Outsourced and downsized

Re “Shortage of skilled workers looms in U.S.,” April 21

U.S. employers, having outsourced jobs, lowered wages, maintained high unemployment, eliminated pensions and destroyed job security, are now reaping what they’ve sown: a lack of skilled workers for critical industries. Anyone with half a brain could have predicted this, and most people with half a brain, which evidently doesn’t include our country’s leaders, have.

Not surprisingly, rather than remedy the problems that led to this condition, employers are seeking the easy way out by looking for skilled immigrants who can fill the needed roles. The welfare of the U.S. population has evidently become completely irrelevant to the business community.

Randall Smith

San Diego

Are the experts predicting a crisis talking about the same companies that have spent the last 15 or so years losing skilled, experienced baby boomers as the jobs were downsized or outsourced? I have no sympathy for these companies. There are a lot of skilled, experienced boomers who have been trying to make ends meet on whatever jobs they can find -- they’re still trying to recover from the last recession and can’t afford to retire.

Maybe those economic experts ought to get out in the real world a bit more often.

P.J. Evans

Chatsworth

A partial solution might be to enable illegal immigrant children to attend college by making them eligible for in-state fees and financial aid. Many of these young people could, with financial assistance, attend college, graduate and join our skilled workforce. Currently, these young people have their hopes for the future frustrated by their inability to afford ever-increasing college fees. In California, they should be eligible for community college fee waivers and Cal Grants. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s veto of the California Dream Act, which included these provisions, was shortsighted.

We have invested millions of dollars in the K-12 education of children who were brought to this country illegally by their parents. Let us maximize our investment by enabling them to go to college and become fully productive members of this country.

Rose N. Weiss

Pasadena

I’m confused. I thought that the illegal workers who entered the country were needed to do jobs that Americans would not do. Now we should pay to educate them to do jobs Americans could do if they received the training? How about focusing on training and retraining low-skilled citizens first?

Peg Manning

Los Angeles

If more skilled workers are needed, our immigration laws should reflect this. Years of allowing cheap labor to come here have put us in this mess.

Shirley F. Kirkland

Oceanside