I’ve seen U.S. Senate candidate Harris Miller speak a couple of times now, and participated in one conference call with him. Something that I’ve heard him say repeatedly is that he, unlike nomination opponent Jim Webb, has actually created jobs in Virginia. He cites quite an impressive number—5,000 or 30,000 or something. A Big Number. I think that’s wonderful. Much of the state could really benefit by being represented by somebody with policy experience in encouraging employment growth. Webb has, presumably, no experience in this arena.
But. During the conference call, a participant asked him what jobs, specifically, he had created. I think he may have simply misunderstood the question, because he responded that he had long advocated the practice of creating new jobs and Gov. Mark Warner had created X thousand new positions during his tenure.
I’ve been puzzling over this ever since. Googling around yielded only things like this two-year-old interview in which Miller says that outsourcing tech jobs will result in the creation of new jobs. (Incidentally, many of my friends had their IT jobs offshored at the time. Not so much with the new jobs.)
Can anybody enlighten me as to what specific new jobs that he’s created? Or whether I’m simply misunderstanding the claim?
He’s created plenty of new jobs, but not in Virginia. Most of the jobs Harris created are probably in China or India by now. He says he’s been great to the industry he served. If so, can he explain this?
http://www.dfa-fairfax.com/
Apparently, there are many people in his own industry that don’t like him. Harris’ industry may have created new jobs, but it appears Harris has not. And his own people, The IT Professionals Association of America, seem to be (I quote) disgusted.
The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. No offense intended, but I’m looking for action answers about Miller’s job creation, rather than stone-throwing by Webb supporters.
None taken. I’m just saying I’ve yet to find somebody in the IT Industry who got their job from Harris Miller. In fact, I’ve found a few who LOST their job due to outsourcing. I’ll keep an eye out for anything about Miller’s “jobs” for ya.
Waldo,
Sorry, I’ve got nothin’.
I do know that Harris Miller would like to claim responsibility for the high-tech jobs that Mark Warner announced in Southside Virginia at his Forward Together PAC kickoff last year. I don’t know if that’s justifiable, but it may help you target where Miller’s claim of job creation comes from.
Here’s Warner’s speech.
Hope that helps.
Josh
It is a legitimate question, which is why I asked it in the blogger’s conference. I trust Harris or someone from his campaign will have an answer. I forwarded your link to the campaign.
Harris Miller created jobs. But they were not for us. They were for indentured laborers (imported workers) under the H-1B visa program while we got laid off. At low cost. An ITAA special. Thank you, Harris Miller!
OK, again with the not helpful. Miller opponents, please restrain yourselves.
Why bother, Waldo?
The same people keep trolling sites and posting off the same talking points.
Surprised you haven’t heard from J.C. Wilmore, lenny, etc.
By Primary Day, you may be the only one left carrying the torch of objectivity.
Waldo, why don’t you simply pick up a phone and call the Miller campaign? Your question posted here doesn’t serve any purpose.
a) Because I’m not a reporter. I’m a lazy blogger.
b) Because I assumed there’d be a simple answer, some URL or newspaper article that somebody could point me to. Eight hours later, I’m suspecting there’s not.
By Primary Day, you may be the only one left carrying the torch of objectivity.
Not while Virginia Belle is posting.
I’m sure the tech support industry in Virginia had to hire a good number of people to support all those electronic voting machines he’s been shilling for a few years now. :)
If I had to venture a serious guess — and assuming that he’s not obtaining these numbers with the help of a proctologist — I’d guess he’s getting data from the recent ACM study that concludes outsourcing has created more tech jobs for U.S. citizens.
Other than that … *shrug*
Waldo:
I’m not sure about his specific claim…I think the answer you’re looking for is that the IT industry has thrived in Northern Virginia because of policies like relaxed immigration standards for high-skilled workers, investment in infrastructure, and perhaps other business incentives that Miller has lobbied for in DC.
I’m not sure that this is an unreasonable claim for him to make. The IT sector in NOVA is perhaps the hottest in the nation, and he is the leader of a a large IT association.
Do the policies advocated by Miller result in a net job drain on Virginia, when factoring other things (outsourcing)? I suppose it’s possible, although I doubt it. Do they cause salary depression? Probably. But considering that we have what could most accurately described as -2% unemployment in Northern Virginia (a worker shortage), I doubt that wages or job opportunities are suffering…
The real question is – if the economy ever turns south and there is a real scramble for work, what will be the effect of these policies then? I don’t have an answer…
Stepping back and looking at the politics of it:
Is Miller smart for trying to push this “job creation” meme in the primary (rather than the general)? There’s an upside and a downside.
Upside: He’s trying to sell himself as Mark Warner II. Ahem. So this “job creation” and “businessman” stuff is part of that meme.
Downside: This is a slap in the face to unions and labor interests, who are quickly forming fierce opposition to his candidacy.
Go to this blog. http://modernpatriot.blogspot.com/
Maybe you will find the answer.
Or maybe you will find it here:
http://modernpatriot.blogspot.com/2006/04/afl-cio-union-opposes-miller.html
Happy searching!
I don’t have strong preference yet in this race, I’ll probably end up supporting whomever is runs against Allen.
However everytime I hear a politician take credit for job creation they’re usually counting service industry and retail (low wage) jobs, the same way George Bush counts fast food jobs as ‘manufacturing jobs’ (manufacturing hamburgers that is). In my book any job paying less than 10/hr shouldn’t count toward job creation numbers.
I don’t have that link you’re looking for either. I suspect he’s probably just taking credit, like any politician would, for general job growth in his district (as reflected by lower unemployment numbers? or something like that?) the type that would’ve happened regardless of who was in his seat.
But that’s just my opinion. And apologies for not being more helpful.
Well, that’s the thing that’s odd. If an incumbent claims job creation, there’s not much point in looking into it because, hey, who knows? But Harris Miller has never held office, so creating jobs is rather an extraordinary feat.
I’ve pointed out before Miller is not under any circumstances, “a tech excutive”. He’s a lobbyist in a suit. His background was poli sci — the classic pre-law prep.
As someone pointed out Miller does not create jobs. Nor does he have any real background making anything in IT. It’s not as if he has ever coded a program, run an engineering project, or dealt with any of the things that the truly creative people in IT do.
It could be argued quite seriously that Miller does not know the first thing about job creation — only lies used conceal the loss of jobs.
Trump has the art of the deal. Miller has the art of the lie.
Bwahaha… :) Shame on him then. And shame on me as well, I haven’t been paying attention to this primary campaign at all. Cynic that I am, I haven’t been very invested in many of the democratic party races lately. And in this instance figured almost anyone would be better than George Allen.
With the exception of the various and sundry employees on the government payroll, in all of the history of capitalism, no politician has ever “created” a job (same goes with the Internet). The best that politicians can do is help foster a regulatory, tax, and political climate that permits the ingenuity and labors of men and women to result in wealth and job creation. There are a good many who deserve credit for that, including our most recent former Governor, but no lobbyist has created a job, except for himself.