Puerto Rico has voted to join the union. It is to be the 51st state after congressional approval, ma

reply to post by Nyiah


For what I know is that before already twice PR have voted for Statehood, in 93 and 98 but US congress wants all or none meaning a big majority like 90% or congress will not even take it into consideration.

So 61% is not going to be enough.

manykapao This is some information about PR economy

And for been statehood, it only will bring in the Island more taxes, right now PR enjoy a Florida type of status, no property taxes as the major revenue is tourism, all the benefits of a state but without rights to vote for president.

PR have universal health care food stamps and while the Island is not a rich Island Tourism account for most of the revenue.

While many think that PR is leaching the US that is very debatable, US private sector has invested heavily in the Island for decades, so among sources of income are pharmaceuticals, electronics, textiles, petrochemicals, processed foods, clothing and textiles, 44 billion annually are produced by this companies and about 160, 500 companies have invested in PR.

About 5 million tourist visit the Island yearly, many comes on cruise ships as PR is a popular port for this type of travelers.

So while PR gets federal help as a territory of the US, PR does have sources of income thanks to tourism and private interest.

hispanicexecutive.com...

The vote for change was only 54% that is below the 60% needed. The pro state hood govenor also lost to the status quo candidate. Nobody wants independence because all you have to do is look at the rest of the area to see how a small nation would fair. You either end up as an unofficial part of the US as a tourist destination like the Bahama's or you end up dirt poor and unstable. Common Wealth is not a bad way to go, it seems to work well for Puerto Rico and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. While Guam and the Virgin Islands chose to be Unincorporated organized territories and American Somao goes with being and unincorporated unorganized territory. Then you have the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau who have all chose to be in a Compact of Free Association with the United States. Lots of potential future states.

well that's cool eh. i think this will be good for us Americans and should save quite a bit of current medical expense right offs. a great many residents of PR come to the mainland for medical care, normally surgery, then head back to PR while leaving the providers with unpaid expenses. my wife works for 1 surgeon and they get several cases a year, imagine how many total per year there are country wide?

You know what is really sad? On my facebook, about an hour ago, I offered 100 bucks for the first person to message box me with the answer to "Who might become the next US state very soon?"

I only got one answer, and it was a canadian lol. I have mostly americans on my list.

reply to post by Nyiah

Two 911s, creepy.

Originally posted by MrSpad
The vote for change was only 54% that is below the 60% needed. The pro state hood govenor also lost to the status quo candidate. Nobody wants independence because all you have to do is look at the rest of the area to see how a small nation would fair. You either end up as an unofficial part of the US as a tourist destination like the Bahama's or you end up dirt poor and unstable. Common Wealth is not a bad way to go, it seems to work well for Puerto Rico and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. While Guam and the Virgin Islands chose to be Unincorporated organized territories and American Somao goes with being and unincorporated unorganized territory. Then you have the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau who have all chose to be in a Compact of Free Association with the United States. Lots of potential future states.

Are you sure about that?

www.wtsp.com... 81/Puerto-Rico-on-the-road-to-becoming-a-state

As of Wednesday morning, 54% voted to change the island's status. As to the second question, 61% want statehood, 33% are for sovereign free association, and about 5.5% are for independence.

You must have checked you figures a little early.

They have pretty much been a "state," for quite a while. They might as well just make it official. That would be great for tourism, at least. No passport needed!

reply to post by Sissel


You don't need a passport if you are an American citizen, still foreign tourist will have to show passport just like they do when they come to port in the US.

"The vote for change was only 54% that is below the 60% needed."

Puerto Rican source has it at 61 % for "Estadidad"

There are some big obstacles to statehood. For one education is primarily in Spanish. While English is taught in
all grades and has been for a long time, most people don't end up fluent. The political system is quite different as the civil service is patronage based. As a results services often stink. Permits are impossible if you picked the losing side. Property law, tort law, etc is still heavily based in Spanish law. There are some interesting effects for this. For example car insurance comes with your tag. The medical part is covered under a socialized medical system.

While a lot of income comes from Tourism a great deal also comes from government dependencies. For example, SNAP(foodstamps) usage was 5 time the national average(2002 statistics)

The Obama administration basically bribed Puerto Ricans presumably toward statehood, by sending them a special "Stimulus check" that the rest of you didn't get.

If you really want to get some work done, you need to find a Dominican.

The politicians support statehood, but its lip service mostly, as it would spoil their thing.

This could go either way. The pro-colony oops I mean "commonwealth" party seems to have won the general election. However the pro-statehood US Congressional delegate seems to have been re-elected and he is key.

Each question was completely separate and people voted twice: 54% voted to seek a status that was not subject to the Territorial Clause of the US Constitution while 46% opted to remain a US territory (aka "the commonwealth"). While it is true that 61% voted for statehood and that certainly qualifies as a majority vote - especially considering that statehood has never garnered more than 48% in the past one sould also keep in mind that 468,000 pro-colony .... damn I did it again, I mean "commonwealth" supporters cast a blank ballot as a form of "None of the Above" protest as the colo ... crap I mean "commonwealth" option was not included on the 2nd question.

