15 Articles Worth Reading
15 Articles Worth Reading
Date: Monday, February 06, 2006 10:51 PM
JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER
February 06, 2006 No. 1412
<<< COMMENTS FROM ROB >>>
Article #8 should be a grave cause for concern. That's because Bush is
going to India in March. While the article mainly talks about nuclear
weapons you can be sure that Bush is going to also talk about "free trade"
and immigration. We should all be concerned that Bush will be willing to
nuke the American workforce in a trade for India's commitment to cooperate
with his War on Terrorism and his "free trade" mania.
Article #10 masquerades as an editorial by the staff at the San Diego
Tribune, but it's actually a plant by CompeteAmerica (link to
CompeteAmerika provided below). There was once a time that newspapers did
their own editorials, but all to often they accept text verbatim from
shills who are pushing the H-1B agenda. In the past, all opinions that
appeared on an editorial page were called op-eds, but in this case there
was no way to tell what this idiotorial was. Shame on the San Diego Tribune
for their lack of journalistic ethics.
Article #3,4, 13 - The importation of Filipino teachers continues, this
time in California.
Article #13 - More commentary on Dorismar's attempts to get an H-1B visa,
and why she feels she deserves one.
Article #14 - Sissi, a Cuban model and pin-up girl who came to the U.S. as
an illgal alien, denies that she was the one who reported Dorismar to
immigration authorities. So now there are two mysteries to solve: will
Dorsimar get an H-1B visa, and who really finked on her?
Lots of stuff about Bush and H-1B. Most newspapers support Bush's desire to
raise H-1B but there are a few dissenters.
<<< END COMMENTS >>>
Article 1:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/3633519.html
India Outsourcing Firm Gets $34M U.S. Deal
Indian outsourcing company Scandent Solutions Corp. Ltd. said Friday it got
a US$34 million (euro28.2 million) contract from the state government of
the U.S. state of Tennessee to provide online services for welfare
programs.
Article 2:
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-walmart26.html
Thousands apply for jobs at new Wal-Mart
Eighteen months after the Chicago City Council torpedoed a South Side
Wal-Mart, 24,500 Chicagoans applied for 325 jobs at a Wal-Mart opening
Friday in south suburban Evergreen Park, one block outside the city limits.
Article 3:
http://lodinews.com/articles/2006/01/24/news/1_teachers_060124.txt
Lodi Unified looking across world for faculty positions
Tokay High principal set to embark on trip to find teaching candidates to
fill math, science needs
Citing a years-long shortage of credentialed teachers in math, science and
special education, Lodi Unified will look as far as the Philippines to fill
in teaching gaps next school year. In a few weeks, Tokay High School
Principal Erik Sandstrom will set forth on an all-expenses paid trip to the
capital city of Manila and Cebu in the south, where he will interview
credentialed teaching candidates willing to teach math and science in Lodi
schools. Sue Kenmotsu, president of Lodi Educators Association, the
district's teachers union, said she saw no problem with the district using
foreign teachers to fill open positions.
Article 4:
http://www.stjoan.com/feature5/dawn/dawn.htm
Returning Home from Philippines
Editor's Note: Parishioner Dawn Blankenship, a school social worker, has
finished her Peace Corps experience working in the Philippines. "Go abroad
for free", "Teachers needed in the US", "Earn money overseas" Its
difficult to drive more than 2-3 blocks on the main streets of Iloilo City,
Philippines without being confronted by signs advertising opportunities to
work abroad. Perhaps most alarming to me is the number of teachers being
recruited to go to America. Approximately 75% of the teachers employed at
my school are signed up with an agency to go work in America.
Article 5:
http://www.bayoubuzz.com/articles.aspx?aid=6159
President Bush American Competitiveness For Future Has Present Flaw
The issue centers upon the H1-B visas.
Individuals who are fully trained and experienced are competing with others
from outside of the country for the same jobs. However, because of the
salaries, the companies prefer pay a lower salaries to those with the H1-B
visas.
Article 6:
http://news.com.com/Indian+call+center+under+suspicion+of+ID+breach/2100-1029_3-5835103.html?tag=sas.email
Indian call center under suspicion of ID breach
An undercover operation that allegedly found customers' data for sale by
outsourcers has rocked the Indian software and service industry. The
Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on Monday that its TV program
"Four Corners" was able to get hold of the personal details of Australian
customers from an unidentified journalist working undercover in an Indian
call center.
Article 7:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002786994_techvisas06.html
Bush urges more visas for tech workers
President Bush, promoting part of his agenda aimed at boosting the U.S.
economy, called on Congress to increase the number of visas for engineers
and physicists and spend more on research and development. Technology
companies face a shortage of expert workers, Bush said. "If we don't do
something about how to fill those high-technology jobs here, they'll go
somewhere else," he said. "There's a lot of bright engineers and physicists
from other lands," and Congress should raise the cap on so-called H-1B
visas, Bush said.
Article 8:
http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=96746
No media build-up yet for Bush's trip to India
While external issues like Iran's nuclear programme, the Iraq invasion and
the war on terror plague the American body politic, very little is heard or
read about President George W. Bush's impending visit to India.
Article 9:
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/01/31/stories/2006013102690900.htm
Dell to add 5,000 more employees in India - Manufacturing unit on its radar
Our Bureau BULLISH on India, the world's largest PC maker Dell on Monday
announced it would add 5,000 employees to its Indian operations, taking the
workforce to 15,000 over the next two years. Dell is also looking at
establishing a manufacturing facility in the country to boost its existing
four per cent market share.
A much lamer version of this article can be found here:
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/13748739.htm
Dell to hire 5,000 people in India, boosting workforce in nation to 15,000
Article 10:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060202/news_lz1ed2bottom.htmlor
http://www.competeamerica.org/editorials/20060202_sdut.html
Half a plan
Call to revive science, tech omits visa fixes
There is a big step he [Bush] also could take that would produce dramatic
results much more quickly: launching an all-out push to attract brilliant
foreign scientists, engineers and mathematicians to the United States
Article 11:
http://www.earnedmedia.org/wh02021.htm
Remarks by President Bush on American Competitiveness (excerpts)
The following text is of remarks by President Bush on American
competitiveness:
3M Corporate Headquarters
Now, in the meantime, there's another issue that I want to discuss right
quick -- two other quick issues, then you'll be liberated. (Laughter.) One
of them is, there are more high-tech jobs in America today than people
available to fill them.
