>>Tom,
>>
>>Rhetorical question: Do those 'more than a few' cases represent enough statistic evidence to conclude that the majority of H1B positions have irregularities?
>>
>>From what you say, it looks like they do. I am not trying to debate eternally with you about this, I understand your point of view, I really do, I just don't share it.
>>
>>What worries me the most in all cases is the outcome of the fact that bona fide H1B holders end up mixed up with unscrupulous ones: prima facie we are all the same to US colleagues.
>>
>>I do appreciate you letting me know your opinion though.
>
>Juan;
>
>A personal experience I had was when electronics manufacturing left Silicon Valley. Time for a new career! It costs a lot to live here and we had 60,000 unemployed electronics engineers in 1992.
>
>President Bush (the elder) did nothing to help – he refused! When Clinton became President he took a total of more than 70 trips to Silicon Valley. He worked with private industry, our colleges and universities to train those of us who were unemployed professionals, to find well paying careers. I went into programming.
>
>By the way we lost almost 200,000 IT jobs during the last five years in California – most in Silicon Valley. President Bush (junior) has not attempted to help us nor has he visited the area for anything more than a press conference or a political fundraiser.
>
>We have had meetings with political leaders from congress about training unemployed professionals. It seems that if you are over 40 in our area you are not wanted! Rather than train our work force employers find it easier to hire H1B’s. Why invest in our own citizens? A trained workforce awaits the employer – just go to congress and impress upon them to hire H1B’s.
>
>Well, there is much more to this story. If you asked me what I thought about any H1B, I would say that they take food out of the mouths of our citizens. We do not invest in our citizens. It is every dog for himself. That is the American way.
>
>I believe in helping others but not at the expense of my family or neighbors. Help your own people first. Employers want to help themselves and “their investors”. Everyone who works is nothing more that a cog in a wheel. You work to enrich others. Collectively, we all contribute to “the system”. When the “system” gets down to an individual, our views will be our own.
>
>By the way in case you do not know from my other threads, my wife is from Peru and we have been married for 40 years. I play flamenco guitar and have played professionally. I still play for Gitanos who visit the San Francisco Bay Area from Spain. When I retire in the next year or two I will teach guitar. That is what I truely enjoy!
>
>

Interesting post! Teaching guitar sounds like an intriguing option. That's always ideal when you can make a living doing something you really enjoy.

You're right about age discrimination, especially in this field. It isn't confined to Silicon Valley. I worry often about how I would get by if something happened to my job before I can get up to speed with .NET. Between being 49 years old and the slim pickings for VFP developers, I would be looking at a bleak situation. I would probably have to make a radical career change and take a big pay cut.

That's terrific about being married for 40 years. Congratulations!