Outsourcing 'very unpopular' among Americans:Harris poll

[Classical_Liberal]

Outsourcing 'very unpopular' among Americans:Harris poll
Washington, Apr 8 (UNI) Outsourcing of US jobs to countries like India, China, and Mexico where labour costs are much lower is very unpopular and could turn out to be a major political liability for President George W Bush, according to the latest opinion polls.

Only 16 per cent Americans agree with Bush's economic advisor that outsourcing is ''good for the US economy'' when companies use less expensive foreign workers to do work previously done in this country, according to the results of a nationwide Harris Interactive online poll.

A lopsided 69 to 17 per cent majority would support a ''special tax'' on ''companies that use less expensive foreign workers to replace American workers.'' The poll of 3,698 adults was conducted between March 18 and 29.

Sixty-eight per cent, including a majority of the Republicans, Democrats and independents, disagree with the Bush administration's contention that outsourcing is good for the US economy.

http://www.deepikaglobal.com/ENG4_sub.asp?ccode=ENG4&newscode=49500

[histohoney]

1. Makes you

want to say DUUU. Even the Reps hate outsourcing. Anybody listing in DC? Looks like Bush will run against himself.

[On the Road]

2. This is Why I Can't *Believe* Snow's Comments

He not only said outsourcing was good to the press, he repeated it on another occasion.

Playing to your contributors is one thing, but he should have made these comments in some corporate gathering. This is just absolutely stupid. A sure losing issue for Bush.

[mhr]

3. Imagine That Americans Know How, Why, And Where Their Bread Is Buttered!

Maybe the following is weighing on American minds as well! When the economy is not creating jobs, outsourcing can only add insult to injury!

The Missing 9.4 million Jobs

http://www.comstockfunds.com/index.cfm?act=Newsletter.cfm&category=Mar ...

Comstock Funds
Charlie Minter
7 April 2004

Although the 308,000 increase in March payroll employment may seem like a lot compared to what we’ve been getting and what most have been expecting, it actually falls far short of what we should be seeing at this stage of a recovery. Here’s what we found in examining the last seven economic recoveries.

In the first six of these recoveries beginning with May 1954 employment rose by an average of 7.7 percent over the first 28 months with a high of 9.1 percent and a low of 5.5 percent. This includes one cycle that peaked in 24 months with a gain of 7.4 percent. Even in the recovery that started in March 1991, employment climbed 2.2% over the first 28 months. For all of the seven recoveries, employment rose by an average of 6.9 percent over 28 months. So let’s not hear any more about employment being a lagging indicator. It is not, and even if it were, 28 months is surely enough time to catch up.

In the current recovery employment has actually declined 0.2 percent in the first 28 months that includes the March number and the revisions that were released on Friday. If employment had increased by 6.9 percent, the average of the past recoveries, March payrolls would have come to about 139.9 million rather than the 130.5 million actually reported. This means that there are now 9.4 million fewer jobs than there should be at this point in the cycle, and that we needed an average increase of 322,000 jobs for each of the past 28 months to equal the average job growth of the last seven expansions.

Snip ......

[Classical_Liberal]

4. It is a sign that Americans sometimes have a clue

I am quite heartened by this.

[BlueEyedSon]

5. So what? They will continue to run like lemmings to Wal-Mart

and buy all those wonderful imported manufactured goods as cheaply as possible.

The race to the bottom will not be impeded by a Harris poll.

[Classical_Liberal]

7. whose side are you on?

? Does it occure to you this might be a shift in public attitudes?

[BlueEyedSon]

9. The side of truth.

People are against bad weather too, but no one does anything about it!

[Classical_Liberal]

10. You support outsourcing and low wages?

What kind of dem are you?

[BlueEyedSon]

11. Of course not (I'm in software development)!

I just don't see this (rollback of outsourcing) happening.

[Classical_Liberal]

13. With poll numbers like that even Shrub would be stupid to support it

The other thing is that is a well educated demographic who tend to vote, so I think it will change.

[rdfi-defi]

17. the bush admin. can not walk away from the neo. lib. economic

agenda, even if the poll numbers were 95 nay and 5 yeh. only the people can take us politics off this economic kamikaze run

[Classical_Liberal]

19. not following

. An issue that is that big will result in not getting elected if it is ignored.

[rdfi-defi]

20. well i do not think bush will ignore the issue,

but he wont address it in terms of the current economic agenda, and he certainly wont propose a solution to the problem that will actually work. he can not, part of his constituents' economic agenda includes "out sourcing," which is key to increasing capital flight. he will just pay lip service to the whole issue during the campaign.

[Robin Hood]

16. That's what a rage to my wife all the time.

Americans are all bitching about the economy yet they all go in droves to Wal-Mart and don't bother looking at the label for American made products. We are out-sourcing American jobs, We are.

Americans complain that American products are too expensive, but if we as a country made a concerted effort to only buy American made goods, then the prices would drop dramatically. Let's also not frget that American products are made better.

Another reason for out-sourcing is health care. Providing a single payer health care system would take the burden off of business, and stop them from going to countries that don't force corp. to provide health care.

[BlueEyedSon]

18. There is one cause behind both your points (healthcare, offshoring)

GREED

[rdfi-defi]

23. good point, make a consecerted effort to buy goods made in the us

[rdfi-defi]

6. but yet, we can not muster the political will to nix the

trade "agreements" that facilitate the mas exodus of jobs. do americans have a clue?

[Classical_Liberal]

8. Why can't we be happy when they show signs that they do?

?

[rdfi-defi]

12. it is not about being happy for me.

it is about equating a problem with a solution. according to the poll sited, people identify a problem, but do not support obvious solutions. however, i do understand that sometimes it takes a while for a society as a whole to equate the two, i sure hope this is the start of something.

[Classical_Liberal]

14. The poll didn't mention any solution

and frankly neither Kerry or Bush have proposed any. Kerry will just stop giving them a tax break but that does little since the wage gaps still exist. He also has proposed retraining, but since these are educated workers with up to date skill sets that is pretty silly.

It did mention support for higher taxes on corporations that do this, which is a rather obvious solution.

[rdfi-defi]

22. i did not say the poll mentioned a solution,

but if 69% of the people polled think out-sourcing is a problem, then we better start working on solutions, right?

[leesa]

15. Tomorrow CNN will produce a poll showing we are wildly in favor

of sending our jobs away. The CNN poll from yesterday showed over two-thirds belived Clark over Condi, then lo and behold...it changes, what a surprise, huh?

[PATRICK]

21. A better poll

Has to be secret obviously, but the REAL poll should query all American companies whether they are or are searching for more outsourcing due to transitory stock pressures.. More important than the natural and obvious reactions of workers is the very counter American worker fad of outsourcing even when it makes little sense for that particulate industry or company.

Rather than let another unqualified fad(downsizing, etc.) run its destructive course to yet another gorged out "balance" let's see American business at its best and brightest and how they "compete" to please America rather than their standing on the DOW.

[rdfi-defi]

24. kick for discussion of the economy

[rdfi-defi]

25. .