I am a computer programmer and have worked at a number of small companies that developed complex software products. The people I worked with were, with maybe two exceptions (and one of those was H1-B), extremely intelligent, capable and professional developers who produced very high-quality products while being paid reasonable salaries. I'm sure that the companies that employed these developers felt they were getting their money's worth.
I guess what I'm getting at is, I think your story is perhaps atypical of the normal small company experience. Or perhaps your company is trying to get by on the cheap and not willing to pay a reasonable salary for quality personnel.
Maybe. But we were paying somewhat above average because we needed better than average programmers. In the US, we are 0-3. Overseas we are 3-3.
Your concept of a 'reasonable' salary is slippery, though. If I pay american programmers twice what my competitors are paying overseas, the american programmers have to be twice as productive as their overseas competition or I cannot stay cost competitive. If anything, American programmers are less productive than the overseas programmers and their attitudes have not been good. It's that simple.
Maybe I just got a bad sample. But I'm going with what has worked. I'd be happy to be proven wrong.
H-1B Visa is suppose to be used to help US companies get tech skills that are not available or in short supply within the US. It is not suppose to be a tool to displace US workers and depress wages. Otherwise why should US taxpayers fund a program that will destroy the middle class??????