the first thing I did was to search the Internet for more information on this “highest honor” (as described in the voicemail) that supposedly congress thought I deserved.  Almost instantly, I discovered that this so-called honor is a scam by Tom Cole and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).  It appears from my search on the web that hundreds, or more probably thousands of people are approached with this award for the purpose of collecting contributions and adding people to an “advisory committee” where you are forced to endure listening to a recording of Republican drivel regarding their agenda to stop Nancy Pelosi and those “bad liberals” from ruining small businesses.  The price for this fake honor is several hundred dollars, paid to the NRCC.

Don’t get me wrong.  I have no love for Nancy Pelosi and many of the Democrats who gave so many promises in 2006 and failed so miserably to keep any of them.  My back is still bleeding from all the stab wounds.  I am also much more concerned over how the Democrats are out to ruin American jobs, particularly hi-tech jobs, than over what they might do to “small businesses”.  What I find so insulting is how Cole and the NRCC have stooped to an incredible low in trying to scam the Americans into forking over money to the Republican Party.

All I can say is: this should tell you what the Republican Party thinks of us American Citizens.  They must think that we all believe that we won the International Lottery and that we have a million dollars coming from a business deal in Nigeria.

 

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Heavy rain and snow caused major flooding in Washington State. Flood waters filled many of the local creeks and rivers. Woodinville, which is south of me, had major streets flooded out. I spent the day at home since my bridge in my driveway washed out.
Governor Gregoire declared a State Of Emergency, which is good, because it may mean that I can get some assistance with the damage that occured.

In response to Governor Gregoire’s empty letter after she had promised me a “good job with a good employer” at the Town Hall meeting, I wrote this letter to Karen Lee, who is the person that Gregoire said could get me that job.  I also sent a copy of the letter to Chris Gregoire.  I sent both copies by certified mail to ensure that these letters don’t somehow become “lost”.  Stay tuned, I’ll let you know what, if any, response I get.

The body of the letter is posted here:

Dear Karen Lee

I had attended Governor Chris Gregoire’s Town Hall meeting in Seattle on October 3^rd where I had expressed my concern over her support for increases in the H-1B non-immigrant VISA cap.  At this Town Hall meeting, Chris Gregoire told me that with my education and experience, I “ought to be working for a good company, with a good salary, and with good benefits” here in Washington state.  She also said that you, Karen, can get me this job.  I look forward to working with you on this endeavor, because I have found that the traditional method of sending a resume to a potential employer (that is not one of these body shop companies, such as Volt or Siemens) just doesn’t work anymore.  Attached is a copy of my résumé for your reference.

I tried to explain to Chris Gregoire that due to the current levels that corporations are already allowed in bringing in STEM workers from other countries, I am finding it very difficult to be placed in a full-time permanent job that includes benefits such as medical, vacation, and sick time.  This is in spite of the fact that I have a four year degree in computer science (BSCS), have over 20 years experience in information technology, have Microsoft certifications, and recently earned Master of Information Systems Management from a school here in Washington.  The only jobs that I have been getting are W2 contract jobs through these body shop companies that have become so prevalent in our state in recent years.

Currently, I am working at a medical technology company in Seattle indirectly through one of these W2 contract companies.  I work on software for a cutting edge technology device that is used in assisting Radiation Therapists in locating tumors during radiation treatment.  Yet, I do not get any sick time for myself or for attending to sick family members.  This was especially trying this year since my wife had come down with thyroid cancer and ended up spending over 2 weeks in the hospital along with several trips to the emergency room for calcium infusions.  Not only do I end up with medical bills to pay, I end up with lost wages from time that I was not able to work.

Again, I look forward to working with you Karen.  Chris Gregoire seemed confident that you can screen out all the fraudulent job ads and find me one of those good jobs at a good company, with a good salary and good benefits that she says are so abundant in our state.

Well, a response from her staff anyway. 

Earlier in October, I went to the Seattle Town Hall meeting to question Gregoire about her role in the letter signed by 13 governors to the U.S. congress calling for the H-1B cap to be raised.  Among the things that she promised was a job “with a good employer, good salary, and good benefits” in the state of Washington.  One of her staff had me fill out a card describing my issue and providing my contact information.  What I got in response was a letter.

