News Article Thread - 1

[rick_rajvanshi]

July 26, 2006
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB115386385704817028.html

[rujulm]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,205164,00.html

[pappu]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=2235337&page=1

On Tuesday Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) went so far as to propose an entirely new plan — one that, they said, would combine tough border security measures with a "no amnesty" temporary worker program.

"We have an immigration bill a week, it seems, by the Republicans," complained Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). "Let's go to conference."
=======================================

just found this online on http://www.cirnow.org/content/en/act...ting_press.htm. Has some helpful hints. members should make sure to send emails to editors/reporters of any news story they come across related to immigration in this thread.

The Top 10 Ways of Getting Press in the 21st Century

1. Develop Messengers

-- Unusual messengers draw the press (i.e. businessperson, respected leader, clergy, etc.)
-- Individuals impacted by law and/or lack of action are the best messengers.

2. Set up a Communications Program

-- Develop media lists, get intern to keep updated
-- Have an internal system for how press calls are handled efficiently and effectively
-- Return calls promptly

3. Press Releases

-- Establish relationships with reporters
-- Respond promptly to current crises or breaking news
-- Use email to contact reporters

4. Create a Media Event

-- Press conferences, briefings or interesting events
-- Find hooks (holidays, anniversaries, etc.)

5. Op-eds/Letters to the Editor

-- You can control the message in what you write.
-- Letters to the Editor are often printed (follow tips on page 22)
-- Use important signatories

6. Editorials and Columns

-- Visit your editorial boards, bring diverse group
-- Pitch stories to columnists

7. Pitching Stories to Reporters/radio shows/TV talk shows

-- Get to know your reporters well so you know what they�re interested in
-- Don�t worry about getting a �no�, if you do try again

8. Publications/Studies

-- Reporters love studies, it doesn�t need to be complex (i.e. interview your clients about their concerns and possible solutions and turn it into publication)
-- Do a big press conference with researcher

9. Website

-- Keep it updated, promote it

10. Track Press Coverage

-- Look on websites every day (have intern do it)
-- Listen to radio, TV, cable talk shows

[rujulm]

http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_2663758

[a1b2c3]

http://www.conawayblog.com/?p=133

[indianindian2006]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060727/...4yBHNlYwNmYw--

[pappu]

more news on the lobbying by the healthcare industry. they are lobbying for the same bills we are lobbying. thus added lobbying efforts by other orgs will also help us.

----
RETROGRESSION: THE END OF FOREIGN NURSES IN THE U.S.?


THE PROBLEM

The Department of State has just announced that, as of October 2006, the “EX” visa category for Registered Nurses and Physical Therapist immigrant visas (green cards) will expire. Once the EX visa category expires, RN’s and PT’s green card applications will be lumped into the “general” EB3 visa category with accountants, engineers, IT computer programmers, and other common professional occupations. The EB3 category is backlogged, or “retrogressed,” for five years. A hospital that sponsors a fully-qualified nurse in 2006 will have to wait until 2011 until that nurse is eligible for a visa.

This five year back-log will essentially end the supply of foreign-trained nurses and physical therapists into the United States. This will have grave consequences on this country’s healthcare system because nurses and physical therapists are in extremely short supply. Indeed, the U.S. Department of Labor has only found two occupations to be in such dire national short supply – Registered Nurses and Physical Therapists.[1] These “Schedule A” occupations have been the only two occupations designated as such in 15 years.


THE SOLUTION

The Coalition to Improve Healthcare Staffing (CTIHS) and the American Hospital Association (AHA) are asking Congress to make the EX visa permanent. We have a wide-group of Congressional allies.

· Sen. Brownback (R-KS) introduced an amendment to the Senate’s Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill (S. 2611, Sec. 505). This provision calls for the EX visa to be affixed to the Immigration and Nationality Act until 2017, provided that the DOL continues to determine that these occupations are in extreme shortage occupations (i.e. on Schedule A). S. 2611 passed Congress in May 2006, including Sen. Brownback’s amendment.

· Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ) and nine co-sponsors have introduced the stand-alone SKIL Bill into the House (HR 5744). This bill calls for the EX visa to be permanently affixed to the Immigration and Nationality Act, provided that the DOL continues to determine that these occupations are in extreme shortage occupations (i.e. on Schedule A). Action on this bill will not happen until Congress finishes its national debate on CIR.