Article 12:
http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_27263131.shtml
Playboy Playmate Deported: Counters with 'I Have a Cute Butt'
Former 'Playboy' playmate and Argentine bombshell Dorismar was rounded up
by immigration authorities and deported with her husband on January 5 after
living illegally in Miami for five years.
The striking brunette is fighting back citing her 'extraordinary
derrihre' as reason enough to allow her to remain in the states.
Article 13:
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13729270.htm
Model blames El Gordo for joke that led to rumors about pinup's deportation
With a mist of tears in her eyes, the Cuban model Sissi criticized the
media on Friday for repeating rumors that she had reported fellow model
Dorismar to immigration authorities. 'As an immigrant who was illegal
several years of my life, I am offended not only for the propagation of
these false rumors that began with a supposed joke, but also at the press'
exploitation of Dorismar's sad situation,'' said Sissi, whose real name is
Isabel Fleitas, in a press conference.
<<< Text not included on these ones, click link to read >>>
Article 14:
http://www.vdare.com/guzzardi/060203_vfl.htm
View From Lodi, CA: Our Schools To Import Filipino Teachers?
By Joe Guzzardi
Most of these would-be teachers are primarily motivated by a desire to get
out of the Philippines and never look back. The three-year nonimmigrant
work visa theyll receive when they come to Lodi means, in their eyes,
"mission accomplished."
Article 15:
http://www.vdare.com/rubenstein/060204_nd.htm
National Data, By Edwin S. Rubenstein
If the economy is so good, why do we feel so bad? -- the immigration
dimension
1. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/3633519.html
Feb. 3, 2006, 4:43AM
India Outsourcing Firm Gets $34M U.S. Deal
) 2006 The Associated Press
BANGALORE, India - Indian outsourcing company Scandent Solutions Corp. Ltd.
said Friday it got a US$34 million (euro28.2 million) contract from the
state government of the U.S. state of Tennessee to provide online services
for welfare programs.
The order from the state's human service department involves providing
online access to programs such as Food Stamps, Medicaid and Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families, Scandent said in a statement to Bombay Stock
Exchange, where its shares are traded. The contract also involves
buttressing the department's back-office functions.
Contracts over US$10 million are usually considered large by Indian
outsourcing firms.
Tennessee's outsourcing order "is evidence of a forward thinking
organization committed to providing superior services to its citizens,"
said Rob Marchant, president of Scandent's Albion business division that
will carry out the tasks.
Scores of Western companies have been cutting costs by shifting software
development, engineering design and routine office functions to countries
such as India, where English-speaking workers are plentiful and wages are
low.
Scandent, headquartered in the southern Indian city of Bangalore, employs
1,200 people and offers services for banks, insurance companies,
governments and manufacturing units.
It reported revenues of 844 million rupees (US$19 million, euro15.75
million) and net profit of 85 million rupees (US$1.9 million, euro1.57
million) in the quarter ended December. Seventy percent of these revenues
came from the United States.
2. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-walmart26.html
Thousands apply for jobs at new Wal-Mart
January 26, 2006
BY LESLIE BALDACCI Staff Reporter
Eighteen months after the Chicago City Council torpedoed a South Side
Wal-Mart, 24,500 Chicagoans applied for 325 jobs at a Wal-Mart opening
Friday in south suburban Evergreen Park, one block outside the city limits.
The new Wal-Mart at 2500 W. 95th is one block west of Western Avenue, the
city boundary.
Of 25,000 job applicants, all but 500 listed Chicago addresses, said John
Bisio, regional manager of public affairs for Wal-Mart.
"In our typical hiring process, you're pretty successful if you have 3,000
applicants," he said. "They were really crowing about 11,000 in Oakland,
Calif., last year. So to get 25,000-plus applications and counting, I think
is astonishing."
Assistant manager Rachael Fierro, who was still interviewing prospects
Wednesday, said "we saw a little bit of everything -- people who hadn't
worked for a long time, people who saw an opportunity to do something with
themselves. That's the information I got from applicants."
The 141,000-square-foot store has 36 departments, a "tire and lube
express," vision center, Subway restaurant, pharmacy, garden center and
drugstore. It will sell some groceries but no fresh produce or meats and no
liquor. It is expected to generate $1 million in sales and property tax in
the first year -- a windfall in a village that collects about $3 million a
year in sales taxes, said Evergreen Park Mayor James J. Sexton. Evergreen
Plaza, with 100 stores, generates about $2 million.
Anticipating the usual protests over wages, benefits and anti-union
practices, the Evergreen Park store was union-built. A protest over
minority set-asides was defused in one day. Wal-Mart also came bearing
gifts -- Tuesday night, the corporation donated $35,000 to the village
library, local hospital, churches and other village institutions, Sexton
said.
'We can't beat them'
The Chicago alderman who tried to bring a Wal-Mart to the Chatham
neighborhood was left gnashing his teeth.
"I always tell people I'm not for Wal-Mart, but I am for that project
coming into the city and to my ward. We can't beat them," said Ald. Howard
Brookins Jr. (21st). "The same things they talk about Wal-Mart doing to
Small Town U.S.A when they build on the outskirts of town is the same thing
they have done to the City of Chicago without fanfare. Nobody distinguishes
that if I cross Western Avenue at 95th Street, I am no longer in Chicago.
For all practical purposes, Wal-Mart is in the city of Chicago without us
receiving any benefit. You're going to see the parking lot filled with cars
with Chicago city stickers."
Eighteen months ago, Brookins negotiated with Wal-Mart for a store at 83rd
and Stewart, former site of the Ryerson steel plant. His plan fell apart
when other South Side aldermen failed to support his request for a zoning
change. The week before, aldermen gave the go-ahead for a Wal-Mart in the
Austin neighborhood on the West Side. The vote came after a contentious
2-1/2-hour debate.
Brookins said he planned to visit the new Wal-Mart himself this weekend "to
see for myself" if the parking lot is filled with cars registered to
Chicago residents.
The Beverly neighborhood, long a hotbed for disputes over cul-de-sacs and
one-way streets, now faces the prospect of increased traffic from Wal-Mart
shoppers.
