--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I argued last year on my shared blog that…" description: "\"I argued last year on my shared blog that selling the right to immigrate would be the best approach to legal immigration. Among other benefits, the rev..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e6/gary-becker-34402_american-history_i-argued-last-year-on-my-shared-blog-tha_2392026.jpg" --- # I argued last year on my shared blog that selling the… ![“I argued last year on my shared blog that selling the right to immigrate would be the best approach to legal immigration. Among other benefits, the revenue from immigrants' payments could reduce taxes. Paying for the right to immigrate would also negate the argument that immigrants get a free ride…” quote by Gary Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e6/gary-becker-34402_american-history_i-argued-last-year-on-my-shared-blog-tha_2392026.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e6/gary-becker-34402_american-history_i-argued-last-year-on-my-shared-blog-tha_2392026.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e6/gary-becker-34402_american-history_i-argued-last-year-on-my-shared-blog-tha_2392026.jpg) > “I argued last year on my shared blog that selling the right to immigrate would be the best approach to legal immigration. Among other benefits, the revenue from immigrants' payments could reduce taxes. Paying for the right to immigrate would also negate the argument that immigrants get a free ride when they gain health care and other benefits. Moreover, making immigrants pay would attract the type of immigrants who came much earlier in American history: young men and women who are reasonably skilled and want to make a long-term commitment to the United States.” [Gary Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-becker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Proposes selling immigration rights as a market mechanism to fund public services and attract skilled, committed migrants. **In simple terms:** Charge for immigration to fund services and select skilled migrants. Key Takeaway Implement a fee-based immigration system. Themes immigration policy economics public finance skill-based migration Mood analytical critical policy‑oriented Type argumentative policy proposal When to use this quote - policy drafting - budget planning - immigration advocacy - public debate Key Concepts market mechanisms public goods incentive design Questions to Reflect On - How would fees affect low‑income migrants? - What safeguards ensure fairness? A Different Perspective May overlook humanitarian concerns and equity issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-history/) [Approach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach/) [Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/) [Argument Immigrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument-immigrants-5962118/) [Being the best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-the-best/) [Benefits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefits/) [Blogs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blogs/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Commitment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commitment/) [Free Ride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-ride/) [Gains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gains/) [Health care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health-care/) [Illegal immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illegal-immigration/) [Immigrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigrants/) [Immigrants Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigrants-pay-5013359/) [Immigrants Payments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigrants-payments-5962117/) [Immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/) [Immigration Benefits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration-benefits-3754546/) [Last year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last-year/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [Legal immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legal-immigration/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-term/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Payment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/payment/) [Revenue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revenue/) [Revenue Immigrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revenue-immigrants-5962116/) [Selling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selling/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Type](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/type/) [United](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) [Young man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-man/) [Young men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-men/) ## Related quotes > [We have to have legal immigration, which has to be something that benefits our country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-long/we-have-to-have-legal-immigration-which-has-to-be-something-that/) [Wendy Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-long/) > [Let me respond with a few points, the first being that all immigrants pay taxes, income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, gasoline taxes, cigarette…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-gutierrez/let-me-respond-with-a-few-points-the-first-being-that-all-immigrants/) [Luis Gutierrez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-gutierrez/) > [As far as income tax payments go, sources vary in their accounts, but a range of studies find that immigrants pay between $90 billion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-gutierrez/as-far-as-income-tax-payments-go-sources-vary-in-their-accounts-but-a/) [Luis Gutierrez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-gutierrez/) > [We should be the pro-legal immigration party. A party that has a positive platform and agenda on how we can create a legal immigration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/we-should-be-the-pro-legal-immigration-party-a-party-that-has-a/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/there-can-be-no-divided-allegiance-here-any-man-who-says-he-is-an/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [We need legal immigration as an alternative to illegal immigration and a way of getting the millions of unauthorized immigrants already here to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-gutierrez/we-need-legal-immigration-as-an-alternative-to-illegal-immigration/) [Luis Gutierrez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-gutierrez/) > [ We are trying to identify employers that might be \[hiring illegal aliens\] and to take effective action against them. We're trying to make