2012 Candidates: More of the Same?

Romney waving goodbye to IT Jobs

With my extended vacation in September, the unexpected trip to Denver from WI, and the turmoil that happened at work upon my return, I got behind in the news. I also didn’t get a chance to put up any blogs. Well all that has changed….I found a wonderful thing to lampoon this week. Mitt Romney.

No I don’t care that he’s Mormon. No I don’t care that he tried and failed at Romney-Care, ok I care a little a bit about that but that’s not what this is about. I don’t care what the polls say. I do care that he is about promoting jobs in this country. I do care how he plans to promote job creation  in this country. And there in, lies my problem. Mitt wants to take my job.

Yes I said it. Mitt wants to take my job. And Mitt wants to hand my job over to someone who graduated with an advanced degree, but was born somewhere else. Don’t believe me? Check it out, page 70. Ya I know it says we need to retain the best and the brightest, blah blah blah. I’ve heard that song and dance since 2000. That’s the mantra when it comes to business and IT.

I’m not the only one who picked up on this either. IT World picked up the story and ran with it too. How is it, that during the worst Recessions in the history of this country, is a candidate for President advocating handing jobs over to foreign nationals?

For years IT workers have known that their jobs are at risk for being outsourced. It has been the latest business fad. Anyone who has ever looked for a job in IT also knows that businesses will post jobs with some crazy skill sets. Years of experience for a recently released programming language, or a requirement of database experience on top of development experience with some systems experience thrown in for good measure, are examples of this. Yep, I’ve seen those crazy ads just like others have. I’ve even interviewed for some of those crazy positions. I’ve never gotten a call back from those interviews either.

Now that I have decided to change careers a bit and move into development, I’ve noticed something else. There are no entry level jobs and if there are, the rate of pay isn’t worth the effort. So….that tells me, unless the IT guy with anywhere between $50k – $125k in student loans is willing to work for $12 an hour, there is little hope of that person landing a job. Why? Cause companies aren’t interested in training. Especially when they can hire a foreign national for less.

It’s possible I’m over reacting, but I doubt it. Computerworld ran an article this morning about the decline in the number of jobs in IT over the last decade. So this is by no means imagined. Ok granted, some the jobs that were lost are no  longer around. Some jobs have matured and we have come up with more efficent ways to handle them. Technology has made us more efficient at what we do. Companies have come and gone, and as the article pointed out….high tech manufacturing jobs are no longer located here in the States as much. Still…we lost jobs. The article also points out that IT has been rocked by the recession on 2000 and then followed by the one in 2008. I believe it, because it’s been tough to find a job over the years.

So…..after the IT industry has been hammered by recessions, outsourced because free trade agreements favor everyone but the American worker, and abysmal unemployment rates…..then combine that with companies holding on to cash, Obama-care threatening to make hiring more expensive, and the general uncertainty of the times….Mitt wants to give foriegn nationals (particularly those with advanced degrees) a free pass? This is his election strategy? This is going to get people like me to come out and vote for you? Really Mitt? Have you thought this out? What are you paying your campaign strategist?

Just to set the record straight….I don’t believe Obama is the best person for the job either. I’m tired of hearing about Bush, or how the economy is his top priority, or how the arrogant ass is going to make my life better. I just want a decent job and for people to stay out of my way. I’ll tell you this though. If my choice is Obama or Mitt…..I’m writing in Elmer Fudd. At least Elmer can make me laugh.

Really Mitt…..offering to give my job to someone who isn’t even a citizen of the country is not a good way to get my vote. As a citizen of the US, I am tired of everyone else coming before the needs of our citizens. We need to focus on us….we need to take care of our problems and let other countries deal with their problems. I’ll tell you Mitt (and every other candidate)….you’d do a whole lot better to ignore the lobbysits and start listening to the people. The people are getting pissed and they aren’t going to keep taking it.

I have to wonder what would happen if the auto workers in Detroit were told as a plan to create more jobs, jobs in automotive manufacturing were going to be given foreign nationals upon graduation. Something tells me those laid off auto workers would be ready to tar and feather Mitt.

Ya….I gotta say Mitt, if you’re intending to give my job away then I’m going to have say no, you’ve lost my potential vote. And possibly lose the vote of the other 2 or 3 people who occasionally look at this site.