Puerto Rico to become 51st state?
Puerto Rico to become 51st state?
Originally Posted by BNO News
U.S. House passes HR2499 - Puerto Rico Democracy Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) – The U.S. House voted Thursday to allow Puerto Ricans to decide their own political future and relationship with the United States.
The bill will bring America’s promise of self-determination to the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico for the first time in 112 years, as their ultimate status has been a long-running unresolved issue, which has consistently been a complicating factor in determining many federal policies for the island.
“For the 112 years since Puerto Rico joined the United States as a territory, the question of our ultimate political status with our country has been a lingering question,” Luis Fortuno, Governor of Puerto Rico, said before the vote. “The Puerto Rico Democracy Act would ask the people of Puerto Rico what they want the territory’s political status to be through a fair, neutral and democratic process sponsored by Congress.”
As an unincorporated territory, the four million U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico cannot vote for President, have no representation in the U.S. Senate and are represented in the U.S. House by one non-voting Resident Commissioner, Fortuno noted.
H.R. 2499 will conduct a survey in which voters will be able to articulate if they wish to maintain or change the island’s current political status. If a majority of voters want a change, a further survey would be held to ask their preference among the other three constitutionally valid options: independence, national sovereignty in association with the United States, and statehood.
“A core premise of the bill is that Congress will be better able to decide what action, if any, is appropriate on the issue once it knows if Puerto Ricans want the current status, or one of the possible alternatives. I am hopeful that the U.S. House will approve this legislation and help bring true self-determination to the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico,” Fortuno added.
Puerto Rico has been a U.S. territory for 112 years, and its residents have been U.S. citizens since 1917. With nearly 4 million residents in population, Puerto Rico is larger than Oregon and slightly smaller than Kentucky.
What is your opinion on this? Honestly, if I were a voter in PR, I would vote for statehood.
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From: Western Massachusetts
I thought there was 57 states already?
I believe that they've had the opportuinty to become a state in the past and have decided against it. I beleive what this vote does is change the question that is asked.
I would think that they would vote for independence. The US is a horrible country after all.
That'll be great if they become a state. Then there will be more pandering from politicians who would like to spend a lifetime on the publics payroll.
I believe that they've had the opportuinty to become a state in the past and have decided against it. I beleive what this vote does is change the question that is asked.
I would think that they would vote for independence. The US is a horrible country after all.
That'll be great if they become a state. Then there will be more pandering from politicians who would like to spend a lifetime on the publics payroll.
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Posts: 199
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From: Colorado Springs, CO
I thought there was 57 states already?
I believe that they've had the opportuinty to become a state in the past and have decided against it. I beleive what this vote does is change the question that is asked. That's true.
I would think that they would vote for independence. The US is a horrible country after all. I know you're joking. They want the US's welfare system. It's a shorter boat trip for illegals to get to PR than the US.
That'll be great if they become a state. Then there will be more pandering from politicians who would like to spend a lifetime on the publics payroll.
I believe that they've had the opportuinty to become a state in the past and have decided against it. I beleive what this vote does is change the question that is asked. That's true.
I would think that they would vote for independence. The US is a horrible country after all. I know you're joking. They want the US's welfare system. It's a shorter boat trip for illegals to get to PR than the US.
That'll be great if they become a state. Then there will be more pandering from politicians who would like to spend a lifetime on the publics payroll.
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From: Metro Detroit
Wish I could take credit for this, but I found this excerpt from another forum. It raises some good points on this issue, especially the underlined points.
Please consider this:
* The U.S. would transform, overnight, into a bilingual nation. At least half of Puerto Ricans do not speak English, the language of our U.S. Constitution and founding documents. The Washington Times article, “Puerto Rican statehood,” analyzes all the implications of adding a foreign language-speaking state to the Union.
* It would bring immediate demands for massive federal spending. The average income of Puerto Ricans is less than half that of our poorest state, and infrastructure and the environment are far below American standards. Puerto Rico has a population with a median national income of $17,741, nearly a third of that for the U.S.
* Puerto Rico is already a democracy. Despite the bill’s deceptive title, Puerto Rico already has an elected government and exists as a self-governed commonwealth of the U.S.