sure… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-reno/we-are-trying-to-identify-employers-that-might-be-hiring-illegal/) [Janet Reno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-reno/) > [Legal immigration is good for America, if it's controlled and structured via the legal process, of course. But the problem is the system we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/legal-immigration-is-good-for-america-if-it-s-controlled-and/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [We are all the sons or daughters of immigrants - some more recent than others - but all dedicated to the triumph of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kemp/we-are-all-the-sons-or-daughters-of-immigrants-some-more-recent-than/) [Jack Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kemp/) > [We must say no to illegal immigration so we can continue to say yes to legal immigration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/we-must-say-no-to-illegal-immigration-so-we-can-continue-to-say-yes/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Legal immigration has allowed people like me and my family to succeed and pursue their American dream, give back and is an important part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/young-kim/legal-immigration-has-allowed-people-like-me-and-my-family-to-succeed/) [Young Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/young-kim/) > [ No one believed \[the 1986 amnesty for illegal aliens\] was tough enough on illegal immigration, and it didn't give enough flexibility on future legal immigration. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/no-one-believed-the-1986-amnesty-for-illegal-aliens-was-tough-enough/) [Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/) > [As president, I will fight illegal immigration in order to preserve an appropriate level of legal immigration. At the same time, I believe our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dole/as-president-i-will-fight-illegal-immigration-in-order-to-preserve-an/) [Bob Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dole/) > [There is no quick fix for illegal immigration. But only when we achieve better control of our borders and better respect for our immigration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/there-is-no-quick-fix-for-illegal-immigration-but-only-when-we/) [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) > [Imagine a legal immigration system that welcomes and celebrates those who come to achieve the American dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/imagine-a-legal-immigration-system-that-welcomes-and-celebrates-those/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) ## More by Gary Becker > [My work on human capital began with an effort to calculate both private and social rates of return to men, women, blacks, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-becker/my-work-on-human-capital-began-with-an-effort-to-calculate-both/) [Gary Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-becker/) > [Different constraints are decisive for different situations, but the most fundamental constraint is limited time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-becker/different-constraints-are-decisive-for-different-situations-but-the/) [Gary Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-becker/) > [Still, intuitive assumptions about behavior is only the starting point of systematic analysis, for alone they do not yield many interesting implications.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-becker/still-intuitive-assumptions-about-behavior-is-only-the-starting-point/) [Gary Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-becker/) > [Human capital analysis starts with the assumption that individuals decide on their education, training, medical care, and other additions to knowledge and health by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-becker/human-capital-analysis-starts-with-the-assumption-that-individuals/) [Gary Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-becker/) > [A stronger yuan could lead to greater Chinese asset accumulation in the U.S. and elsewhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-becker/a-stronger-yuan-could-lead-to-greater-chinese-asset-accumulation-in/) [Gary Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-becker/) > [Even a wizard would have a great deal of difficulty repealing the economic law that higher minimum wages reduce employment. Since politicians are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-becker/even-a-wizard-would-have-a-great-deal-of-difficulty-repealing-the/) [Gary Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-becker/) > [I am saying that the economic approach provides a valuable unified framework for understanding all human behaviour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-becker/i-am-saying-that-the-economic-approach-provides-a-valuable-unified/) [Gary Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-becker/) > [I was not sympathetic to the assumption that criminals had radically different motivations from everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-becker/i-was-not-sympathetic-to-the-assumption-that-criminals-had-radically/) [Gary Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-becker/) > [The Treatise tries to analyze not only modern Western families, but also those in other cultures and the changes in family structure during the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-becker/the-treatise-tries-to-analyze-not-only-modern-western-families-but/) [Gary Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-becker/) > [Why in almost all societies have married women specialized in bearing and rearing children and in certain agricultural activities, whereas married men have done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-becker/why-in-almost-all-societies-have-married-women-specialized-in-bearing/) [Gary Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-becker/) > [Fines are preferable to imprisonment and other types of punishment because they are more efficient. With a fine, the punishment to offenders is also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-becker/fines-are-preferable-to-imprisonment-and-other-types-of-punishment/) [Gary Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-becker/) > [Along with others, I have tried to pry economists away from narrow assumptions about self interest. Behavior is driven by a much richer set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-becker/along-with-others-i-have-tried-to-pry-economists-away-from-narrow/) [Gary Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-becker/) > [Economy is the art of making the most of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-becker/economy-is-the-art-of-making-the-most-of-life/) [Gary Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-becker/) [Explore all 14 Gary Becker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-becker/) ## More American history quotes > [Adam Clayton Powell's entire political career has to be looked at in the entire context of the American history and the history of, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/adam-clayton-powell-s-entire-political-career-has-to-be-looked-at-in/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-prescott/don-t-fire-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes/) [William H. