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Puerto Rican Statehood

Tony

Penultimate Amazing
Tony
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Mar 5, 2003
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http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwas...23.htm?source=rss&channel=krwashington_nation

WASHINGTON - For the first time in nearly a decade, the House of Representatives seems likely to pass a bill that would put Puerto Rico on a path to statehood or independence.

The latest of many efforts to settle the 4 million islanders' ambiguous relationship with the United States comes as Congress struggles with an immigration overhaul to deal with 12 million illegal migrants, most of them Hispanics.

Sponsored by Reps. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y., and Luis Fortuno, R-Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2007 faces tough scrutiny in the Senate. But its backers have President Bush's support and are optimistic that they can prevail, possibly securing a House floor vote as soon as next month.

"There's a good chance," said Fortuno, a statehood supporter and nonvoting member of Congress who's preparing a run at the governorship of Puerto Rico next year. "I've been talking to the leadership of both sides, and I truly believe that it is very doable."

The initiative, based on a White House task-force report on Puerto Rico's status issued in late 2005, establishes a two-stage plebiscite process. Islanders first would choose between maintaining their current status - officially a U.S. territory but broadly known as a commonwealth - or opting for a different and permanent arrangement.

If they choose the current status, Puerto Ricans would be asked to repeat the process every eight years until a definitive result is reached.

If they want a permanent deal - the most likely outcome, according to observers - they'd vote again between statehood and some form of independence, which could be full sovereignty or a middle-of-the-road option known as "free association."
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This could get interesting...
 
Eh, that last line sorta captures the essence of the problem though - what state would not like to be able to veto any federal law they did not like?

So nobody's gonna go for that.

And I definitely recall back in the '70's, Puerto Rican terrorists wanting independence. FALN? or something like that. They all love us now?
 
Kopji said:
And I definitely recall back in the '70's, Puerto Rican terrorists wanting independence. FALN? or something like that. They all love us now?
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I don't know if they all love us, but not that many Puerto Ricans seem to want independence. If I recall correctly, the last vote was in 1998 and all three options were on the ballot (independence, statehood, or remaining a commonwealth), and the vote was split pretty evenly between statehood and commonwealth (commonwealth won), with very very little support for independence.
 
The Puerto Ricans I know don't want statehood or independence-- apparently there's a tax advantage to things staying as they are.
 
TragicMonkey said:
The Puerto Ricans I know don't want statehood or independence-- apparently there's a tax advantage to things staying as they are.
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That was my impression too. Seems they like having US protection, while maintaining a higher degree of autonomy than states.
 
As a Puerto Rican and president of both Amalgamated American Flag Works, Incorporated and Little Fabric Star, Corp. I support statehood.
 
Democrats want it, and DC, to be states because it gives them 1 more Congressman and 2 more Senators. If they were Republican, the desires would be reversed.

Let me ask this: Do Puerto Ricans pay income tax? If so, I'd say go for it.

If not, I'd say don't let the power hungry Democrats rape your income just so they can get a handful of extra votes in Congress.

Sad, sickening, and disgusting.
 
TragicMonkey said:
The Puerto Ricans I know don't want statehood or independence-- apparently there's a tax advantage to things staying as they are.
Click to expand...

I understand most of Puerto Ricans in that country (?) receive food stamps.
 
TragicMonkey said:
The Puerto Ricans I know don't want statehood or independence-- apparently there's a tax advantage to things staying as they are.
Click to expand...

You're exactly right. I was just down in Puerto Rico a few months ago visiting a friend and I actually asked her about this. She felt that a majority of Puerto Rico does not want independence because they understand they could not survive on their own. But at the same time do not want statehood for tax reasons. I think they do not have to pay any federal taxes. I could be wrong, but their is a definite tax benefit for not becoming a state.
 
I'm in favor statehood or independence, right away. The current arrangement is inappropriate.
 
Which do you guys think would benefit Puerto Rico in the long run; statehood or independence?

If they became a state would they receive a lot more federal $$$ then they do now?
 
Puerto Rico should be a state. DC should have representation, as should the Pacific territories. (maybe they should be a state, maybe they should be annexed into Hawaii.)

Also, Alberta. They should be a state, too. Anyone else? Chihuahua? Panama? Taiwan? Kerry?

I say we have an open enrollment period.
 
Tony said:
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwas...23.htm?source=rss&channel=krwashington_nation



This could get interesting...
Click to expand...
I encourage all Puerto Ricans to vote for independence, after which point Puerto Rico should invade Cuba, annex it, and then apply for statehood.

The CIA will probably help with the war, and the American sugar industry, after the war, will fast track the statehood.

And I, for the cost of maybe a few hundred thousand people killed in a war, will finally be able to get a nice Cuban cigar that also has a "Made in America" tag on it.

Hell yes.

DR
 
Beerina said:
Democrats want it, and DC, to be states because it gives them 1 more Congressman and 2 more Senators. If they were Republican, the desires would be reversed.

Let me ask this: Do Puerto Ricans pay income tax? If so, I'd say go for it.

If not, I'd say don't let the power hungry Democrats rape your income just so they can get a handful of extra votes in Congress.

Sad, sickening, and disgusting.
Click to expand...
In case you hadn't noticed, Luis Fortuno, the non-voting representative from Puerto Rico who's co-sponsoring the bill, is a Republican.

From the OP: "Sponsored by Reps. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y., and Luis Fortuno, R-Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2007 faces tough scrutiny in the Senate."

In case you hadn't noticed, the bill has the support of the Bush administration.

From the OP: "But its backers have President Bush's support and are optimistic that they can prevail, possibly securing a House floor vote as soon as next month."

In case you hadn't noticed, the initiative came from the White House.

From the OP: "The initiative, based on a White House task-force report on Puerto Rico's status issued in late 2005, establishes a two-stage plebiscite process."

Not that you ever let facts get in the way of your hysterical ravings, but I thought I'd point it out.

Oh, and the comparison of taxation to rape? That has all the class of a drunken hobo in a gutter.
 
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