Bargain Or Bad Idea?Bargain Or Bad Idea?

Indiana state Sen. Jeff Drozda couldn't believe it when he learned that the state department charged with creating high-skill jobs was outsourcing IT work to a services firm in India. So the Republican lawmaker is drafting legislation to restrict the ability of public agencies in the state to outsource IT work to foreign countries or use vendors with U.S. staffs consisting largely of foreign workers

Drozda says it's particularly outrageous that the Department of Workforce Development tapped Tata Consultancy Services in India, because the agency's mission is to "create 200,000 new high-wage, high-skill jobs" in Indiana. He says he'll propose either prohibiting state agencies from using offshore firms or requiring them to set aside funds to train displaced workers if they do so.

Government agencies often face a choice between using an offshore firm with a lower bid or using more taxpayer funds to keep a job in the country.