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I engage people to do computer programming for a small company. American programmers who are available to small companies aren't very good and cost A LOT (I know, there are brilliant American programmers; but as far as I can tell, they all work for Microsoft, Intel etc. I've never actually found one that will work for a small company and believe me, I've tried).

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??????