In a new interview with The Telegraph, the Nobel economist Gary Becker offers an economist’s solution to immigration reform: charge immigrants for citizenship – $50,000 per immigrant to start. “A lot of people don’t want to talk about it because you look like you’re discriminating,” says Becker. “But people feel very strongly about immigration. So I think it’s a good time now to be proposing a more sensible policy than what we’ve seen in any country.” Becker also suggests raising the retirement age (to reduce entitlement spending) and believes that “the center of economic gravity is gradually moving to Asia.”[%comments]
Gary Becker: Immigrants Should Pay
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This is a great idea. It’ll keep those immigrants in Asia. Which makes perfect sense, because that’s where the center of economic gravity will eventually be located–probably because people who would otherwise be immigrants, remain in their home countries. I’m convinced that this recommendation is part of a conspiracy by the Great Gary Becker to simply make his prediction about the center of economic gravity come true so he can have a voice outside of pointless, pedantic, academic journals.
That’s the stupidest proposal I’ve ever seen on immigration. That’s taking the status quo and making it worse – who would want to be a legal immigrant?
This country depends on immigrants, but turns a blind eye on immigration policy. How about having a better way of letting people into the country legally, i.e. on the basis of potential benefit to society?
Why can’t we make it easy for chemistry PhDs to stay, and discourage the seventh generation welfare collectors from ever entering the country?
Wouldn’t it be easy to see that if you were charging that kind of cash to get a green card to work legally, there would be even greater incentive to be here illegally to get around it. Letting them work it off might affect it somewhat but again, even that would be an incentive to remain illegal. Think – well you only get part of your salary but you get to enjoy all the United States has to offer. Oh, by the way, can we see your papers?
I looked through the interview. He looks at other peoples wishes to immigrate as a chance to raise some revenue. He is in clearly in love with Nobel Prize and other awards and his attitude “I am so smart compared to every one else” comes through.
Unfortunately, Mr. Becker may have published an important work getting him the prize but he is not smart enough. Putting 50000 dollars fee will make legal immigration close to impossible. The illegal immigration – the problem – will continue and may even increase. Most foreigners who can afford the fee do not have an interest in immigrating to US and working hard to make it here – they have a near royal life style in their native countries.
With legal immigration near zero – US will feel the loss of its working age population which is needed to support our increasing non-working elderly population. Unfortunately, social security taxes were never put into trust fund!
Do Nobel prize winners just shoot off whatever comes to their mouth? I thought politicians did that.
Just goes to show you that people whom you believe to be smart are not really as smart as you may give them credit for. That goes even if they have won Nobel prize!
Or let companies who hire them (high-tech, etc.) pay the entrance fee. But this rate is too high for hardworking, but unskilled people who nevertheless can make a big contribution to the country. Perhaps there should be a sliding scale, and they should be required to attend language and citizenship classes.
You just hate immigrants. I entered this country legally and work honestly. You mean I would have to pay 150,000 dollars for me and my children to be citizens on top of two college tuitions? You just want immigrants to be economically stranded (sort of what Fidel Castro does with its population keeping them poor) or not having the right to vote at all. Maybe a measure like yours is what republicans need to win elections with such a right radicalized base. Shame on you. You do not have any concern for the dignity of the human race.
Way to go Shilpa #5
In that article Becker pegs the solutions to social problems on individuals. There’s more than individuals in the world – we have corporate entities. Should I believe there is no equally good answer to the retirement challenge by tweaking some aspect of corporate governance instead of raising the retirement age?
And I’m sure some green-card seekers would be *delighted* to pay $50K in exchange for courteous, friendly and expedient service in its issuance.
Now seriously, where does he think the rest are going to get $50K? A loan, of course, the worse off the person, the more shark-like the conditions. So those $5 Billion annually are not going to come from increased production, import money from other countries or even ole-fashioned saving which he hopes would slow down immigration – those $5bn will come from the financial growth of lending – shady and shaky lending – the kind that falls apart during a crisis and makes things even worse.