Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 00:05:03 -0700 From: Norm Matloff To: Norm Matloff Subject: more disappointing, uninformed statements from Robert Reich To: H-1B/L-1/offshoring e-newsletter The reporter here finds it "man bites dog" news to see Robert Reich and Newt Gingrich agree on something, but the fact is that Reich abandoned his principles long ago, sad to say. In the early 90s, then-Sec. of Labor Reich was quite critical of the H-1B work visa program, which high tech firms were abusing to bring in cheap labor to the U.S. But when those same firms wanted to bring in even more cheap labor in the late 90s, Reich was telling people that there was a programmer shortage, and he somehow forgot all that he had said in the past. I e-mailed him at the time, giving him the facts and figures, but only got a polite, one-sentence reply. Reich has basically gotten further and further off the mark ever since then. How anyone in his right mind can say we need to train more engineers and scientists when we're laying off the ones we have right and left is beyond me. That a former Sec. of Labor can say it is astounding. About a year go, when Reich was a visiting professor at nearby UC Berkeley, I e-mailed him again, suggesting that we meet. He at first said he'd be delighted, but later reneged. A couple of months ago, he was back in town again, for a few days I guess [added later by NM: he had been teaching at Brandeis at the time, but after this posting did move to Berkeley], and I saw him ordering coffee at Brewed Awakenings, a coffee place across the street from the university. I was tempted to start up a conversation with him then, but I decided he was beyond convincing, and thought I'd better not waste my time. His comments in the enclosed article show that I made the right decision. Just consider the following, for instance: "We have become fat, happy and lazy," he said. "Now, when we go looking for the engineers we need, we have to depend on other countries." I can send him lots of engineers who are most definitely not "fat, happy and lazy"--they are lean, hungry and NOT happy. Engineer X, for instance, has a Master's degree, U.S. patents to his name, a mention in the Wall Street Journal one time about his inventions, and had a fine work record at a major U.S. firm. Yet except for a short period of time, he's been unemployed for nearly two years now. Or how about a recent PhD in electrical engineering from MIT, who can't find a job either? And this is an African-American woman, supposedly just the kind of person the allegedly diversity-conscious industrial and research world wants. Organized by the San Diego Workforce Partnership, the event is open to the public but requires a $150 registration fee at the door. The event runs from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the San Diego Convention Center. You can bet that part of that $150 registration fee is going to fat speaker's fees for Reich and Gingrich. Talk about "fat, happy and lazy." This month, Gingrich spoke in favor of federal legislation that would forgive up to the first $10,000 of a student loan for math, science or engineering graduates who work at least five years in one of those fields. As I reported a couple of weeks ago, in http://heather.cs.ucdavis.edu/Archive/Ehlers.txt this bill is bizarre. There are so many new science and engineering graduates who would love to get technical work in their fields, but simply can't find work. The bill makes it sound like they are turning down such work. According to the conference Web page, http://www.sandiegoatwork.com/summit2005/index2.html Reich and Gingrich are scheduled for a "debate" during a conference luncheon. But as the reporter here points out, they really don't have anything to debate about. By the way, the keynote speaker is Marcela Perez de Alonso, Executive Vice President of Global Human Resources for Hewlett-Packard Company. HP, of course, has laid off large numbers of engineers--yet she's going to tell us we're not producing ENOUGH of them? Of course, the word "global" in her title says it all. Norm The San Diego Union-Tribune By Michael Kinsman STAFF WRITER April 28, 2005 It isn't often that conservative Newt Gingrich and liberal Robert Reich find themselves on the same side of an issue. But when it comes to the nation's commitment to science and math education, both see a serious threat to the economic foundation of the United States. "Every American should understand what a crisis this is," said Gingrich, a former speaker of the House. "I don't understand why the failure of our country to educate its young people in math and science gets so little attention. This is crucial issue for America, but we're just not responding with the urgency it deserves." Reich, secretary of labor under former President Clinton, said the United States has "simply not shown young people how math and science fit into our economy" and now risks losing its economic clout as other countries capitalize on the missed step. "We have become fat, happy and lazy," he said. "Now, when we go looking for the engineers we need, we have to depend on other countries." Gingrich and Reich meet tomorrow in San Diego for the 2005 Workforce Summit, which brings business, government policy-makers, educators and career counselors together to share information on the needs and opportunities for the regional work force. The two men are expected to address America's declining competitiveness because its workers lack math and science skills necessary in today's technology world. Organized by the San Diego Workforce Partnership, the event is open to the public but requires a $150 registration fee at the door. The event runs from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the San Diego Convention Center. The math-and-science education issue is crucial to San Diego because of the heavy cluster of technology companies that require engineers and scientists, said Jane Signaigo-Cox, senior vice president of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. For several years, local technology companies have complained about the dearth of college graduates with math and science educations. Some companies have employed foreign workers under the HB1 visa program, but reductions in the allotment of those visas is causing problems. "We really haven't done a good job educating students in the careers and opportunities that await them if they get a math and science background," Signaigo-Cox said. "The job opportunities are tremendous, but I don't think students in middle and high school realize what they can do in biotech, life sciences, medical instruments or other industries. There are fabulous careers here in our communities, but the students don't realize it. The companies that we have in San Diego can't continue to compete or continue to expand, unless we help grow the work force here." This month, Gingrich spoke in favor of federal legislation that would forgive up to the first $10,000 of a student loan for math, science or engineering graduates who work at least five years in one of those fields. "The Hart-Rudman Commission said that the greatest threat to America by 2025 was the detonation of a weapon of mass destruction," Gingrich said. "It said the second greatest threat was our country's failure to remain competitive in math and science. Why aren't we listening to that?" Gingrich, who owns a consulting company in Atlanta, also said he favors paying middle school and high school students to remain in math and science classes. "Kids are dropping those classes and working at Burger King or McDonald's so they can make money for their Saturday night dates," he said. "Why not pay them minimum wage as long as they make good grades in this classes? That's how we can turn this around. Money talks." Reich, now a professor of social and economic policy at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass., said he is confident that businesses that depend on math and science graduates will find a "business solution." "Unfortunately, the business solution may not be good for America," he said. "Businesses will expand in those parts of the world that can supply the educated workers it needs, whether or not that is in the United States. That's not a good solution for our country, but it will solve their problems." Gingrich and Reich are urging businesses to push for legislative answers. "Every business leader should be lobbying to triple the funding to the National Science Foundation," Gingrich said. "That's the way we will get this started." Reich said business should also take on a larger responsibility for training workers. "Much of the public has no idea how far down our competitiveness in math and science has gone," he said. "I would hope that the business community sees it as their responsibility to go to Congress and to state legislatures to apply pressure that will lead us to fix it." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Michael Kinsman: (619) 293-1370; *michael.kinsman@uniontrib.com