The CTIHS seeks to either:

1. Ensure that Sen. Brownback’s amendment survives conference, if Congress begins conference on CIR; or
2. If CIR is not passed, and stand alone immigration bills are permitted, to ensure that Congress quickly acts on Rep. Shadegg’s SKIL bill.


It is important to note that both provisions maintain all of the current regulatory checks on these vital healthcare workers. The checks currently call for foreign-trained nurses and physical therapists to pass state licensing examinations, pass English examinations, and pass visa screening, prior to entering the United States.


For more information on this matter, please contact Chris Musillo.

Christopher T. Musillo, Esq.
Hammond Law Group LLC
3311 Carew Tower
441 Vine Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202

513-381-2011 x 223
cmusillo@hammondlawfirm.com

[1] The US Department of Labor has determined that only two professions are worthy of “Schedule A” designation – RNs and PTs. Schedule A is the designation for occupations that are in short supply across the entire country. 20 CFR 656.15.
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[GCwaitforever]

http://citypaper.net/articles/2006-06-29/cover.shtml

This article describes the travails of refugees. Looks like they are also stuck looking to attach their bill to a larger initiative. We could talk to the sponsors of these bills and ask them to support IV goals also.

Also the article talks about faster security check clearence system USCIS is going to unveil from Oct. 1st. Does anyone have any idea on this? This might help some of the name-check victims.

[pappu]

Republicans Launch a Massive Campaign to Promote Its Restrictive Immigration Agenda

* Republicans have started a massive campaign to promote their restrictive immigration agenda. It appears that the campaign includes the following:
o Label the Senate Comprehensive Immigration Reform as though it is the Democrats Reid-Kennedy agenda;
o Focus the Republican immigration reform agenda on the border security targeting at the November election.
* So far these double sword agenda appear to be promoted by the two means, among others:
o As we reported earlier, the House Republicans are scheduling 19 hearings at the 12 states mostly in August and some in early September with these two specific topics;
o Republicans launched a new website to publicize these two agenda and through webcast of the hearings and other discussion on its new Border Security website. http://www.gop.gov/bordersecuritynow.aspx
* The Speaker of the House has announced that after the hearings, he would push the border security bill in the House in September. It thus appears that conference process for the Senate passed Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill is not likely happen before the election. There is some possibility that the Republicans may attempt to incorporate the recently announced Hutchinson-Pence plan on the extremely restrictive Guest Worker Program and 17-year required immigration opportunity for some of the former illegal aliens to accomodate and save the face of Bush White House and to mitigate the Democrats' assault on the Republicans as anti-Hispanics and anti-immigration forces. Another unknown factor is the place of legal immigration reform plan such as those which are incorporated in almost all of the Immigration Reform proposals including Frist Bill, Specter Bill, and S. 2611 Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill. The legal immigration reform has been introduced either in the House and the Senate in similar context with different names and some modifications by the House or Senate sponsors of the bills. For instance, PACE Act, Senate version of SKIL Act, and House version of SKIL Act. These bills were accomodated by the Senate sponsors of the comprehensive immigration reform bills including Frist and Specter, but these bills can also be absolved into the ongoing Republican immigration reform process, even though there is no clue or sign that it will definitely happen. There was a report that the Republicans had been under the tremendous pressure from the business community including Microsoft and other business giants to act on the legal immigration reform. Depending on the outcome of the ongoing Republican restrictive immigration campaign and the direction of the public opinion, such comprehensive reform process can be worked out or pushed aside until after the election. The critical momentum should develop in September before the legislators go back to their hometowns in October for the final November election campaign.

[BostonGCVictim]

Originally Posted by rick_rajvanshi

July 26, 2006
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB115386385704817028.html

Can you paste the contents? Not everyone has subscrition to WSJ. Thanks

[eagerr2i]

U.S. Firms Search
For Technical Talent

By CHRISTOPHER SCINTA
July 26, 2006; Page B2D

U.S. companies are desperate to find technical talent, prompting many to step up retention efforts, while making a dash to move higher-paid research operations to China and India. It raises new debate about caps on visas for foreign workers and the need to attract more U.S. students to careers in math and science.

