To see how this works, talk your neighborhood into leaving all doors unlocked 24/7. Then publicize what you are doing and track the robbery/burglary rate. Let all of us HotAir readers know how this works out for you.

My parents grew up in New York City in the 30’s and 40’s and frequently left their doors unlocked. Regrettably, things changed between the time of their youth and mine. Today my relatives outside the city and their neighbors keep their doors unlocked. I won’t publicize the location but can tell you that it is nice to be in a community where everyone trusts one another.

Maybe you could develop Jessica Alba as your own personal hardware engineer.

Ha ha. I can always dream.

Is there anyone who believes that “enforcement” of our immigration laws will not change the “economic dynamics”?

It will change the economics of sneaking in. The more we spend on enforcement, the more resourceful the illegal aliens will need to become. The drug war demonstrates something like this. We can take away employment opportunities for those already here, but they won’t rush back to Mexico rather more of our economy will move underground.

It is amazing that Brooks and other “Country Club Conservatives” have not been able to grasp what even Spitzer learned: the American people are totally fed up with the surrender of our sovereigntry to those who would destroy us and are not going to take the betrayal of our country by the open borders advocates any more.

What I’m saying is that “enforcement-only” without changing the economic dynamics will hurt the US economy and, I think, not fix the problem of illegal aliens or end illegal immigration.

Is there anyone who believes that “enforcement” of our immigration laws will not change the “economic dynamics”?

The active effort to ignore our immigration laws is, in itself, a subsidy which promotes illegal behavior.

To see how this works, talk your neighborhood into leaving all doors unlocked 24/7. Then publicize what you are doing and track the robbery/burglary rate. Let all of us HotAir readers know how this works out for you.

And by personal experience I mean software development not Jessica Alba.

dedalus on November 23, 2007 at 2:45 PM

Maybe you could develope Jessica Alba as your own personal hardware engineer.

They need to start recruiting in Portland then, it’s only 3 hours away. Really hard though to believe that Seattle is that different from Portland as they are so close.

I’ll ask around. Again, I’m speaking from my own personal experience which might be skewed. And by personal experience I mean software development not Jessica Alba.

IT is really no different than construction or McDonalds or lettuce.

Much is similar. The difference for some IT jobs is the lack of commoditization of the skills. Engineers have the ability to invent and dramatically change their value to a company. I’ll assume that some farm work, and the productivity of a worker, hasn’t changed much for thousands of years.

but the software developers I know in Seattle get more attention than Jessica Alba in a slinky dress–OK, almost as much attention, well not really almost but still a lot.

dedalus on November 23, 2007 at 2:38 PM

They need to start recruiting in Portland then, it’s only 3 hours away. Really hard though to believe that Seattle is that different from Portland as they are so close.

but do believe that keeping marketplaces efficient is a vital role.

dedalus on November 23, 2007 at 2:34 PM

But efficient for whom?

Right now the deck is being stacked in favor of whomever makes the biggest campaign contributions or comes crying to the government the most.

Don’t know about NYC and SF, but Seattle, I really doubt it. I’m only 3 hours from there. It’s all about the $$$$$$$$$.

I agree that it is all about $$$, but the software developers I know in Seattle get more attention than Jessica Alba in a slinky dress–OK, almost as much attention, well not really almost but still a lot.

$$$$$$$$$.

Plus kids graduating from school every year is only part of the picture.

Agreed. Retraining is an area where the government could provide more support for adult workers who need to move from one field to another. I’m always skeptical about government, but do believe that keeping marketplaces efficient is a vital role.

NYC, SF, Seattle.

dedalus on November 23, 2007 at 2:23 PM

Don’t know about NYC and SF, but Seattle, I really doubt it. I’m only 3 hours from there. It’s all about the $$$$$$$$$.

It would seem highly coincidental that the optimal number of workers in each field happens to coincide with the number American kids graduating from school every year.

dedalus on November 23, 2007 at 2:22 PM

It would also seem “highly coincidental” that business seems to always say that it is only on the one side of that,where they need to increase,rather than decrease employment visas. Plus kids graduating from school every year is only part of the picture. Nope, it’s about the money alright. They could at least be honest about it.

So… just where is that shortage agian?

NYC, SF, Seattle.

I have seen the shenanigans that goes on up close. It’s all about the money. The rest is smoke and mirrors and campaign contributions.

Yes, individual companies and their investors are always going to fight to keep labor costs down through lower salaries or attrition. The question for immigration levels is do whether we have enough lettuce pickers, software developers, network analysts, or medical professionals to keep the economy growing. It would seem highly coincidental that the optimal number of workers in each field happens to coincide with the number American kids graduating from school every year.

dedalus on November 23, 2007 at 1:52 PM

Hmmm… funny… I know of at least 10 guys here in Denver… long time IT folks who have been looking for work for so long that they are OFF the unemployment rolls…and so no longer count in the unemployment figures…

Interesting…

And I might add that IT SALARIES have NOT gone up (except for programers) for the last 10 years…. AVG MCSE’s and CNAs salaries have been stagnant…

So… just where is that shortage agian?

My personal experience, for what it’s worth, in working with companies is that over the past 5 years it has become much harder to hire high-caliber software developers, and the people doing the recruiting have been paying higher salaries for candidates with more modest skills.

dedalus on November 23, 2007 at 2:04 PM

I have been in IT for decades. Programmer, Systems Analyst, DB2 DBA, DB2 systems programmer, etc. US Bank, CNF, NIKE, etc. I have seen the shenanigans that goes on up close. It’s all about the money. The rest is smoke and mirrors and campaign contributions.

Unfortunately for them they have cheap and unskilled labor.

dedalus on November 23, 2007 at 1:57 PM

A lot, not most true, but a lot, of Mexico’s labor is skilled. Lots of Mexicans working in construction in the U.S. They aren’t all working picking lettuce or at McDonald’s.

2.2% may be “the official” IT unemployment rate, but it is not even close to accurate. It is all about the money, not any “IT shortage”. “IT shortage” is a myth.

I’ve heard that number challenged as convenient stat for employers–could be. I don’t have another study or another number. My personal experience, for what it’s worth, in working with companies is that over the past 5 years it has become much harder to hire high-caliber software developers, and the people doing the recruiting have been paying higher salaries for candidates with more modest skills.

If cheap labor were the key, Mexico’s economy should be booming, big time.

Unfortunately for them they have cheap and unskilled labor.

They can create downward pressure on salaries, but the IT unemployment rate is somewhere near 2.2%.

dedalus on November 23, 2007 at 1:52 PM

2.2% may be “the official” IT unemployment rate, but it is not even close to accurate. It is all about the money, not any “IT shortage”. “IT shortage” is a myth.

They had over a billion people available who would work cheaper than the Mexicans.

dedalus on November 23, 2007 at 1:46 PM

If cheap labor were the key, Mexico’s economy should be booming, big time.

H1-B’s are just a way for employers to get cheaper labor, not to solve any “labor shortage crisis”.

They can create downward pressure on salaries, but the IT unemployment rate is somewhere near 2.2%. If projects are delayed because positions can’t be filled or if the cost of software developers is so high that it hampers start-ups then opportunities are lost–maybe lost to India or China.