STATE OF WASHINGTON
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
www.governor.wa.gov

Dear Rennie:

Thank you for attending the Town Hall meeting in Seattle.  Governor Gregoire appreciates the time you have taken to share your views on not increasing the number of H-1B visas granted to foreign workers, and she is pleased to have the opportunity to work on behalf of the people of Washington.

Views and comments such as yours give the Governor and her staff valuable insights into the important issues facing people in communities around our state.  We rely on the messages we receive to let us know where we must focus our priorities.  The Governor has made your comments available to her Executive Policy Advisors, who will consider them as the Governor works to move Washington forward.

The Governor also encourages you to share your views and specific suggestions with your state legislators given their role in proposing and passing state laws.  The toll-free Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000 offers a convenient way to contact your state Senator and Representatives.

Again, thanks for taking the time to attend the Town Hall.  The continued involvement of citizens like you is critical to our state’s success.

Sincerely,

Gary Fugere
Constituent Services Manager
Christine O. Gregoire
Governor

The online DFA poll results are in and Kucinich is on top with nearly 32% of the vote.  Al Gore, who said that he is not going to run for President, came in second with nearly 25% of the vote.  John Edwards is in 3rd place, solidly over 15%.  Hillary is where she belongs, down in 5th place with only a little over 4% of the vote.  Clearly this means the people (at least those with access to a computer and cared to vote at the DFA website) want a progressive candidate.  They want us out of Iraq.  They want us out of the unfair trade policies that our government has negotiated despite the will of the people over the last 25 years.

Kucinich’s second win?  His resolution to impeach Dick Cheney has been approved in congress to go to the judicial committee.  It is yet to be seen how far this goes, but it is tremendously good news for the people of this country who want to hold this administration accountable for all its fraudulent, unconstitutional actions from warrantless wiretapping and water-boarding to the lies that got us into the occupation of Iraq.  If this resolution accomplishes nothing else, it would be worth its weight in gold if it will keep us out of yet another fraudulent war with another country, Iran.

Be sure to check out Dennis Kucinich’s latest book, “The Courage to Survive” and be sure to tell all of your friends to support Dennis Kucinich.

 

 Episode 27 - U.S. DOL Thowing Citizens Out On the Street / The Fear Mongering TSA [42:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (328)

An aritcle in Highland Community News analyzes the Department of Labor’s Strategy Plan where the department states that it is OK to give preference to foreign workers over American workers.  The Progressive Geek provides his own analysis of this section of the Strategy Plan.

Your reading assignment:
On the Need for Reform of the H-1B Non-Immigrant Work Visa in Computer-Related Occupations by Norman Matloff

My wife asks the TSA a simple question.  The TSA replies with a huge response that does NOT answer the question.

Music by Roy Zimmerman

Who needs Corporate Neo-Cons to destroy the American working class when you have democratic candidates like Obama, Clinton, and Edwards?  David Sirota blogged on the recent announcement by Obama that Obama supports expanding NAFTA.  The only candidate that actually wants to abolish NAFTA and start all over with FAIR trade agreements is Dennis Kucinich.  I am telling you that in order to save the working families in this country, you need to support Kucinich.

 

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Chris Gregoire, at one of her Town Hall meetings in downtown Seattle, was challenged on the fact that she and 12 other governors signed a letter urging congress to pass legislation to raise the H-1B cap.  Her response consisted of talking points that Bill Gates uses in his quest for cheap labor, namely that there is a severe hi-tech worker shortage in Washington State.  Yet, a recent Duke University study shows that this is nothing more than a manufactured myth.  This myth is constistently used when the corporate elite communicate their desire to congress for bringing more foreign tech workers into the U.S.  More and more, U.S. corporations hire employees as contractors, or “Temps”, with limited terms in their contracts, instead of as full time permanent employees.  Of course, the employee benefits for Temps, if any, are not nearly as good as for full time employees.  Most of these temp positions (including the one that I am working in now) do not have any provisions for sick time.  Some may provide holiday pay only after several months of service.  Of course Temps are easily interchangeable with foreign workers that are here on H-1B and L-1 VISAs.

Gregoire also proudly points out that the current unemployment rate in Washington State is the lowest in state history.  Yet what does this really mean given that the quality of jobs has declined considerably?

 

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