I'm not a big Bill Gates fan. Whenever I see him I start hearing the Imperial March from Star Wars. But Emperor Gates recently addressed Congress and some darned smart things. Unsurprisingly.

He urged Congress to spend more money on education to improve science, math and technical programs; and to pay science, math, and technical teachers more.

He asked Congress to reinstate the research tax credit saying that US businesses no longer do as much research.

Citing over 140,000 highly skilled job openings at all the tech companies, he asked that the current cap on H-1B visas that would allow for skilled foreign nationals the U.S. trains at its universities to be hired as the high-tech workers America needs.

Gates also asked the cap be raised on green cards.

At this point, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) suggested that hiring these highly skilled workers would suppress wages Americans earn. Rohrbacher apparently sees 140,000 high-tech job openings as already receiving wages. Currently, no Americans are being paid for these unfilled jobs, so how will that suppress Americans' pay?

Then Rohrbacher said, shortly before leaving the hearing to attend another hearing, "It's the 'B' and 'C' students that fight for our country and kept it free so that people like yourself could have the opportunities you have." So apparently, Sen. Rohrbacher doesn't think America needs "A" students, but more "B" and "C" students in the military.

This is how our elected officials, of both parties, feel about us. Remember that come election day.

(photo source)