Bond, Secret Agent for Outsourcing

The U.S. Commerce Department's under secretary of technology, Phil Bond, said "excit[ing] kids" about science and math "as early as elementary school" is a good way to counter the movement of high-tech U.S. jobs overseas. Bond opposed legislation prohibiting outsourcing (being considered in 37 states), saying, "If we embrace isolation and reject working with the rest of the world, it will be to our detriment." Bond spoke at a forum titled "Offshore Outsourcing - Opportunities, Risks and Rewards," organized by the pro-outsourcing industry group Information Technology Association of America. At the same event, Banc of America Capital Management's chief marketing strategist claimed, "The great misconception is that U.S. companies go abroad for cheap labor."