But his staff is somewhat more optimistic than he is, he added, as are some investment bank economists.
Under H-1B, American companies can search overseas to find workers in "specialty occupations", which includes researchers, high-tech staff and, somewhat surprisingly, fashion models.
Taken as a whole, however, the Yankees' pitching staff is somewhat short-handed without him, and alternative possibilities are being explored.
But he said, "I'd be less than candid if I didn't say we hope the combined staff is somewhat smaller than the two have been together".
The staff is somewhat less emphatic; it will present the commission with a range of options, including a performance-based approach that could leave some plants installing filters and others demonstrating that the water provides adequate filtration.
The executive, who began his banking career as a cashier 40 years ago, said he felt deeply for the overwhelming majority of the bank's staff "and somewhat ashamed of the position we have put them in".
Despite the graffiti and glazed brickwork, it very much feels like a corporate take on the concept and the relatively mainstream nature of the beer selection - not to mention the staff's somewhat sketchy product knowledge – is not going to turn it into a destination for craft aficionados.
Those harsh assessments, echoed by other councilmembers and council staff in somewhat nicer terms, come as no surprise to Wells, who says his colleagues bad-mouth each other all the time, but that he's proud of his legislative record.
In 2007, former Rockstar employee Jeff Williams revealed that even the game's staff were somewhat uncomfortable about the level of violence; "there was almost a mutiny at the company over that game".