No road improvements
"Because of the single-family character of our community, we want to avoid
cut-through traffic, whether it's our own residents or people coming from
trains or highways," said Ald. Virginia A. Rugai (19th), whose ward borders
Evergreen Park. "It is our No. 1 quality-of-life issue, traffic. I don't
think anyone can predict what traffic will be like. We're not going to know
until the opening."
There have been no road improvements in anticipation of increased traffic
on that stretch of 95th Street, which will have Wal-Mart directly across
from Evergreen Plaza.
"We will monitor the situation and see if additional lanes or turning lanes
are appropriate," Sexton said.
Rugai said a few small hardware stores expressed concern about competition
from Wal-Mart, but other businesses in the area anticipate a bump from new
customers driving to and from Wal-Mart, especially along 95th Street, which
has gone upscale in recent years with a Borders bookstore and a Chipotle
Grill. A complex planned for the southeast corner of 95th Street and
Western Avenue includes Potbelly, Starbucks, Jamba Juice and a
FedEx/Kinko's store.
"I think most development projects [in Beverly] are not going to include
goods or services that you're going to find at Wal-Mart," Rugai said.
3. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://lodinews.com/articles/2006/01/24/news/1_teachers_060124.txt
Lodi Unified looking across world for faculty positions
Tokay High principal set to embark on trip to find teaching candidates to
fill math, science needs
By Sara Cardine
News-Sentinel Staff Writer
First published: Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Last updated: Tuesday, Jan 24, 2006 - 03:34:01 pm PST
Citing a years-long shortage of credentialed teachers in math, science and
special education, Lodi Unified will look as far as the Philippines to fill
in teaching gaps next school year.
In a few weeks, Tokay High School Principal Erik Sandstrom will set forth
on an all-expenses paid trip to the capital city of Manila and Cebu in the
south, where he will interview credentialed teaching candidates willing to
teach math and science in Lodi schools.
The idea is to fill positions that American teachers have historically left
vacant. But at least one Lodi educator feels officials may be premature in
supposing California teachers won't want those jobs.
When Sandstrom leaves Feb. 13, most of the expenses for his week-long trip
will be paid for by Healthquest Enterprises, Inc. a recruitment service
that matches qualified teachers, nurses and physical therapists with
employment opportunities in the United States and Australia.
The company pays for the recruitment trip and all the paperwork, cutting
out the work the district has to do, according to Len Casanega, Lodi
Unified's assistant superintendent of personnel.
"Instead of going to Stanislaus State to recruit, we're going to the
Philippines," Casanega said.
Sandstrom could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.
Lodi Unified School District will continue to recruit new teachers within
California and the United States. The recruitment process will include
having personnel staff attend job fairs at Stanislaus State University, the
University of the Pacific and those hosted by the San Joaquin County Office
of Education.
ADVERTISEMENT
The four math teachers and two science teachers the district is hoping to
find abroad will be added to five special-education teachers who have
already been offered jobs next school year, Casanega said.
The employees will work under the same terms of any other teacher, and will
belong to the same teaching organizations, he said.
Sue Kenmotsu, president of Lodi Educators Association, the district's
teachers union, said she saw no problem with the district using foreign
teachers to fill open positions.
Kenmotsu did have a problem, however, with the positions being filled
before local teachers had a crack at them.
"There may be right now, in San Joaquin County, a teacher completing a
program in math, science or special education who will be hired, but not in
Lodi because we've hired someone from the Philippines to take their place,"
Kenmotsu said. "That disturbs me."
To school districts struggling to find teachers that meet state and federal
standards, foreign teachers seem a better option than filling spaces with
unqualified long-term substitutes, which has been the practice up until
now, officials say.
And Healthquest swears by the abilities of its Filipino employees, who were
taught under the American education system and are eager to work in this
country.
Farah Hontanosas, a marketing consultant for Healthquest based in Missouri,
said the candidates pay the company $5,000 after they receive a job offer.
Healthquest, which will soon be renamed International Resource Link, then
processes the paperwork for a H-1B working visa.
As many as 10,000 foreign teachers work in public school systems on
"nonimmigrant" or cultural exchange visas, according to the National
Education Association.
On such visas, workers can stay up to six years and then on a renewal basis
as long as work is available. Hontanosas, who herself came from the
Philippines as an accountant, said qualified workers are eager to work
abroad to avoid the dismal economic environment in their native country.
"If there's greener pastures for them, they want to go there," Hontanosas
said.
Still, Kenmotsu wonders whether or not next year's needs could have been
filled by candidates a little closer to home.
"Shouldn't there be a hometown advantage, or a home county advantage?"
Contact reporter Sara Cardine at sarac@lodinews.com.
This story was updated at 3:30 p.m. Jan. 24, 2006, to clarify that the Lodi
Unified School District will continue to recruit teachers in California and
the United States.
4. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.stjoan.com/feature5/dawn/dawn.htm
Dawn Blankenship
Returning Home from Philippines
Editor's Note: Parishioner Dawn Blankenship, a school social worker, has
finished her Peace Corps experience working in the Philippines. She returns
home next week and will resume her teaching job in the northwest suburbs.
We have enjoyed reading her reports over the last 2 years. Thank you, Dawn,
and welcome home!
"Go abroad for free", "Teachers needed in the US", "Earn money overseas"
Its difficult to drive more than 2-3 blocks on the main streets of
Iloilo City, Philippines without being confronted by signs advertising
opportunities to work abroad. At present, more than 7 million Filipinos are
working abroad and the money they earn finds its way back here. Money from
OFW (Overseas Foreign Workers), or Balik Bayans, as they are sometimes
referred, is a huge part of the Filipino economy. Without these funds,
there would be devastating consequences on the economy. Since the financial
crisis in Asia several years ago, the Philippines has struggled to return
to pre-crisis days. Rather than dissuade its middle class from going
abroad, the Filipino government encourages this trend as they are unable to
provide jobs for the ever-growing population.
Initially, supplying human resources around the globe started with
Filipino doctors who were recruited to fill needs around the globe. Today,
more than 70% of all college students are majoring in nursing, not because
they aspire to be the next Florence Nightingale but rather because they are
in high demand around the world. Filipino doctors are now returning to
college, enrolling in nursing schools in order to find work abroad as
nurses rather than remain here as physicians where opportunities and income
are minimal compared with other areas of the world. Over lunch with an
administrator from a local medical school, she shared that a neo-natologist
friend of hers had just enrolled in the nursing program at their school as
a back-up plan in case he wants to live abroad. In addition, caregivers are
being sought out to fill needs in Canada, Europe, Hong Kong and America.
