Obama’s immigration green light for tech workers is a sop to GOP

Democrats are famously skilled in snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, but one of President Obama’s latest proposals for immigration reform is more like surrendering without a shot being fired.

The idea, popular with business groups, would double the number of work visas for well-educated foreign workers (e.g., H-1B visas). So instead of dealing with the problem of millions of undocumented workers in our country (without whom agricultural production would collapse), the president’s proposal is to solve the “problem” of high-tech companies not having enough cheap, skilled labor.

By hiring ambitious young professionals trained in other countries, high-tech companies in the U.S. can keep wages depressed and avoid having to train those who are already citizens to do the work instead.

By shifting corporate “ownership” to overseas holding companies, paying few corporate taxes, and having capital gains taxed at a lower rate than other earnings, corporate America has made it clear they have zero interest in investing in American education and know-how.

Instead, the administration comes up with new education proposals that do little besides making it easier for students to go into debt.

This “reform” enriches the elites on the backs of American citizens. Not that Congress will actually do anything, but at least a few Democrats still work hard for the interests of working- and middle-class citizens.

I’ve given up hope on Republicans ever crossing their corporate overlords. But maybe their knee-jerk opposition to Obama on this proposal will put them on the right side by accident.