The H1B issue: Yes, American workers, YOU DO QUALIFY FOR THAT JOB.

[SteveSmithCharlotte]

127. Here is the problem:

The decision to go offshore is made by accountants.

I finished a project last year in which I had to get a special exemption to company policy to come on board. The company had a rule that all consultants had to come through a preferred vendor list---a list that consisted exclusively of companies that only hire foreign programmers.

We had an H-1B "networking expert" who knew nothing about about networks. He just had a stack of book that he spent going through. We had 2 H-1B database programmers who could not comprehend the concept of a table join.

The project manager is in a tizzy. He has to deliver a project yet his choice is either get these incompetents from H-1B bodyshops or get nothing.

I was earning $10/hr more than these guys I mentioned (all making the same rate).

Yes, we need better programmers to cut costs. Companies think the better answer is cheaper programmers.