For those with little in the way of formal education, its their ticket
out of here. Physical therapists, entertainers, engineers and domestic
helpers are also leaving the country in large numbers.
Perhaps most alarming to me is the number of teachers being recruited to go
to America. Approximately 75% of the teachers employed at my school are
signed up with an agency to go work in America. In the States, as baby
boomers retire and teacher shortages increase, special education is an area
where there are huge needs. To meet the needs of American students, school
districts are forced to look past the borders to find teachers. The
Philippines is known to be the top English-speaking country in Asia which
puts its teachers high on the list in the eyes of school districts in
America. Furthermore, the education system mimics the US system though in
all honesty, the skill level of Filipino teachers compared to those in
America is significantly different. It is for this reason Peace Corps
volunteers continue to work here in education.
Six months ago, as I walked towards my school, I noticed a large streamer
strategically placed on the outside wall. Chosen for its high
visibility, the wall surrounds two schools and the Department of Education
Division Office. The sign, recruiting teachers to go to Virginia, USA,
stayed on the wall for over a month! I must admit being perturbed by this
sign. It also sparked my curiosity: I wanted to know what teachers were
being promised so I decided to attend the event. Teacher shortages in
America have been predicted for a number of years so the education field
has had to do what other industries have done: search for immigrants to
fill labor needs.
On the day of the seminar, I arrived at the hotel where it was being
hosted, feeling like an undercover spy without the "cover". It was
difficult to disguise my white skin among the sea of brown applicants.
Armed with my notebook and pen, I sat in the front row and listened as the
recruiter posed questions to the fully packed room and gave out
information. I sat among a number of familiar faces: students who had just
graduated with SPED degrees, our division supervisor for Special Education,
and colleagues from my school. Despite my attempt to remain anonymous, the
recruiter started directing inquiries to me about my experience in the
States.
While most of the information presented was benign, a few of her statements
were disturbing. For instance, the recruiter advised them to apply even if
they did not have a teachers degree. One woman said she had been an
accountant for a number of years, could she become a teacher in America?
"Its certainly a possibility!" was the reply and she was told to fill
out an application and include any public speaking experience or teaching
experience she had had at her job. The recruiter, looking around the room
at hopeful faces, inquired whether they were good teachers. A loud and
enthusiastic, "YES!" resonated throughout the room. "But are you good
enough for the Philippines or good enough for America?" There were some
chuckles as people said, "good enough for the Philippines".
Thereafter, the recruiter talked about how their company, Eworld, would
help teachers prepare to go abroad by providing them skills like classroom
management, writing IEPs, etc. Recruiting teachers to go abroad differs
from the nursing field as medical headhunters can be paid a finders fee,
whereas American school districts are not permitted to pay this kind of
fee. This means teachers have to put forth quite a lot of money, in
relation to their income, in order to go abroad.
When the recruiter talked about the issues in American classrooms: drugs,
violence, lack of respect, challenging teachers, litigation, etc., she
ended by asking what they would do if a student told them to "@XE@$% off!"
Their shock was audible as their sucked in their collective breath. From
the back, someone yelled "THINK OF THE DOLLARS!" Everyone began to laugh.
Promises of "large" salaries ($30,000 converted into pesos is a lot of
money especially when the average teacher earns less than $3000 a year
here) outweighs the fact that the teachers are sometimes sent to dangerous
areas (Compton, parts of the Bronx), given class loads that are hard to
manage, work at schools with high staff turnover, and the teachers are
often ill-equipped to handle the needs of their students.
Furthermore, some of them are unaware of what the cost of living does to
their pay check. For Filipinos, sacrificing their own happiness and comfort
for a period of time to make their familys lives better is an admirable
quality. As recent as the 1930s and 40s, Americans had this same
mentality. For Filipinos, giving up their quality of life to ensure their
children can go to college, that they may build a cement/permanent house,
or that their siblings may continue their education is worth whatever they
may have to endure.
I left the seminar feeling conflicted. Why was I even here if I am only
trading places with a Filipino special education teacher? What happens to
Filipino students when some of the best and brightest teachers leave to
pursue greener pastures?
A while back, I was invited to present at a local university masters class
for SPED teachers. Out of curiosity, I asked how many of the teachers were
enrolling in the courses with the intention of going abroad. More than half
raised their hands. For me, this was disheartening because I of how I feel
about my work and providing services to students. I am passionate about
doing school social work and working with students with disabilities.
Its hard for me to comprehend that people are not doing this work with
the same interest at heart. Despite this, what I do know about Filipinos is
that they are known throughout the world to be loving, hospitable,
flexible, patient and tenacious people. They will learn what they need to
and work hard in order to maintain the privilege to work abroad. What
disturbed me though was wondering if Filipino teachers who are biding time
until they go abroad are able to fully commit themselves to their students
here.
Following the seminar, I still needed to have a better understanding of why
teachers leave the system to work overseas. I continued to "investigate"
further by talking with my co-teachers. A couple weeks after the seminar,
an opportunity presented itself. Three young teachers approached me and in
earnest, asked me about what it was like to work as a teacher in the US.
All three had applied to go abroad and wanted information and advice.
Having been asked this questions many times by others, I launched into a
comparative description.
Wages and Hard-Work
Filipino teachers have the idea that teachers in the US have it easy, that
Filipino teachers work harder than those in the States. I tried to explain
that teachers in the US work just as hard as teachers in the Philippines
but in a different way. While they may have resources provided like books,
computers, support from administrators and etc., some teachers struggle to
make ends meet on relatively low wages considering their education level
(depending on where they live). This issue seems moot to Filipinos who
start off their teaching careers first as a volunteer for a year or more
until they will finally start earning about $160/month (depending on where
they live). Many of the teachers are like my friends in the States: they
have jobs on the side or small businesses to supplement their wages. A
number of the teachers at my school who are married and have kids have
nannies and a maid to do all their washing and cleaning. I dont know any
teachers I worked with in the States that could afford a live-in nanny or
maid. There are also misconceptions that the average teacher drives around
in BMWs or Lexus.
