Mica's (L)oophole Bill

Mica's (L)oophole Bill - Part 4

Date: Friday, May 23, 2003 2:06 PM

JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER

www.ZaZona.com

Before you read the article in InformationWeek on Mica's (L)oophole,
it's worthwhile to see where Mica get's his campaign money from. By
following the money trail it becomes obvious that Mica isn't going to
do anything that impedes Siemens from importing L-1 visa holders.
Unfortunately the media will be fooled into hyping Mica as a friend of
the worker.

Siemens money also explains why Mica said that he will do nothing about
H-1B and outsourcing.

contributed by Mike Blain
www.TechsUnite.org
www.WashTech.org
WashTech/CWA Local 37083
Seattle, WA

well, gee-whiz, look at this...

In the 2002 election cycle, the Siemens Corporation Political Action
Committee gave $4,999 to Rep. John Mica (R-FL). That is more money than
Siemens gave to ANY other candidate for the US House.

http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.asp?strID=C00353797&Cycle=2002

Apologies if this info has already circulated on the various lists, but
this is the first I've seen it.

The Siemens PAC contribution to Mica is topped only (and just barely)
by the $5,000 it gave to John Warner (R-VA) in the 2002 Virginia Senate
campaign.

I'll restate that for clarity -- the Siemens PAC gave more money to
Rep. Mica in the 2002 election cycle than it gave to any other US House
candidate. I don't think it's cynical to say such contributions help to
buy access and influence, if not actual votes.

Clearly, Rep. Mica has multiple agendas here with this L-1 bill. He
wants to look like he is doing SOMETHING for unemployed (or soon-to-be
unemployed) Florida constituents who are angry about job losses caused
directly or indirectly by L-1, while simultaneously not seriously
threatening the economic interests of one of his top campaign
contributors.

So he crafts a loophole-riddled bill that makes some noise about L-1,
perhaps riles up ITAA or NASSCOM a little bit just for show, but really
changes nothing. Then he can try and claim credit for at least trying
to do something about the issue, while he winks at Siemens and waits
for the next big check...

Those of you in Florida should ask Rep. Mica how the $5K he got from
Siemens in 2002 does or does not affect his position on L-1, H-1B, and
more.

We need to follow the money more. It reveals a lot. There are little
trails like this all over the political landscape.

-Mike

http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=10100016

Bill Would Restrict Importation Of IT Talent

The measure, introduced by Florida Rep. John Mica, would ban the
outsourcing of L-1 visa holders.

By InformationWeek
May 22, 2003 (10:37)

Legislation introduced in Congress this week could restrict how
offshore outsourcing companies bring IT talent into the country.

The bill, introduced by Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., would prohibit the
outsourcing of L-1 visa holders--similar to the provision contained in
the H-1B visa program. Under the measure, American companies would
still be permitted to employ L-1 visa holders. However, those employees
could be transferred only from a company's subsidiaries, not from a
third party.

Mica says he introduced the bill after learning that Florida companies
were using contract workers from offshore outsourcing companies, such
as India-based Tata Consulting Services, who were brought over on L-1
visas. The intention of the L-1 visa, he says, is for multinational
companies to move employees with specialized skills from one geographic
subsidiary to another--not as a way for offshore companies to bring
those individuals to their own U.S. subsidiaries and then outsource
them. "We believe the intent and the spirit of the law is being
abused," Mica says.

However, several vocal opponents of H-1B and L-1 visas, which companies
use to bring in IT talent from other countries, believe that the Mica
bill doesn't go far enough. Mike Emmons, a former IT contract worker
with Siemens ICN, the company's telecommunications division in Florida,
heavily lobbied Mica's office for months after learning that existing
contract and full-time employees would be replaced with contract
employees from Tata Consulting. Emmons says the suggested changes will
still let companies transfer lower-cost labor from subsidiaries in
India and elsewhere, which still doesn't address the high unemployment
rate among IT professionals. U.S. citizens, says Emmons, "should be
getting the jobs first."

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