Bill Gates in protest of not getting his way with immigration officials is moving some of his offices to Canada. Instead of hiring Americans he instead wants more worker visa's. The world's richest man wants to have the opportunity to maintain and grow his personal wealth. Good riddance. I hope Canadians get tired of him too.
Ending illegals immigration will hurt business. If they can't hire illegals they will have to hire legal immigrants and citizens. They will have to pay a decent wage. They will have to pay work comp. Bottom line their profits will go down.
We are so far from any kind of immigration reform but what about this for an idea. Give them all amnesty so then they won't be afraid to stir the pot. Then mandate that companies like Microsoft pay back wages to these people. Pay 100% of health insurance benefits to each employee and their families.
Make English the official language and make the companies that hire them pay for each and every illegal to learn English. We can call it No Illegal Left Behind. Make standardized testing mandatory.
Make the companies pay for drivers education classes for these illegals.
Have Microsoft give each family $5,000.00 for each baby born to these illegals.
Pay for each illegal to get a community college education. Knowledge is power.
What do you think?
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Comments: 26
I don't think Microsoft hires very many illegals. Most of the people who work for Intel and Microsoft who are not native-born are getting the big bucks for their brains. I could be wrong? Is it just that I only know the Intel workers who are getting big bucks and building 9,000 sq ft homes?
Most of the illegals are being taken advantage of by Americans. Every time we buy produce at the current prices, we are benefiting from their sub-standard working conditions and wage.
In the business world, if they have to pay more to farm workers, you and I will pay more at the store. Your theory sounds good, but you must realize that business will pass the cost along to you and me.
Now, as a matter of justice, I do not condone treating anyone the way illegals are treated. And while there are a few bad apples in every bunch, most are just trying to survive and feed their families. The media just promotes it whenever an illegal commits a crime. How many times have you heard them mention the status of native-born criminals?
Keep tossing out your questions. Debate is good. (And, this from someone who HATES politics.)
BTW the Microsoft story is true. And yes Bill hires plenty of illegals. Not as techies but lowly workers.
The point about illegal immigration is that there are people who are willing to employ them under the table at wages too low to attract American workers. As long as that dynamic exists, illegals will continue to cross the border and take the risks. It is that most revered thing in America: the entrepreneurial spirit. They want to work to make a better life for themselves.
To stop illegal immigration would be simple: any person or corporation that hires an illegal alien would be subject to the following consequences: criminal prosecution and prison time; hefty fines that would include all costs of processing illegal, cost of maintaining a border patrol to police illegal migration, cost of unpaid taxes and payroll costs and punitive element to make the hiring of illegals more costly than the hiring of Americans with proper employment and wage protection; confiscation of property to pay fines if necessary, including the homes of employers and corporate directors responsible; revoking of business license and articles of incorporation.
The market would dry up overnight.
Vancouver, British Columbia office will house international workers caught in immigration tangle.
Nancy Gohring, IDG News Service
Saturday, July 07, 2007 6:00 AM PDT
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Microsoft Corp. will open a software development office in Vancouver, Canada, later this year, in part as a way to retain talented workers who can't stay in the U.S. because of immigration laws.
Software developers from around the world will staff the center, which will allow Microsoft to keep skilled workers who are affected by U.S. immigration issues, the company said in a statement Thursday.
Microsoft, along with other high-tech companies, has been a vocal supporter of legislation that would increase the number of foreign workers allowed to stay in the U.S. Proposed amendments to the current foreign worker regulations were part of a larger controversial immigration bill that stalled in the U.S. Congress last week.
Without new regulations, companies across the country are competing for 65,000 H-1B visas issued each year.
"This is especially a problem for Microsoft because they're so big and doing so much hiring," said Susannah Malarkey, executive director of the Washington Technology Alliance, an association of companies promoting education and an entrepreneurial environment in the state. "If you can't use visas to bring people in, you have to take the jobs to where the people are," she noted.
Companies like Microsoft can "either create a worksite in the country of origin of these people or lose out on them altogether," she said.
In addition to its Redmond headquarters, Microsoft already has development centers in Ireland, Denmark, Israel and North Carolina. The Vancouver location is in part attractive because of its proximity to Redmond, Microsoft said.
Microsoft did not reveal the Vancouver facility's size or precise location.
Someone comes here as a criminal, they get treated like a criminal. Deportation, no education and only emergency health care. No citizenship for anchor babies. No education. Nada.
These criminal invaders need to go home.
Lori
I'm sure those numbers aren't perfect, but it's a start.
Actually, if the government wants to 'get even' with Microsoft, they could just stop offering Microsoft executive, judicial, and legislative assistance in their pursuit of unlicensed Microsoft software. There's an extortion racket organized crime would be proud of right there.
That article about MS says "software developers" from around the world. It sounds like to me these people were not here illegally. The reason why they had to move to Canada is because Canada will give them working visas...when the US won't. I think software developers are not working for low pay. My brother worked as a software developer...he makes about four times what I do!
Ellie the comment I posted was just one I happened to find. If they cant get visas they shouldnt be here....skilled or not.
And the fact of the matter here Bill Gates isnt president but yet he is blackmailing the lawmakers to get what he wants.
"There are millions of U.S. citizens that could qualify for this job, but not at the pay level that guy was receiving."
Funny you should say this...Now take a look at this:
Fake Job Ads Defraud Americans to Secure Green Cards For Foreign Workers