Other ways teachers are different in the States is that they are required
to teach a certain number of hours per day/year and cannot dismiss their
class because they want to go to the mall or get a pedicure during class
time (some of my fellow PCVs have observed this though I have never seen
it myself). Codes of conduct are strict in States and consequences are
imposed when they are not followed. In the Philippines, student performance
on tests is tied to the teachers promotion. For this reason, students
with disabilities are often not allowed into mainstream classrooms because
their performance could prevent a teacher from earning a higher salary. In
the States, regular education teachers often have a huge range of students,
including students with disabilities. For years, tying student performance
to teachers salary has been hotly debated.
Respect
In the US, teachers have to earn the respect of students, working hard to
keep students interested whereas students in Filipino classrooms
automatically give respect to teachers regardless of their teaching
abilities. Many Filipino youth cannot afford to attend school so those who
make it to the classroom know they are more fortunate than others and that
their parents had to sacrifice to send them to school.
The threat of being sued for saying the wrong thing to the wrong person at
the right time looms out there for educators in the US system whereas
Filipino teachers rarely have to deal with litigation issues, in part
because little can be gained in the way of monetary compensation. Teachers
in the US are blamed for many of the problems among the youth and are
expected to carry a large responsibility for "molding" them. Filipino
teachers are rarely blamed and few parents will complain about a teacher
for fear of the consequences and because its not culturally appropriate
to confront someone directly.
Corruption
Whereas teachers in the US are paid a decent wage, it is often not the case
here. In the recent past, some of my co-workers have received their
paychecks but were unable to cash them as there was no money in the bank.
The Philippine Department of Education has few resources to equip
classrooms or to advance the skills of its workforce. It also has a
reputation of being corrupt, ranked number two among government
departments/services (Philippines as a country is ranked the second among
Asian countries in terms of corruption). While I have not seen this on a
day-to-day basis, stories abound. Teachers, community members and parents
have little recourse when they see corruption. Instead of working to change
the system, teachers have a defeated sense about them, opting to escape
rather than stand and fight. Some attribute this to their long history of
being colonized and oppressed by other countries. Others suggest that the
corruption happens on such a vast scale that they cannot begin to fathom
where they should start to make changes.
Classloads
When classrooms in the states get above 25-28, parents start complaining.
Here, the average public school class holds between 50-70 students and that
does not include the students who attend private schools or those who
cannot attend school for lack of money for the school uniform,
transportation costs or for snacks during the school day. The Department of
Education is unable to keep up with the needs of the population in terms of
classrooms, books, teachers and what not. Consequently, most Filipino
parents who can afford to do so, make big sacrifices in order to send their
children to private schools with the idea that they are investing in the
childs future.
The new school year started last Monday and with it, new rules and ideas.
Teachers at my school are no longer allowed to wear pants when teaching.
They were also informed they needed to reapply for their jobs and be
interviewed. This seems to be the result of having a new superintendent,
still one can empathize with the difficulties and challenges the teachers
here face. Teacher unions are seriously lacking here and it seems obvious
there is a need.
In two weeks, I will be concluding my Peace Corps service to return to the
States. I will return to my position as a School Social Worker in the Twin
Cities area. I suspect that years in the future, I may be working with
Filipino teachers again, only this time, it will be in American classrooms.
I leave here with a deep sense of appreciation for what Filipinos give up
to teach in America and yet I also have a profound sense of sadness for the
impact this has on the education of Filipino children, especially students
with disabilities
5. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.bayoubuzz.com/articles.aspx?aid=6159
President Bush American Competitiveness For Future Has Present Flaw
Sci/Tech
Author: Steve Sabludowsky | 2/4/2006
For his Saturday radio address, President Bush on Saturday repeated his
emphasis for his American Competitiveness Initiative which he introduced
during his recent State of the Union Speech.
The Initiative focuses upon keeping America competitive and innovative --
thus, leading the worlds future economy.
President Bushs initiative has three elements which he addressed in his
radio speech:
"This initiative has three key elements. The first element is to double the
Federal commitment to the most critical basic research programs in the
physical sciences over the next decade. Most of the technological advances
we enjoy today are the fruits of research investments made years ago, and
many of these advances benefitted from government support. The increased
funding I have proposed will support America4s creative minds as they
explore promising areas, such as nanotechnology, supercomputing, and
alternative energy sources. These investments will lead to new inventions
that offer better choices for consumers and a better life for our citizens.
The second element of this new initiative is to encourage bolder private
sector investment in technology, because the private sector remains
America4s greatest engine of innovation. The research and development tax
credit gives businesses an incentive to invest in projects that could lead
to new discoveries. Congress allowed this tax credit to expire at the end
of 2005, and the House and Senate are now considering another temporary
extension. But a temporary extension does not allow our innovators to plan
and invest with certainty. Other countries offer permanent tax incentives
for research and development. To keep America the world4s leader in
technology and innovation, Congress needs to make the tax credit for
research and development permanent.
The third element of this initiative is to make sure our children learn the
skills they will need to keep America the world4s most innovative
country. Math and science are critical to many of our country4s
fastest-growing industries, so we must encourage our children to take more
math and science classes and make sure those classes are rigorous enough to
compete with other nations. I4m proposing that we train 70,000 high
school teachers to lead Advanced Placement courses in math and science,
bring 30,000 math and science professionals to teach in classrooms, and
give early help to students who struggle with math so they have a better
chance at good high-wage jobs. If we ensure that America4s children
succeed in life, they will ensure that America succeeds in the world."
While the proposal is ambitious and government financial investments,
education focus and incentives for technology investments are critical
component parts towards making United States competitive, some feel the
Bush current policy is undermining the countrys current crop of
technology-oriented talent and believe the country should first address
that critical problem.
The issue centers upon the H1-B visas.
Individuals who are fully trained and experienced are competing with others
from outside of the country for the same jobs. However, because of the
salaries, the companies prefer pay a lower salaries to those with the H1-B
visas.
"Here is a relevant portion of an email I received from a person who wants
help immediately -- which the Presidents needed initiative does not
address:
I have a MS degree in engineering. I am an experienced programmer. If we
have a shortage of either engineers or programmers you would think I could
find a job. I can not. Why not? The H1-B visa that President wants to
expand.
