JEFFREY CARTER: If people want to immigrate to the United States, make them pay. “However, to understand the meaning behind charging for immigration, there has to be background. Here goes. I do think that you have to separate immigration from other issues that have risen to the top in the fiery X debate on immigration. For example, American culture used to have a higher tolerance for failure. Our educational system used to be great and now it stinks. Those tie into arguments around human capital but are separate from immigration. For example, if America had 0 immigrants, our public educational system would still stink. . . . By charging for immigration, there would be a psychological difference in the kind of immigrant. They would pay the price to immigrate, and a psychological construct would be created, they would become ‘American’ by paying that price. That means assimilation happens faster.”