Comment by toomuchtodo | Hacker News Reader

Comment by toomuchtodo | Hacker News Reader

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I suppose we simply disagree, and that is fine. I think the H-1B should be eliminated in favor of the O-1, the domestic labor exists, corporations would simply prefer "optimize their labor costs" and employ workers with reduced mobility via the H-1B. The data is clear from the salaries paid, which is public data.

As I've commented previously: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46257889 "I am calling for a temporary moratorium for issuing new worker visas based on the current economic macro and existing immigrant worker base in the US companies can pick from, yes. I support the current $100k H-1B fee, in perpetuity. The domestic workforce exists, it is a choice to not pick from the domestic labor pool. Choices have consequences."

The US has an obligation to its citizens, not corporations, not immigrant labor (already on US soil, or desiring to be on US soil). Shareholder returns go to the top 10% of Americans (who own 90% of US equities), so any argument about prosperity impairment from impaired immigration is going to fall on deaf ears in this context. Again, we may disagree on this, but I think I can find a majority of Americans who do agree with this sentiment (considering the current macro and affordability crisis in the US).

> Shareholder returns go to the top 10% of Americans (who own 90% of US equities), so any argument about prosperity impairment from impaired immigration is going to fall on deaf ears in this context.

"We fail to tax our corporations adequately, so the proceeds of rampant deregulation and profiteering don't benefit the general populace".

I don't necessarily disagree with your stance but this seems like a weak justification (it's pragmatic, to be fair)

> it's pragmatic, to be fair

Highest praise. This is what I optimize for in a dynamic, imperfect, and more often than not, unjust world. Move fast, break systems.

Just for reference, if you’re in tech and a senior even in a 2nd tier city, you’re probably not “the little guy”, you’re probably in the top 10% if you make more than around $160K

https://dqydj.com/income-percentile-calculator/

I have personally been in the room when illegal labor decisions were made around H-1B hiring and immigration law, which I reported to USCIS. But that doesn't scale unless you can get into more places where these decisions are made. So, when all you have is a hammer, you have to hit whatever is within reach of the target outcome.

> you’re probably not “the little guy”, you’re probably in the top 10% if you make more than around $160K

I am closer to a blue collar worker than a CEO or other very wealthy/empowered person driving these anti labor decisions, so your argument is not compelling, I know who these people are behind closed doors. It's always about some combination of wealth, profit, status, power, and/or control.

I feel your pain.

We'd rather be training in-house people to be better long term than training up people that get moved off the project as soon as they get upskilled...

The median income earner is making around $65K. They don’t see you as one of them if you are making even six figures

I do not need their approval to want better for them, or to advocate for or take action to achieve the same. How they see me is irrelevant. Humans are tricky.

Seeing who rural America routinely votes for and that they rather vote for someone who hates the same people they hate at their own expense (including people who look like me) - I stop caring, I’m over it.

Rural America is not the majority of America (81.7 million people, 24.4 percent of the U.S. population). ~70% of US GDP is from “blue” counties.

https://www.fhfa.gov/blog/insights/who-lives-in-rural-americ...

https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2017/08/rural-america...

You can turn the numbers anyway you want but the results of the 2024 election speaks for themselves. Like I said this is the country that the citizens want.

Before the retort starts that “if that’s what I think then why don’t I leave?”, corporate America has been decent to me. But I’m in my 50s and working on my exit plan and have been in the country I plan to retire to now for six weeks.

> corporate America has been decent to me. But I’m in my 50s and working on my exit plan and have been in the country I plan to retire to now for six weeks.

Crazy take to think the morally correct move is to capitalize on the virtuous parts of America, then leave when it's at its most vulnerable.

Here's to hoping the rest of your generation is willing to fight to bring back the country that allowed you to prosper.

I voted for an advocated for “progressive”/safety net policies all of my adult life. But why should I fight for people who would care less if they saw me hanging from a tree? I don’t owe a country that sees me as less of person as anything.

No I’m not saying everyone is racist.

My fight is closer to being done than starting. In the country I’m in right now (and have been for four weeks), the police don’t look at me suspiciously, the people are nice and tolerant of my horrible Spanish, the ex pat groups I’ve become a part of are friendly and welcoming (and not patronizing like a lot of west coast liberals) even though I’m the only minority in the group.

Did I mention the country I’m in now that they have universal healthcare, a sensible vaccination policy, they actually enforce a decent wage on service staff so they don’t have to live on tips, etc?

For me? I will continue “adding on to what Becky said”, “looking at things from the 1000 foot view and finding synergies” and doing the other corporate speak with decision makers as long as they pay me and continue to allow me working remotely.

The US won’t get better. A large part of the country has been racist, homophobic , etc since its founding. My still living parents grew up in the segregated south and the country voted for a president who claimed Black immigrants were eating pets in 2024.

> The US has an obligation to its citizens

In an ideal world the US _is_ it's citizens. Importing thousands of "guest" workers on h1b visas who never end up leaving seems borderline seditious.

I wouldn't call it seditious.

It's actually exploitative, on both ends but one worse than the other.

H1Bs wind up feeling forced to work far more hours than they should, but then it adds pressure to any in-house employees to work more than they should too.

It's extra evident in the people that go from H1B to full citizenship, they often never learn to just take a break, sometimes to their own detriment.

Overworking H1Bs isn't what people are concerned about (yes it's an issue and part of the problem because it's an extra incentive). Importing people to supplant the local talent who are more than capable of doing the work, widening the labor pool to weaken labor's power, claiming it's "meritocracy" and that everyone who doesn't agree is somehow racist or "illiberal" are the core issues.

Nailed it.

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