The Bogus High-Tech Worker Shortage

PBS Newshour's blog has a guest column on an issue that really bugs me. The executives of tech companies gripe about how few workers they have who meet their needs. Do they really? How exacting are the job descriptions they use? Do the people they bring in using H1-B visas really meet those requirements or are they just useful in that they'll do anything to keep those visas including working absolutely insane hours, having no family or social life and never even thinking about asking for a raise? After all, if you hire an American they might do something entirely unreasonable like taking time off, expecting reasonable compensation given their expertise or some other shocking and completely unacceptable behavior for an employee. I've read articles about this issue online at sites like ComputerWorld, CIO and others and have seen IT professionals in the comments section mention that they don't recommend to their own children that they consider IT as a career. If you want students to consider STEM careers, do something about what's happening to the employees in STEM fields.

What's It Like to Wake Up From a Tea Party Binge? Just Ask Florida! | Mother Jones

Once you've decided that government that does anything except defense and law enforcement is evil and needs to be cut off at the knees someone will pay for it in ways other than taxes. The people who voted for Rick Scott and the current crop of Florida legislators are learning that the hard way though the biggest prices being paid don't care who you voted for.
What's It Like to Wake Up From a Tea Party Binge? Just Ask Florida! | Mother Jones