"I think there are too few people choosing technical careers," said Urs Hölzle, senior vice president at Google Inc. The company has added operations in places such as Seattle and New York to be closer to talent pools.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the U.S. needs 135,000 new computer professionals a year, but the U.S.'s universities are producing only 49,000 computer-science graduates annually. The agency also predicts the need for science and engineering graduates will grow 26% to 1.25 million by 2012. The number of graduates in those fields, however, has remained relatively flat for two decades.

In 2004, Chinese schools awarded 351,000 bachelor degrees in engineering, computer science and information technology, while the U.S. awarded only 137,000 similar degrees, according to a Duke University study. India was close behind with 112,000.

Tory Johnson, head of New York-based job fair and recruiting firm Women for Hire, said being a professional -- particularly a woman -- with highly technical skills means "employers are knocking down your door." And that equates to more than just a substantial salary. These candidates can shop around for the right fit as far as corporate culture, location and flexible work schedules, she said.

The search for technical talent in the U.S. has become "fiercely competitive," said Yahoo Inc. spokeswoman Heidi Burgett. The company "re-recruits" existing employees to keep them happy, offering job rotations and access to the most important, high-profile projects.

The intense competition for such a limited group of workers has fueled an expansion to offshore locations well beyond the now-ubiquitous customer call center in Bangalore. Many U.S. companies are moving more advanced -- and higher-paid -- research and development work to China, India and Eastern Europe, not only to be involved in their fast-growing economies, but to tap a pool of engineers, software developers and other technical professionals.

Texas Instruments Inc., Intel Corp. and International Business Machines Corp. are just a few of the companies that have recently said they would open, or add to, technical operations in India.

EMC Corp. last month said it would make large investments in both India and China. "We will invest $500 million in India through 2010, and in China $500 million between 2006 and 2010," said Greg Eden, an EMC spokesman. Those investments are meant to be all-encompassing efforts to build sales and infrastructure, as well as product development.

EMC currently has about 28,000 employees world-wide, including 700 software developers in Bangalore. The data-storage company expects to increase that figure to 1,600 by 2008.

John McArthur, a senior analyst at research firm IDC Corp., said EMC has been adding workers in India and China to gain access to highly skilled but relatively cheap labor, particularly in software development, as well as to gain a foothold in those countries as they become bigger information-technology consumers.

Another answer to the dearth of talent in America: simply bring foreign workers with the skills to the U.S.

Newmont Mining Corp. has found it difficult to recruit engineers and geologists in the U.S., said David Kern, human resources manager at the gold producer. It is tough to find experienced engineers, he said, adding that Newmont recently staffed three upper-level engineering jobs with candidates from Canada, Mexico and Australia.

The mining industry has been particularly hard hit by the lack of technical talent and expects tough times ahead -- about half the 5,200 practicing mining engineers in the U.S. will retire in the next 12 years, said Leigh Freeman, general manager of Downing Teal, a firm specialized in finding talent for natural resource industries.

During a downturn in the 1990s, many people left the mining industry, and now that natural resources are a hot market again, Newmont is using headhunters to try to track down some of those veterans, as well as make sure it keeps the people it has. Mr. Kern said Newmont tries to provide clear career paths for its technical professionals, so they can see opportunities to advance within the company and won't be tempted to leave.

Gary Flaharty, spokesman for oil-services company Baker Hughes Inc., said universities in the U.S. and Western Europe simply aren't attracting and graduating enough students with the skills needed by the energy industry.

"The industry is more and more turning to the Eastern Hemisphere to meet the requirements" for qualified petroleum engineers and geophysicists, Mr. Flaharty said.

Citing statistics compiled by the Society of Petroleum Engineers, Mr. Flaharty noted that 1,732 undergraduate students were enrolled in petroleum-engineering programs at U.S. universities in 2004, versus 11,014 in 1983.

But getting foreign-born professionals into the U.S. to fill those jobs isn't always easy either. Short-term visas for foreign workers coming to the U.S. to fill specialty occupations such as mathematics, physical sciences and engineering -- known as H-1B visas -- are limited to 65,000 a year by the federal government, though that was temporarily raised to 195,000 from 2001 to 2003. Another 20,000 visas are available to foreign-born workers who received a master's or doctorate degree from a U.S. university.

Arthur Rothkopf, senior vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said the H-1B quota for fiscal 2007 already has been met. The chamber is lobbying, with various companies, to have that cap increased to 200,000 or 300,000 a year. Mr. Rothkopf said there is a "critical, urgent need" for more foreign-born professionals in the U.S.