On October 1, 2001, when the H1-B cap was increased to 195,000, I was
employed as a computer programmer making just over $100,000 a year. On
October 30, 2001 I was laid off. I have not worked since. The last company
I worked for has approval to hire nearly 3000 H1-B visa programmers at
salaries ranging from 40% to 80% of what I was paid.
The reason few people get degrees in technology is not that high school
math and science is weak but rather that industry would rather hire cheap
foreign labor rather than Americans."
While President Bush is right to state we should not put up protectionist
borders and instead we should make us smarter and more competitive, there
is obviously trained and well-educated individuals in those fields the
President wants to expand that are being passed over so companies can hire
cheaper labor from the very countries with which we are trying to compete.
Perhaps more incentive should be placed on hiring the American made,
American proud who are presently equally qualified and exist within the
current job pool while we embark upon the future needs of tomorrow.
6. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://news.com.com/Indian+call+center+under+suspicion+of+ID+breach/2100-1029_3-5835103.html?tag=sas.email
Indian call center under suspicion of ID breach
By Dinesh C. Sharma
Story last modified Tue Aug 16 11:17:00 PDT 2005
An undercover operation that allegedly found customers' data for sale by
outsourcers has rocked the Indian software and service industry.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on Monday that its TV
program "Four Corners" was able to get hold of the personal details of
Australian customers from an unidentified journalist working undercover in
an Indian call center. The same writer recently helped British tabloid The
Sun to buy the sensitive data on British citizens.
"The Australian samples appeared to have come from a call centre in
Gurgaon," according to a transcript of the program. "The kind of details
they provided was alarming--not just the names and addresses of Australian
customers but also their telephone numbers, birth certificate details,
Medicare numbers, driver's license numbers (and) ATM card numbers."
Special report
India's tech renaissance
Beyond offshoring, a new powerhouse is in the makingABC did not name the
call center involved, but said the provider had been hired by Switch
Mobile, an Australian telemarketing company. The Gurgaon center contracted
out calls made to Australians to another Indian company, Brick & Click,
thus creating a further layer of insecurity, the program said. Switch
Mobile has since canceled its contract with the unnamed Indian center.
The National Association of Software and Service Companies, an Indian trade
body, has asked ABC to provide details of the operation so that the matter
can be reported to law enforcement officials.
"Such reports emanate from 'entrapment operations,' and no person has
reported any harm yet," Nasscom said. "In the absence of a formal
complaint, even the enforcement officials cannot launch formal
investigations and apprehend the criminals."
In other news:
Games that stick it to 'The Man'
Super Bowl ads go online
When Google is not your friend
Big brands go cellular
Oracle takes aim at security confusion
Nasscom said it would work with authorities in Australia and India to nab
the culprits.
"Indian IT companies undertaking work for global companies contractually
comply with all the requirements of the relevant privacy and data
protection laws of the home country, as well as other security and
confidentiality safeguards," Nasscom said. "Each of our customers must
perform strict due diligence on all their vendors and ensure contractual
commitments to relevant laws."
In the wake of concerns over data security in call centers working for
overseas clients, Nasscom has decided to create a register of IT workers
hired in call centers. At present, about 350,000 workers are employed in
the business process outsourcing sector and the number is projected to grow
to a million in another three years.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reviewed the matter recently with IT industry
leaders and ordered that the Information Technology Act be amended to make
it more stringent.
7. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002786994_techvisas06.html
Bush urges more visas for tech workers
By Holly Rosenkrantz
Bloomberg News
President Bush, promoting part of his agenda aimed at boosting the U.S.
economy, called on Congress to increase the number of visas for engineers
and physicists and spend more on research and development.
"We must remain a flexible, technologically based economy," Bush said
Friday after touring a 3M plant in Maplewood, Minn. "Innovation is a vital
part of the future of the United States of America."
Bush outlined proposals in his Jan. 31 State of the Union address that he
said would help keep the U.S. ahead of economic rivals such as China and
India.
He wants to spend $5.9 billion next year on what the administration calls
the "American competitiveness initiative," with $4.6 billion of the money
being used to extend a research tax credit that benefits companies such as
Microsoft and Boeing.
Technology companies face a shortage of expert workers, Bush said. "If we
don't do something about how to fill those high-technology jobs here,
they'll go somewhere else," he said. "There's a lot of bright engineers and
physicists from other lands," and Congress should raise the cap on
so-called H-1B visas, Bush said.
These visas allow U.S. companies to employ foreign workers with special
training and are now capped at 65,000 a year. The Bush administration
hasn't specified a new cap and will work with Congress, said White House
spokeswoman Erin Healy.
Congress temporarily lifted the cap for five years beginning in 1999. The
yearly cap reached 195,000 in fiscal years 2001, 2002 and 2003 and dropped
back to 65,000 in fiscal year 2004, said Bill Strassberger, a spokesman for
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
8. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=96746
No media build-up yet for Bush's trip to India
By Ela Dutt, Washington: While external issues like Iran's nuclear
programme, the Iraq invasion and the war on terror plague the American body
politic, very little is heard or read about President George W. Bush's
impending visit to India.
The US media has hardly drummed up any attention for Bush's India trip in
early March or focused on the urgency in Congress in legislating the
facilitation of nuclear technology trade with New Delhi ahead of Bush's
trip in March.
"What has interested many of us who watch this thing is there is no mention
of this so-called (civil nuclear) agreement in Congress. The only people
who are talking about it are a few of the India Caucus members and a few of
the anti-India group," said Professor Ainsley Embree, an old India hand,
regarding the civilian nuclear deal that grabs headlines almost daily in
India.
"I think the administration probably doesn't see it as that important as to
risk any political capital at the present moment," he opined.
While Indians see the Bush-Manmohan Singh joint statement on July 18 last
year as a "nuclear agreement", Embree said, Americans didn't. Under the
deal the US will have to bring in changes to its law, to be ratified by
Congress, to allow technology previously denied to India.
Another reason why the administration is not publicising the deal with
India much, said Embree, was because the anti-nuclear proliferation group
here and around the country were vocal and had a constituency.
"And I think the administration doesn't want to give them any reason for
attacking them."
Embree's views were echoed by Michael Krepon, co-founder of the Henry L.
Stimson Center here.
In a paper titled "Negotiating the US-India Nuclear Cooperation Deal", he
nixes the pro-civil nuclear cooperation agreement lobby's argument that "If
the Congress doesn't make special rules for India, the new strategic
partnership between New Delhi and Washington will be placed at risk".