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-prescott/) > [“In December of 2007 human bones including skulls, which have been radiocarbon dated back to between 1304 and 1424, were found in a museum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-one/in-december-of-2007-human-bones-including-skulls-which-have-been/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-one/) > [John Lane has long been recognized as one of the South's finest poets and memoirists. This debut establishes him as one of our finest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-rash/john-lane-has-long-been-recognized-as-one-of-the-south-s-finest-poets/) [Ron Rash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-rash/) > [No man-made structure in all of American history has been hated so much, by so many, for so long, with such good reason, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/no-man-made-structure-in-all-of-american-history-has-been-hated-so/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [The problem that we have is that most Americans don't even study American history, let alone Pinochet, Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin and all these guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/the-problem-that-we-have-is-that-most-americans-don-t-even-study/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [We must not falsely teach American history in our schools. We have a law requiring state textbook oversight to guard against frauds like Zinn,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-daniels/we-must-not-falsely-teach-american-history-in-our-schools-we-have-a/) [Mitch Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-daniels/) > [The only thing we have to fear is fear itself-and possibly teh bogey man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-paulsen/the-only-thing-we-have-to-fear-is-fear-itself-and-possibly-teh-bogey/) [Pat Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-paulsen/) > [“Thanks in part to the rapid mechanization of cotton production in the early 1940s, which ultimately threw millions of farm laborers out of work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-patterson/thanks-in-part-to-the-rapid-mechanization-of-cotton-production-in-the/) [James T. Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-patterson/) > [“dark say: berthenia belle never forget the tongue hid name”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathleen-margaret/dark-say-berthenia-belle-never-forget-the-tongue-hid-name/) [Cathleen Margaret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathleen-margaret/) > [Throughout American history many of our social gains and much of our progress toward democracy were made possible by the active intervention of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-washington/throughout-american-history-many-of-our-social-gains-and-much-of-our/) [Harold Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-washington/) > [Modern Democrats aren't the first political party to abuse power - far from it. Obama isn'€™t the first president to abuse executive power -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harsanyi/modern-democrats-aren-t-the-first-political-party-to-abuse-power-far/) [David Harsanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harsanyi/) > [Medicare and Social Security have created the healthiest and most financially secure generation of senior citizens in American history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-walsh/medicare-and-social-security-have-created-the-healthiest-and-most/) [Jim Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-walsh/) > [The school curriculum today, particularly American history, is a shame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-school-curriculum-today-particularly-american-history-is-a-shame/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [“I used to walk out, at night, to the breakwater which divides the end of the harbor form the broad moor of the salt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-doty/i-used-to-walk-out-at-night-to-the-breakwater-which-divides-the-end/) [Mark Doty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-doty/) [Browse all 685 American history quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-history/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I argued last year on my shared blog that selling the right to immigrate would be the best approach to legal immigration. Among other benefits, the revenue from immigrants' payments could reduce taxes. Paying for the right to immigrate would also negate the argument that immigrants get a free ride when they gain health care and other benefits. Moreover, making immigrants pay would attract the type of immigrants who came much earlier in American history: young men and women who are reasonably skilled and want to make a long-term commitment to the United States.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gary Becker" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-becker/i-argued-last-year-on-my-shared-blog-that-selling-the-right-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American history" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-becker/i-argued-last-year-on-my-shared-blog-that-selling-the-right-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e6/gary-becker-34402_american-history_i-argued-last-year-on-my-shared-blog-tha_2392026.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e6/gary-becker-34402_american-history_i-argued-last-year-on-my-shared-blog-tha_2392026.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e6/gary-becker-34402_american-history_i-argued-last-year-on-my-shared-blog-tha_2392026.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I argued last year on my shared blog that selling the right to immigrate would be the best approach to legal…” — Gary Becker", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Gary Becker", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-becker/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I argued last year on my...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-becker/i-argued-last-year-on-my-shared-blog-that-selling-the-right-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-becker/i-argued-last-year-on-my-shared-blog-that-selling-the-right-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```