Outsourcing could lead to less American jobs

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Executives from Silicon Valley to Wall Street are adamant that shifting white- collar jobs from the United States to developing countries is good business, but a backlash is brewing.\nIndiana's state government canceled a $15 million contract with an Indian consulting firm in November. And eight states voted on bills last year that would ban the use of taxpayer money on contracts with foreign workers. Though none of those measures passed, these states and several others are expected to consider similar bills this year.\nDemocratic presidential candidate John Kerry says he would require overseas call centers to disclose their location -- the New Economy version of the "made in America" label.\nThe Massachusetts senator said he wouldn't ban outsourcing, but would provide tax credits to companies that maintain U.S. factories and "close every single loophole that gives companies incentives to move jobs abroad."\nOutsourcing critics say Americans have been complacent about the loss of technology jobs to overseas workers since the trend began in the late 1990s. But with elections in both the United States and India, they believe 2004 could be a turning point.\n"Politicians can't outsource the vote," said Scott Kirwin, founder of the Wilmington, Del.-based lobbying group Information Technology Professionals Association of America, which compiles data from nearly 100 anti-outsourcing Web sites. Kirwin, who launched ITPAA after a large investment bank asked him to train the Indian worker who then replaced him, said only broad consumer revolt will reverse the trend.\n"In the 1980s, many people boycotted companies that did business with the apartheid regime in South Africa," Kirwin said. "Many of those same people have more money today and don't like doing business with companies from countries that work against us politically, like France, or economically, like India and China. Consumer activism is an important part of putting the brakes on the outsourcing movement."\nAfter his software development job was terminated in 2002, Florida's Mike Emmons decided to run for Congress on an anti-outsourcing agenda. His meager campaign funds come mostly from unemployed programmers who visit his Web site, OutsourceCongress.org. He is trying to get on the ballot for the Democratic primary this summer.