For the long term, Mr. Rothkopf said the U.S. needs to build up its science and math-education system. A report published in late 2005 by the National Academies of Science said addressing the lack of math and science graduates in the U.S. would be key to maintaining the country's economic stability.

"We have to remain competitive," said Mark Heesen, president of the National Venture Capital Association, which represents the majority of venture-capital firms in the U.S. "Otherwise, Asia will take over what we're doing."

Science and engineering tend to be difficult disciplines to master, and many students are enticed by positions in law and finance that seem more lucrative, he said.

As competition for the shrinking pool of American engineering graduates becomes more intense, defense contractors like Northrop Grumman Corp. have established "pipeline" programs with U.S. universities, high schools and even junior high and grade schools to encourage more American students to study engineering. Northrop has put more resources in apprenticeship and internship programs, said John Krakowski, Northrop's corporate director of employment and employee relations. The company is also encouraging veteran engineers to delay retirement to mentor young employees.

Newmont has made a $2.5 million commitment to the University of Nevada at Reno to fund teaching and recruitment for mining professions, and copper giant Phelps Dodge Corp. has made a $2.5 million endowment to the University of Arizona for training mining engineers and offers scholarships at several other schools.

Thus far, it appears the efforts haven't been very effective. During the fall of 2003, there were 91,000 engineering students in programs for master's degrees, by the fall of 2005 that number had dropped to 83,000, said Michael Gibbons, director of data research for the American Society for Engineering Education.

--Bob Sechler, Frank Byrt, Megha Rajagopalan, Mark Boslet, Jonathan Vuocolo and Jason Ma contributed to this report.

Write to Christopher Scinta at chris.scinta@dowjones.com

[nb_des]

http://www.bizjournals.com/louisvill...31/daily7.html

[GCBy3000]

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepu...faith0803.html



Groups decry lack of voice in immigration hearings

Chris Ramirez
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 3, 2006 12:00 AM

Protests are planned in front of the state Capitol during a congressional hearing on immigration reform at 5 p.m. today, as religious groups and immigrant advocates question the validity of the event.

They say that although they have contributed consistently to the immigration debate in Arizona, they won't be allowed to speak during the hearing.

The gathering is the latest of a series of hearings that have taken place throughout the country in recent weeks as leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives seek input for a proposed immigration-reform law. The meeting of the Committee on House Administration will convene in the state Senate chambers.
advertisement


Members of the Valley Interfaith Project said they wanted to testify during the hearings but weren't able to get on the agenda. At a news conference Wednesday, the group's members expressed fear that federal lawmakers would listen more to people with political agendas than "regular people" with no axes to grind.

"Our democracy expects us to have a voice," Interfaith Project member Cathy Tompkins said. "Why can't we give our opinions?"

Tonight's hearing is expected to focus on voting in federal elections and how it is affected by state policies. In Arizona, the concern is how much the voting landscape has changed since the 2004 approval of Proposition 200, which requires voters to show proof of citizenship before they cast ballots.

Gov. Janet Napolitano dismissed the hearings as mere "political events" that have provided no headway toward legitimate reform.

"It's a delay tactic," she told reporters Wednesday in a weekly press briefing.

Valley Interfaith Project, a group of church organizations, has opposed to the proposition.

Valley Interfaith sent letters to key congressmen, including House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Armed Services Committee Chairman Vernon Ehlers, requesting to speak. As of Wednesday, the group had not gotten a reply.

Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas, Secretary of State Jan Brewer and Phoenix immigration lawyer Daniel Ortega are among those expected to testify.

Elias Bermudez, president of the advocacy group Immigrants Without Borders, spent much of Tuesday organizing a demonstration for today.

"They say they want input from the public, but they're not allowing the public to participate, only people they want to hear from," Bermudez said.

Napolitano held out hope that immigration reform could be hammered out, only if Congress negotiated a comprehensive bill dealing with areas such as the number of visas the country would allow and sanctions on employers violating the law.

She doubted the hearings would achieve those goals.

"Some congressman was quoted somewhere as saying, 'We need to have hearings to hear from the people of America,' " she said. "If you haven't heard from the people of America and what they feel about our broken immigration system, you're just not listening."

[tdasara]

http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/s...15102798c.html

[Alabaman]

Can you post article? U need a password to log in. thanks.

Originally Posted by tdasara

http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/s...15102798c.html