The Current Labor Shortage

Yesterday's post on immigration actually triggered more response than I thought that it would. And the discussion that followed moves me to ask a question about the two statements below:

1) Illegal immigrants fill jobs that Americans aren't willing to do.

2) The H-1B visa program allows industry to recruit technical workers, because there is a shortage of them in the U.S.

Now, I know that there are apparently qualified technical workers among my friends who've found it difficult to get a job following the dotcom bust, at the same time that industry is arguing that they need more H-1B workers. And I -- and others -- have wondered if it's simply a case of industry wanting more workers who will accept substandard wages and who dare not complain lest they be sent back to their home country.

If I have the strong suspicion that statement 2 is a crock, why should I believe something different about statement 1?

So what do you think? Is either statement true?

The Current Labor Shortage

Yesterday's post on immigration actually triggered more response than I thought that it would. And the discussion that followed moves me to ask a question about the two statements below:

1) Illegal immigrants fill jobs that Americans aren't willing to do.

2) The H-1B visa program allows industry to recruit technical workers, because there is a shortage of them in the U.S.

Now, I know that there are apparently qualified technical workers among my friends who've found it difficult to get a job following the dotcom bust, at the same time that industry is arguing that they need more H-1B workers. And I -- and others -- have wondered if it's simply a case of industry wanting more workers who will accept substandard wages and who dare not complain lest they be sent back to their home country.

If I have the strong suspicion that statement 2 is a crock, why should I believe something different about statement 1?

So what do you think? Is either statement true?

Yet Another Botched Warranty Repair

The strings on the light-blocking shade in our bedroom broke. However, since we got it from 3 Day Blinds, there's a lifetime warranty on the thing, so daisy_knotwise took it in to the shop to be repaired.

We finally got it back today. After spending an hour getting it rehung -- this thing never hangs easily -- including knocking over the ladder I was standing on once as I was getting off of it, we found that they had managed to somehow slide the shade from one end of the mounting bracket to the other, so there's a gap on one side and it rubs against the window frame all the way down on the other.

This, however, is not as bad as the fact that they've cut the strings too short, so that the shade will not go down the last three inches.

Gretchen is going to call the store tomorrow. I've suggested that she recommend a house call so they can see exactly how they've messed up.

Yet Another Botched Warranty Repair

The strings on the light-blocking shade in our bedroom broke. However, since we got it from 3 Day Blinds, there's a lifetime warranty on the thing, so daisy_knotwise took it in to the shop to be repaired.

We finally got it back today. After spending an hour getting it rehung -- this thing never hangs easily -- including knocking over the ladder I was standing on once as I was getting off of it, we found that they had managed to somehow slide the shade from one end of the mounting bracket to the other, so there's a gap on one side and it rubs against the window frame all the way down on the other.

This, however, is not as bad as the fact that they've cut the strings too short, so that the shade will not go down the last three inches.

Gretchen is going to call the store tomorrow. I've suggested that she recommend a house call so they can see exactly how they've messed up.