"This argument, which was hatched in India and has now migrated to the US,
is particularly bogus," Krepon told IANS.
"Indo-US relations are moving ahead smartly in defence cooperation, trade
and investment, agriculture, public health and many other areas.
"As proponents of the deal rightly argue, there is every reason to believe
that our two countries will work side by side in the years to come on
promoting democracy and combating terrorism," Krepon maintained.
He added that in the future Washington could even support a permanent seat
for India on the UN Security Council.
"It is false and foolish to assert that all of this would be jeopardised if
the nuclear deal were not consummated in the exact form contrived by
perhaps a dozen individuals negotiating in extreme secrecy," said Krepon,
mirroring a view many Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) loyalists
embrace.
And this lobby has been far more vocal than even the so-called India
enthusiasts in the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans here.
"A country-specific exemption that relaxes consensus-based rules of nuclear
commerce is the wrong way to bring India inside the tent," argues Krepon.
"Country-specific exemptions for friends do real damage to the standards we
seek to impose on troublemakers."
9. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/01/31/stories/2006013102690900.htm
Dell to add 5,000 more employees in India - Manufacturing unit on its radar
Our Bureau
New Delhi , Jan. 30
BULLISH on India, the world's largest PC maker Dell on Monday announced it
would add 5,000 employees to its Indian operations, taking the workforce to
15,000 over the next two years. Dell is also looking at establishing a
manufacturing facility in the country to boost its existing four per cent
market share.
"The time is right to consider a manufacturing site in India. India
currently sells four million computers per year and this is projected to
rise to 10 million units annually in the next 3-5 years. Our workforce here
is capable and the time is right for the second phase of expansion in
contact centre activities, research and development and consideration of a
manufacturing site," the visiting Dell Chief Executive Officer, Mr Kevin
Rollins, said at a conference here.
Mr Rollins, who met the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on Monday said
that Dell would soon start a dialogue with the Centre and State Governments
to finalise a location for manufacturing on parameters such as logistics,
workforce, and co-operation of the local authorities.
"I mentioned to the PM today that we will continue to expand from point of
view of services, market base, and manufacturing, primarily for India use.
He was supportive of our plans. On our part, we said that when Dell locates
in a community, there is a whole eco-system that forms around our
operations, entailing suppliers, logistics and other partners," he said,
but did not divulge the timeframe for the manufacturing plans.
Mr Rollins declined to comment on the investment for the manufacturing unit
saying, "When we start, we put some investment and then build it up. Ours
is a measured and systematic company, so we expand in that fashion." A
plant in India would be Dell's third in Asia after China and Malaysia. The
company currently has plants in the US, Brazil, and Ireland, besides
Malaysia and China.
Dell's plan to manufacture computers in India would help it gain a share
from market leaders Hewlett-Packard and HCL Infosystems in a nation where
computer sales are forecast to rise 29 per cent in the year to March 31,
2006, to 4.7 million units. Dell is hoping that the manufacturing plant
would help increase its market share in India to at least 10 per cent from
the existing four per cent. The company has a market share of 10 per cent
in Asia and 18 per cent globally, Mr Rollins said.
The Texas-based company said it is vital for India to build its
infrastructure. "Where we locate is also based on incentives. We are in a
global marketplace, and it operates on its unique economies. So we continue
to look for good co-operation from the Central and State Governments," he
said.
Increasing headcount As part of its expansion plans, the company will
establish a customer contact facility in Gurgaon. Dell has similar
facilities in Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Mohali that are part of a 30-site
global customer contact network. The centre in Gurgaon is expected to add
700-1,000 positions to Dell's India employment by the end of 2006, first
from a temporary location, which will open in April, and thereafter from a
250,000 square foot built-to-suit location.
While the company employs 3,000 professionals in Hyderabad, the headcount
in Bangalore and Mohali are 5,000 and 2,000, respectively. "We see the
workforce increasing to 15,000 in the next two years," he said.
Dell will also double the size of its India-based product development team
during the next two years based on its success in supporting the company's
enterprise systems. Currently, over 300 Dell product group engineers are
engaged in developing and testing enterprise products, including servers
and storage systems.
Direct sales model So far, customers in India cannot order Dell PCs from
the company's India Web site due to regulatory bottlenecks. "We are talking
to the Government for clarification on what is construed as online, retail,
single brand and multi-brand activities," Mr Rollins said. He hoped that
recent Cabinet decision to liberalise the FDI regime further by allowing up
to 51 per cent FDI through the Foreign Investment Promotion Board route in
single brand retail shops would address the existing situation.
10. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060202/news_lz1ed2bottom.html
Half a plan
Call to revive science, tech omits visa fixes
February 2, 2006
Perhaps the single part of President Bush's State of the Union address to
win the most bipartisan praise was his call for a 10-year, $136 billion
plan to boost scientific research and development funding, improve science
and mathematics education, and increase the number of U.S. science and
mathematics graduates. The proposal followed many of the recommendations of
a recent National Academy of Sciences report by a high-powered list of
scholars and corporate executives that warned America is doomed to a lower
standard of living unless it repairs its "eroding" status as the world's
leader in science and technology.
Given the starkness of the economic threat facing the United States, the
president's initiative is welcome and overdue. But there is a big step he
also could take that would produce dramatic results much more quickly:
launching an all-out push to attract brilliant foreign scientists,
engineers and mathematicians to the United States and to encourage top
foreign students who are studying here to stay here after graduation.
Until the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, visas for outstanding
foreign students and graduates were not particularly difficult to come by.
But in the years since, the U.S. government - trying to screen out
potential terrorists - has put up far more obstacles.
Yet assuaging our national-security fears has put our economic security at
risk. Between the visa obstacles, the perception of a rise in U.S. nativism
and the eagerness of other nations to ramp up their own high-tech
economies, the number of foreign students at top U.S. research universities
is down.
Last spring, Microsoft founder Bill Gates called this official hostility to
the world's best and brightest - especially the limits on temporary H-1B
visas for technology workers - a huge and growing drag on the U.S. economy.
Some on Capitol Hill heeded Gates, but not enough. In December, the House
blocked a Senate plan to add 30,000 H-1B visas annually. Representatives
proved unable to distinguish between illegal immigrants and those with
specialized skills whom we should badly want here.