* Statehood would give Puerto Rico more congressional representation than 25 of our 50 states! It would inevitably give Democrats two additional U.S. Senators and 6 to 8 additional Members of the House.
H.R. 2499 is stealth legislation designed to lead to the admission of Spanish-speaking Puerto Rico as the 51st state, thereby making us a de facto bilingual nation, like Canada. The U.S. Congress should not be forcing Puerto Ricans to vote on statehood, especially since the Puerto Rican people have rejected statehood three times since 1991!
No Member of Congress who describes himself as a limited government, fiscal conservative should be casting a YEA vote for H.R. 2499, as Puerto Rican statehood would cause an immediate increase in federal expenditures, particularly for taxpayer-funded welfare state services.
Sponsored by Puerto Rican delegate Pedro Pierluisi (D), the Puerto Rico Democracy Act (H.R. 2499) – which has reared its ugly head a number of times over the past few congresses but has yet to have any success – would require Puerto Ricans to hold a national referendum to decide if they want Puerto Rico to remain a self-governing U.S. commonwealth, or become the 51st state.
The referendum would be set up as two plebiscites which would effectively deceive Puerto Ricans into voting for statehood. In the first round of votes, the Puerto Rican people would be given the choice between remaining a U.S. territory and “pursuing a different political status.” If the majority votes to maintain the status quo, this bill would require that Puerto Rico vote on this same issue every eight years.
If the majority votes for “different status,” a second round of votes would be held where Puerto Ricans would choose either statehood or independence-the status quo of “U.S. territory” would not even be an option! In other words, the two ballots would be rigged to favor the outcome of statehood, overriding the wishes of Americans and Puerto Ricans who want to maintain the current commonwealth status.
Please consider this:
* The U.S. would transform, overnight, into a bilingual nation. At least half of Puerto Ricans do not speak English, the language of our U.S. Constitution and founding documents. The Washington Times article, “Puerto Rican statehood,” analyzes all the implications of adding a foreign language-speaking state to the Union.
* It would bring immediate demands for massive federal spending. The average income of Puerto Ricans is less than half that of our poorest state, and infrastructure and the environment are far below American standards. Puerto Rico has a population with a median national income of $17,741, nearly a third of that for the U.S.
* Puerto Rico is already a democracy. Despite the bill’s deceptive title, Puerto Rico already has an elected government and exists as a self-governed commonwealth of the U.S.
* Statehood would give Puerto Rico more congressional representation than 25 of our 50 states! It would inevitably give Democrats two additional U.S. Senators and 6 to 8 additional Members of the House.
H.R. 2499 is stealth legislation designed to lead to the admission of Spanish-speaking Puerto Rico as the 51st state, thereby making us a de facto bilingual nation, like Canada. The U.S. Congress should not be forcing Puerto Ricans to vote on statehood, especially since the Puerto Rican people have rejected statehood three times since 1991!
No Member of Congress who describes himself as a limited government, fiscal conservative should be casting a YEA vote for H.R. 2499, as Puerto Rican statehood would cause an immediate increase in federal expenditures, particularly for taxpayer-funded welfare state services.
Sponsored by Puerto Rican delegate Pedro Pierluisi (D), the Puerto Rico Democracy Act (H.R. 2499) – which has reared its ugly head a number of times over the past few congresses but has yet to have any success – would require Puerto Ricans to hold a national referendum to decide if they want Puerto Rico to remain a self-governing U.S. commonwealth, or become the 51st state.
The referendum would be set up as two plebiscites which would effectively deceive Puerto Ricans into voting for statehood. In the first round of votes, the Puerto Rican people would be given the choice between remaining a U.S. territory and “pursuing a different political status.” If the majority votes to maintain the status quo, this bill would require that Puerto Rico vote on this same issue every eight years.
If the majority votes for “different status,” a second round of votes would be held where Puerto Ricans would choose either statehood or independence-the status quo of “U.S. territory” would not even be an option! In other words, the two ballots would be rigged to favor the outcome of statehood, overriding the wishes of Americans and Puerto Ricans who want to maintain the current commonwealth status.
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From: Texas
Obama will stop at nothing just to reach his "57 states" comment.
Last edited by screwyou; Apr 30, 2010 at 06:51 PM.
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