Puerto Rico election

[genrex]

On presidential election day in the U.S. this year -- November 6th -- there will be a vote by Puerto Ricans to decide whether they continue as a U.S. territory/ commonwealth, or whether they become the 51st state of the U.S., or even perhaps become an independent country.

Puerto Ricans have had their present status continuously for the last 60 years, and this is the 4th time they have voted on this issue. As of today, support for continuing as a U.S. territory is equal to support for becoming the 51st state. There is very little support (about 3%) for becoming an independent country.

It would be very interesting if Puerto Rico becomes the 51st state. They are already U.S. citizens, and their standard of living is very good (about the same as most states). They have a strong manufacturing, agricultural, and tourist economy. Puerto Rico would be the third-smallest state; Delaware and Rhode Island are both smaller. Perhaps the only significant difference in the Puerto Rican lifestyle is that Spanish is the predominant language.

Most Americans are unaware of the upcoming vote in Puerto Rico, and unaware that we could have a 51st state pretty soon.

_

[Hugh R]

IIRC income taxes there are very high, equivalent to state and US Federal income taxes combined. From what I have read, they wouldn't be a burden to the USA any more than they are now, not that they are a burden now.

[azasadny]

Interesting...

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Used to work with a girl from PR. She would always say "in my country blah blah blah"... I would ask her "the USA is your country, WTF are you talking about?" We would always go back and forth until I hit her with a comment about her passport.

I have to believe she is not the only Puerto Rican who feels that way...

[HardDrive]

WTF are we going to do about the stars on the flag? Is there some way of factoring 51 that I'm not aware of?

[Bill Douglas]

Can just anyone become the 51st state? I was thinking maybe Lyall Bay should apply. We have good food, some surf, the list goes on.

[genrex]

You guys would be the state of bliss.

HD, good point about the flag issue...

[DARISC]

[QUOTE=BlueSkyJaunte;6856407]Used to work with a girl from PR. She would always say "in my country blah blah blah"... I would ask her "the USA is your country, WTF are you talking about?" We would always go back and forth until I hit her with a comment about her passport.

I have to believe she is not the only Puerto Rican who feels that way...[/QUOTE

OMG! She referred to Puerto Rico as her "country"' not her "commonwealth"?

So you'd "hit her with a comment about her passport"? What kind of comment? One of a threatening nature?

I have to believe that you're not the only ignorant American who doesn't know WTF the story is, re Puerto Rico, et al.

You do not need a passport to travel between the Mainland United States and Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is part of the United States. If residents of Puerto Rico want to travel outside the US then the same rules apply as any other US citizen, and they get a US passport.

This is also the same situation that applies to the US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Soma, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

[BeyGon]

I have been to Puerto Rico a few times and always thought it was one of our big welfare drains. I would like to see them do it but they won't go it alone because they want the money from the US, I don't think they should be a state. They cost enough as it is.

"Statehood for Puerto Rico - Why it is a bad idea.": "Puerto Rican Statehood and the Budget Deficit. The unemployed in Puerto Rico will at least have higher welfare benefits to fall back on if statehood is granted, meaning more money lost to the U.S. treasury. Even with the gain to the U.S. Treasury of taxes now not being paid by Section 936 companies, the CBO put the cost of Puerto Rican statehood as $9.4 billion in the first four years. These costs do not include matters like government and court translation expenses should Puerto Rico declare itself to be a solely Spanish-speaking land. Nor does it include the costs to the U.S. Treasury of as many as seven representatives and two Senators whose continuance in office will depend on their pleasing an impoverished constituency. Legislation to increase federal spending on social programs of all sorts need not fail narrowly in either house of the U.S. Congress if Puerto Rico's delegation (twice the size of West Virginia's) enters the equation. Clearly neither the United States nor Puerto Rico can afford Puerto Rican statehood."


Carlos Romero-Barcelo, Statehood is for the Poor, page 79: "If it were a state, Puerto Rico would be absolutely assured of enormous amounts of federal money--money the island needs in order to come to grips with its many problems. But without statehood, such large quantities of money are going to be increasingly hard to come by."

[genrex]

Thanks, Dean. I've never been to Puerto Rico, and I've never known any Puerto Ricans. I looked at the Puerto Rican GDP of $25,000 per capita, and I assumed that means there's a lot of middle-class households in Puerto Rico. I can see how such statistics can be misleading, and can disguise the income disparity there, and the vast numbers of poor people.

_

[944Larry]

Originally Posted by BeyGon

I have been to Puerto Rico a few times and always thought it was one of our big welfare drains. I would like to see them do it but they won't go it alone because they want the money from the US, I don't think they should be a state. They cost enough as it is.

"Statehood for Puerto Rico - Why it is a bad idea.": "Puerto Rican Statehood and the Budget Deficit. The unemployed in Puerto Rico will at least have higher welfare benefits to fall back on if statehood is granted, meaning more money lost to the U.S. treasury. Even with the gain to the U.S. Treasury of taxes now not being paid by Section 936 companies, the CBO put the cost of Puerto Rican statehood as $9.4 billion in the first four years. These costs do not include matters like government and court translation expenses should Puerto Rico declare itself to be a solely Spanish-speaking land. Nor does it include the costs to the U.S. Treasury of as many as seven representatives and two Senators whose continuance in office will depend on their pleasing an impoverished constituency. Legislation to increase federal spending on social programs of all sorts need not fail narrowly in either house of the U.S. Congress if Puerto Rico's delegation (twice the size of West Virginia's) enters the equation. Clearly neither the United States nor Puerto Rico can afford Puerto Rican statehood."


Carlos Romero-Barcelo, Statehood is for the Poor, page 79: "If it were a state, Puerto Rico would be absolutely assured of enormous amounts of federal money--money the island needs in order to come to grips with its many problems. But without statehood, such large quantities of money are going to be increasingly hard to come by."

Dean speaks the truth. But, in all fairness, they really know how to party there!!!!!!!!!!!

[stomachmonkey]

[QUOTE=DARISC;6856961]

Originally Posted by BlueSkyJaunte

...until I hit her with a comment about her passport.

I have to believe she is not the only Puerto Rican who feels that way...[/QUOTE

......If residents of Puerto Rico want to travel outside the US then the same rules apply as any other US citizen, and they get a US passport.

I think that was the point of his question, your country is Puerto Rico but what passport do you travel on? US.

[nynor]

i say, bring them on board. YMMV.

[Mothy]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

Can just anyone become the 51st state? I was thinking maybe Lyall Bay should apply. We have good food, some surf, the list goes on.

Bill

Australia already has first dibs on New Zealand - It's already catered for in our constitution

Tim

[dtw]

WTF are we going to do about the stars on the flag? Is there some way of factoring 51 that I'm not aware of?

17 rows of 3. No problem.

Dari you're a head case.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

DARISC, lay off the crack pipe, will ya?

This whole frothing at the mouth thing is getting to be a bit much.

[porsche4life]

i say, bring them on board. YMMV.

Exactly..... Why not?

[96conv]

PR chicks are hot!

[red-beard]

51 state flag

[DARISC]

China is already tooled up and muy, MUY excited about the huge money they'll make producing our new flag.

I hope they will be higher quality than all their POS flag pins our patriotic citizens snapped up in liquor stores, Walmart, et al, after 9/11.