On March 7, Bill Gates testified before the US Senate about bringing IT workers into the US:

“We have to welcome the great minds of this world, not drive them out of this country,” Gates said.

Nice.  To be clear, he is discussing the H1-B program, which currently allows 65,000 foreign professionals into the US every year.  He went on to say

“At least foreigners, who are already used to massive government inefficiency, will be more willing to tolerate the compatibility issues and other bugs in Vista.”

Okay, he didn’t really say that. But he did say

“The IT industry, I guarantee you, will be in the United States as long as we can get these people to come to the United States.”

Sometimes, I love Bill Gates. These days, I love him a lot of the time. He is right, of course, but I am worried about the timing of these types of discussions. With the war at the forefront of all political agendas, I am hoping that jingoistic calls to ban outsourcing will remain muted during Indecision 2008. But, as usual, I underestimate the democratic “Mill Worker” strategy. Sherrod Brown of Ohio:

“…skilled workers in my state are watching their jobs move overseas, not because foreign workers are more qualified, but because U.S. companies can get away with paying poverty wages to workers in other countries.”

Poverty wages? Check the average salaries for programmers in Bangalore, Sherrod.

More on this, soon (because I’m sure more is coming)