President Blames Unemployment On Lack Of Tech Skills

IEEE ^

[Florida_Irish]

During a Wednesday morning (July 30th) press conference, President Bush was asked a question about jobs going overseas as a result of technological innovation. His response was:

"I fully understand what you're saying. In other words, as technology races through the economy, a lot of times worker skills don't keep up with technological change."

Many people have taken his response to mean that unemployment in the high-tech sector is the result of American workers who allowed their skills to become obsolete. This is an unacceptable explanation.

[Wolfie]

Horse-hooey.

[smith288]

Its called "Cheap workforce". Not lack of skills Dubya.

[samuel_adams_us]

There's more air in between those ears than meets the eye!

[mewzilla]

I hate to tell the IEEE, but it's still a part of it.

[dirtboy]

"I fully understand what you're saying. In other words, as technology races through the economy, a lot of times worker skills don't keep up with technological change."

Bush just lost several thousand tech worker votes with this line. There are millions of tech workers with more-than-adequate skills who are out of work because of H1-B and L1 visas and outsourcing. So what is the lesson to high school and college students? Work hard, get a tech degree, and look forward to a career at Home Depot.

[carton253]

He no more said that than the man in the moon...

[samuel_adams_us]

Or in SFB's words, "Leave no child behind" so that I can send your job overseas!

[Elliott Jackalope]

Is President Bush TRYING to convince the rest of us that he is completely out of touch with the average American? That little comment is going to cost him a lot of votes.

Mr. President, if our skills are so out of date, then why are so many companies requiring their American workers to train their foreign replacements before firing them? People are killing themselves over this issue, and our President says "let them eat cake".

This is not going to make Joe Sixpack think good thoughts about our President.

[MEG33]

Fax or phone him.Inform him.

[dirtboy]

Fax or phone him.Inform him.

I email the White House about this often. But if Karl Rove can't stick his finger up in the wind and feel the anger and resentment blowing from this issue, he must have nerve damage in that thar political finger.

[Wolfie]

What's the point really. (Other than pointing the Bush has to be an idiot to believe this). Folks whose jobs aren't on the line now won't care anymore now than when the manufacturing workers who were losing their job 10-20 years ago.

[MEG33]

I read somewhere the faxes and phone calls get more attention.

[wesdale]

If your employer can find someone to do your job for less, you need to make yourself more valuable. Life is not fair. The tech industry is growing fast and a valuable skill today does not make your job secure for very long. Learn new skills. Stay ahead of the competition. It always bothers me when people complain about jobs going overseas. You do not have a right to a job because you were born in America.

[Wolfie]

One term gets the most attention of all.

[dirtboy]

I read somewhere the faxes and phone calls get more attention.

It's moot anyway with either the GOP or the Dems. Neither party cares to deal with the issue, and since the Dems are imploding on the left, the time is ripe for a labor/American party to develop and compete for the center.

[Chi-townChief]

This sounds trumped up.

[dfwgator]

If this is true, Bush just lost the 2004 election.

[carton253]

He didn't say that... he was using the technical field as an example and nothing more. He used the technical field to illustrate the unemployed worker training program. That's it.

So, please don't over-react to this article. The President has been taken out of context. (more so than usual)