I personally support statehood as I believe that since Puerto Ricans are native born US citizens they should hold the same rights, have the same benefits, as well as holding the same responsibilities as their fellow US citizens in the 50 states of the Union such as myself. I find it wrong that any law passed by the US Congress is applicable in Puerto Rico but yet Puerto Rico has no say over whether that law passes or not because they only have a single "Delegate" called a Resident Commissioner that has a voice but no vote. I also find it revolting that Puerto Ricans have no say in who becomes the President of the United States, or that they are not eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance and receive a lower Medicare payout ... the same situation also applies to Guam, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

I support Puerto Rican statehood 110% ... I love Puerto Rico, the island and it's people and I have many fond memories there. Statehood is the only natural evolution of the current unincorporated territory status. The people of Puerto Rico deserve their full rights as citizens of the United States of America. Hundreds of thousands of them have fought and many have died for this nation. They may speak Spanish as a first language but that does not mean they cannot hold the same values that bind our nation.

Originally posted by marg6043
reply to post by Sissel

 

You don't need a passport if you are an American citizen, still foreign tourist will have to show passport just like they do when they come to port in the US.

Ah, didn't know that. Thanks. I've always wanted to visit!

Originally posted by UMayBRite!

There are some big obstacles to statehood. For one education is primarily in Spanish. While English is taught in
all grades and has been for a long time, most people don't end up fluent.

Yeah, so, I live in Arizona. It has the same problem. And, it's within the continental US.

The political system is quite different as the civil service is patronage based. As a results services often stink. Permits are impossible if you picked the losing side. Property law, tort law, etc is still heavily based in Spanish law. There are some interesting effects for this. For example car insurance comes with your tag. The medical part is covered under a socialized medical system.

Wouldn't that all have to change if there was a statehood status?

While a lot of income comes from Tourism a great deal also comes from government dependencies. For example, SNAP(foodstamps) usage was 5 time the national average(2002 statistics)

The Obama administration basically bribed Puerto Ricans presumably toward statehood, by sending them a special "Stimulus check" that the rest of you didn't get.

Yes, that is why I said they are already basically a state. As far as the stimulus check goes, I'd have to research that one.

If you really want to get some work done, you need to find a Dominican.

The politicians support statehood, but its lip service mostly, as it would spoil their thing.

Could you explain that a little bit more, please? I don't think I am getting you.

The real reason why Congress won't approve this measure is that Republicans will be loath to invite in a new state that will likely have predominately Democratic elected officials. That's not a put down of Republicans but hard politics.

That and the Spanish language issue, which a majority of Americans are concerned about.

"There are some big obstacles to statehood. For one education is primarily in Spanish. While English is taught in
all grades and has been for a long time, most people don't end up fluent."


Yeah, so, I live in Arizona. It has the same problem. And, it's within the continental US.

I don't think its the same. The same. I know ESL teachers in PR that aren't very fluent themselves. I live in FL. In some local towns most of the population is Mexican, but the schools very effectively teach english. Only the retarded don't end up fluent.

One way things are the same Stateside as PR is that any kind of physical labor is difficult to get done without hiring aliens. In Puerto Rico its Dominicans that work.

Originally posted by UMayBRite!



One way things are the same Stateside as PR is that any kind of physical labor is difficult to get done without hiring aliens. In Puerto Rico its Dominicans that work.

Okay, thanks, because I really didn't understand the other persons comment.

As for language being an issue in Arizona, the school system sucks. In most classrooms where my children attended high school, there were two teachers in the classroom. A spanish speaking one, and one that spoke english.

Talk about holding kids back, that already know the language used!

Well all the companies (including the one I work for) who have moved manufacturing sites to PR for the massive tax breaks have to be sweating this news.

This will never happen.

The reason: The IRS is a corporation located in PR, that is the entire reason for the connection to the US. The IRS would not, and is not, legal in the us, and for it to exist it must "collect" - it is a collection agency, outside the boundaries of the constitution.

PR will never become a state as long as we are under the thumb of the Federal Reserve - the IRS is the collection arm of the Federal Reserve.

Besides, 50 stars is just perfect on the flag and we know how loathe we are to change perfection.

Originally posted by crankyoldman
This will never happen.

The reason: The IRS is a corporation located in PR, that is the entire reason for the connection to the US. The IRS would not, and is not, legal in the us, and for it to exist it must "collect" - it is a collection agency, outside the boundaries of the constitution.

PR will never become a state as long as we are under the thumb of the Federal Reserve - the IRS is the collection arm of the Federal Reserve.

Besides, 50 stars is just perfect on the flag and we know how loathe we are to change perfection.

Can you prove this? I have never heard this before. All I know is when I send in my tax forms from where I am located, they go to Texas.

reply to post by Sissel

Louisiana still has alot of the old French style civil code regulations. So no it wouldent necessarily change.

BTW Puerto Rico has alot of Republicans so it wouldent necessarily be a Democratic state.

reply to post by rickymouse


Do any of you that are opposed to this know how to show such opposition without appearing:

A: Juvenile
B: Ignorant
C: Racist
D: All of the above?

Shame on you, ATS.

Originally posted by marg6043
because this is been going on since the 70s

Far longer than that - it's what nearly got Truman killed in 1950.