A Few Words on the Recent Microsoft Job Cuts
Let me be clear. I am not attacking Microsoft. And I am not looking to start a fight with them. But I do think some of their decisions deserve a closer look.
Stock Buybacks vs. Real Investment
Over the past ten years. Microsoft has spent roughly $170 billion on stock buybacks. That practice is not unusual among large corporations. But it raises a fair question. Instead of artificially inflating its own share price. Could some of that money have been put to better use? Invested in people, innovation and in the communities that made Microsoft what it is today?
Re-examining the H-1B Visa Program
We should also take a hard look at the H-1B visa program. Companies claim that America simply does not have enough skilled workers to fill key roles. Others argue that we do but that many companies prefer hiring from overseas. Because H-1B workers often accept lower wages. The data supports this. Most H-1B workers are paid less than their American counterparts performing the same work. One reasonable reform would be to reduce the number of H-1B visas issued or at minimum. Require that all H-1B workers be paid at the exact same rates as domestic employees in equivalent roles.
The Larger Threat: AI and the Jobs of Tomorrow
The truth is today's layoffs are modest compared to what is coming. Artificial intelligence will bring massive job displacement in the years ahead. That is not science fiction it is reality. We cannot stop it but we can and must prepare for it. That means reexamining our priorities now. Before the wave arrives.
Imagine if even a fraction of that $170 billion in buybacks had been set aside. To help employees transition into new careers in fields like healthcare, clean energy or advanced manufacturing. We should be investing in people not just in share prices. That is how we build a future that works for everyone. Not just for Wall Street.
A Promise to the People
If I win the election for Congress in 2026. I will be a representative who is not owned by mega corporations. I give my word. I will always look out for the interests of the people.
A Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight
We are facing a crisis and too few people in power are willing to say so plainly. For decades recent college graduates typically enjoyed lower unemployment rates than the broader working age population. That is no longer the case. Since late 2018 the trend has reversed. In recent years the unemployment rate for recent graduates has consistently exceeded the national average. In the first quarter of 2026 recent graduates faced an unemployment rate of about 5.7%, compared to roughly 4.2% nationally. This is not just a rough patch it is a warning sign. And the trajectory points not toward improvement but toward worsening conditions.
Why is this happening? Several forces are converging at once. Artificial intelligence, automation, robotics and the steady influx of foreign labor. These are facts. We can choose to confront them or we can choose to look away. Today people you would never expect to struggle are piecing together gig work just to stay afloat. Driving for Uber during the day and delivering food at night all in an effort to survive. We cannot sit back and watch this continue.
We need policies that protect American jobs. Invest in innovation without abandoning workers. And ensure that a college degree leads to real opportunity not to underemployment. We must build a future where technology works for us not against us. And where our own citizens are first in line for the jobs their tax dollars help create. This is not about politics. It is about fairness, opportunity and the survival of the American middle class.
My tax reform plan and immigration policy. Are key components of a larger vision. To build a stronger more equitable future for all Americans. It is the responsibility of every generation to build a better future for the next generation. Unfortunately it seems that America has lost sight of that obligation. We are on the wrong path and the time for a serious course correction is now.
Failure to address these issues is precisely what gave rise to Trump and Republican dominance. If the Democratic Party does not begin confronting them honestly and urgently. It will hand Vice President J.D. Vance the presidency in four years.
On Microsoft's Profits and Priorities
Microsoft reported over $88 billion in profit in fiscal year 2024 and more than $100 billion in operating income. Placing it among the most profitable companies in American history. And now it is cutting the jobs of the very people who helped build that success. That happens it is business. But this is clearly not a company fighting for survival.
So the question must be asked. Does a company this profitable or its CEO truly need tax breaks? Do they need to keep spending billions on stock buybacks. A practice that was effectively off limits for most companies before a 1982 SEC rule change opened the door? These are questions worth asking and they deserve honest answers.
Kincaid is a moderate common sense Democrat and official candidate for Congress in Washington's 1st Congressional District. The campaign is focused on practical solutions for public safety, healthcare, economic fairness and accountable government.
Paid for by Kincaid for Congress.