President Bush should have denounced this economic know-nothingism in his
State of the Union speech. It would have been in line with his frequent
rebukes of immigrant-bashers.
But if Bush wants to avoid a direct confrontation with the House over the
issue, he could still put his shoulder behind two of the National Academy
of Sciences' other recommendations instead of touting the Senate's visa
plan.
The first would provide an automatic one-year visa extension to foreign
students who receive doctorates in science, technology, mathematics or
engineering.
The second would reorient our immigration policies to give far more
preference to applicants with doctoral-level science and engineering
skills.
Taking such stands likely would inflame both the nativists on the right who
see all immigration as bad and the labor unions and their allies on the
left who think U.S. workers need protection from foreign talent. But if
President Bush is the bold, visionary leader his admirers claim, then this
is what he will do.
After all, it will be an utterly hollow victory if, in 10 years time, the
U.S. school system starts producing far more scientists and engineers for
an economy that no longer has jobs for them. Perhaps our best and brightest
could emigrate to New Delhi or Shanghai.
11. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.earnedmedia.org/wh02021.htm
Remarks by President Bush on American Competitiveness (excerpts)
Contact: White House, Office of the Press Secretary, 202-456-2580
MAPLEWOOD, Minnesota, Feb. 2 /Christian Wire Service/ -- The following text
is of remarks by President Bush on American competitiveness:
3M Corporate Headquarters
Maplewood, Minnesota
11:50 A.M. CST
Now, in the meantime, there's another issue that I want to discuss right
quick -- two other quick issues, then you'll be liberated. (Laughter.) One
of them is, there are more high-tech jobs in America today than people
available to fill them. And if that's -- so what do we do about that? And
the reason it's important, and the American citizen has got to understand
it's important, is if we don't do something about how to fill those
high-tech jobs here, they'll go somewhere else where somebody can do the
job. In other words, there are some who say, we can't worry about
competition. It doesn't matter, it's here. Don't worry about it, do
something about it. It's a real aspect of the world in which we live.
And so one way to deal with this problem, and probably the most effective
way, is to recognize that there's a lot of bright engineers and chemists
and physicists from other lands that are either educated here, or received
an education elsewhere but want to work here. And they come here under a
program called H1B visas. And the problem is, is that Congress has limited
the number of H1B visas that can come and apply for a job -- a H1B visa
holder can apply for a job at 3M. I think it's a mistake not to encourage
more really bright folks who can fill the jobs that are having trouble
being filled here in America -- to limit their number. And so I call upon
Congress to be realistic and reasonable and raise that cap.
We'll educate our kids. That's the goal. Of course, we want every job
that's ever generated in America filled by Americans, but that's not the
reality today. In order for 3M to remain competitive, in order for this job
base to remain strong, in order for us to be a leader in innovation, we got
to be wise about letting kids come here who've got the skill sets needed to
fill the jobs that help us remain the leader in the world.
12. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_27263131.shtml
Playboy Playmate Deported: Counters with 'I Have a Cute Butt'
By Cathy Beers
Jan 30, 2006
Former 'Playboy' playmate and Argentine bombshell Dorismar was rounded up
by immigration authorities and deported with her husband on January 5 after
living illegally in Miami for five years.
But - I have a cute butt
But the playmate is not taking the deportation lying down. So - to speak.
The striking brunette is fighting back citing her 'extraordinary
derrihre' as reason enough to allow her to remain in the states.
That's right, Dorismar has a great butt, and her attorney is prepared to
argue that is reason enough for her return to Miami.
Tucker Carlson noted that she was named by "Mirror" magazine as a woman who
possessed one of the top 25 rear ends in all of entertainment. He then
asked her attorney, "Youre saying that because this girl has a cute
butt, she should be a U.S. citizen?"
Her attorney responded on the MSNBC show:
Well, not necessarily U.S. citizen. But she should be allowed to be able
to work in this country. She should be allowed to come in and do her
performances, do whatever it is that she needs to do to proceed with her
continued dream of becoming a, quote unquote, supermodel and so on and so
forth. Absolutely. She should have the right to work, come in, maybe even
leave, go in and out of the country. Absolutely.
There are plenty of American girls with cute butts, so should the Latin
playmate get a naked green card?
13. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13729270.htm
Posted on Fri, Jan. 27, 2006
Model blames El Gordo for joke that led to rumors about pinup's deportation
BY CASEY WOODS
cwoods@MiamiHerald.com
With a mist of tears in her eyes, the Cuban model Sissi criticized the
media on Friday for repeating rumors that she had reported fellow model
Dorismar to immigration authorities.
'As an immigrant who was illegal several years of my life, I am offended
not only for the propagation of these false rumors that began with a
supposed joke, but also at the press' exploitation of Dorismar's sad
situation,'' said Sissi, whose real name is Isabel Fleitas, in a press
conference.
Dorismar, aka Dora Noemi Kerchen, was deported with her husband/manager
Alejandro Schiff on Jan. 5, after living in South Florida for five years as
an illegal immigrant and Hispanic television personality. She and her
husband both overstayed their time as tourists, making them targets for
deportation.
The rumors of Sissi's involvement began with a joke made by Raul de Molina
on Univision's popular show El Gordo y La Flaca, where Dorismar once
regularly appeared.
During the press conference, Sissi held hands with her mother, Dinorah
Arguelles, as she denounced the joke as being in ''very terrible taste.''
''I think that the worst offense that a human being can commit is to be a
snitch,'' she said. ``Honestly, I'm very hurt.''
Dorismar's lawyer Michael Feldenkrais said in an interview that he does not
believe Sissi caused Dorismar's deportation.
''I can comfortably say that I do not believe that Sissi or anyone else
outside of immigration had anything to do with it,'' said Michael
Feldenkrais, Dorismar's lawyer. ``Though I do wonder why, out of 20 million
illegals, they picked her up when she was trying to resolve her case.''
Sissi said that she and her representatives had attempted to arrange a live
telephone conversation with Dorismar, who is in her native Argentina, but
Dorismar declined to participate. Dorismar and Schiff will not comment on
whether they believe Sissi was involved in their deportation.
''I am not interested in Dorismar talking to Sissi, because we have accused
her of nothing, and it seems absurd to hold a press conference to excuse
something that didn't happen,'' Schiff said. ``It seems she is latching on
to Dorismar to get publicity.''
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