This is a hot tpoic in Puerto Rico.

Well, it primarily needs to be lueft up to the Puerto Rican people, but if they were to vote for statheood with a considerable majority I would support them. If they were to vote for independence I would support their decision as well.

If it were left entirely up to me, I would lean towards statheood becuae I think it would improve living conditions there. My best friend lived there for a year when he was in middle school and said that his school was derelict. That was about ten years ago so I don't really know how or if the conditions there have improved.

But really it is up to the people of Puerto Rico.

Depends really..

I dare say that the quality of life would be improved if they joined the Union.
I'm also of the opinion that the local culture could be detrimentally affected.

Just look at Hawaii.

This may sound strange and all, but I'd like to see Puerto Rico granted statheood, if for no other reason that I'd like to see another state admitted to the union during my lifetime, and I think it would be kind of neat to actually see how the process works.

I would say statheood, but is it right to invite somebody to board a sinking ship?
::)

This may sound strange and all, but I'd like to see Puerto Rico granted statheood, if for no other reason that I'd like to see another state admitted to the union during my lifetime, and I think it would be kind of neat to actually see how the process works.


Lot's of congressional voting I would imagine.. C-SPAN would be in orgasmic rapture.

I would say statheood, but is it right to invite somebody to board a sinking ship?
::)
What country isn't a sinking ship these days?  ???

What country isn't a sinking ship these days?  ???

Uh...Iceland?
???

I said statheood. Having spent the last 3 weeks there, I have seen a lot of support for statheood. American flags everywhere, etc. I think the Puerto Ricans will benefit more if they became a state-for one thing, they will have repersentation in Washington, and also the Federal help that other states do.



Cat

I think it should be left with the people of Puerto Rico, as it has been for the last several decades.

PR is in a unique situation.  Like with Guam, they have the right to become an independent nation, Become a US State, or continue as they are.  At the moment, they get some good perks.

For example, they are entitled to have their own Olympic Team.  This is something that would cease if they became a State.

Myself, I hope they do become a State.  I would welcome the addition of yet another culture to our nation, and I think it would help bring us closer together.  The same with Guam.

Because of their status, I never understood groups like FALN, NMIP, SPF, and other Terrorist groups that tried to gain "Independence" for Puerto Rico.  They have had that option for decades, but the majority of people there did not want it.

And welcome back to both you and Cat.  Last December I lost a good friend who was from Puerto Rico.  He and his fiancee went there before he deployed to Iraq, and were planning on getting married when he returned.  I saw a lot of pictures of that trip, and always wanted to go there to do some scuba diving.  Hopefully someday I will be able to make it there.

It's really the decision of the Puerto Ricans, most Puerto Rican-Americans I know really think it would be detrimental, or are pretty ambivalent about it. They value their independence highly.

Up to them, but I said independent.  But only if they had a democratic government system.

I would like a 51st State though.

Up to them, but I said independent.  But only if they had a democratic government system.

I would like a 51st State though.


I think they're a bit too separate to be a state, language-wise...they get lots of perks now with what they have.

I can remember when Alaska and Hawaii were admitted into the Union.  I was young, there must have been a to do about it since I can
remember it plainly.  I wonder more about a place like the US Virgin Islands.  Just what is their place in the scheme of things.  ???

I can remember when Alaska and Hawaii were admitted into the Union.  I was young, there must have been a to do about it since I can remember it plainly.  I wonder more about a place like the US Virgin Islands.  Just what is their place in the scheme of things.   ???


Alaska was admitted in January 1959.  I grew up hearing about it because my father was living there at the time.  In fact, he was returning to Anchorage with a moose carcass loaded on a ski sled when the fireworks started going off over the city.  Hawaii was admitted in August of that year.

The US Virgin Islands share the same status as Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands..  They can join the Union, become independent, or remain as they are.  And since 1970, every vote on the matter has overwhelmingly been "Stay as a Territory".

All 4 of these Terriroties are "Incorporated US Territories".  This means they have the full rights of US Citizenship, and are self-determining.  This was the same status that Cuba and Philippines had.  And both of those choose to become independent.

Then there is the status of American Samoa.  It is an "Unincorporated Territory", which has even more self-determination.  It has it's own constitution, and as long as it follows the US Constitution (Bill Of RIghts, laws, etc), it is on it's own.

The third status is "Associated State".  This includes Micronesia, Palau, and the Marshall Islands.  These are basically independent nations, that have chosen to retain loose ties with the US, largely for self-defense and funding purposes.  They can end this agreement at any time.

Like others, I believe the people of Puerto Rico should have a say in what happens down the road. If they overwhelmingly vote for statheood or independence, so be it.

There hasn't been a plebisite in some time now in P.R. which is an Estado Libre Associado or free associated nation (the word estado can be translared as either state or nation).  The Indepentistas typically win 5-8% of votes for ledgislature and governor.  The other two, statheood and status quo split the rest, and both parties have controlled the gov't. 

Puerto Ricans have no vote in Congress, but have an observer who, of course, can lobby.  Nor do they vote for Pres.  They do get all the Fed programs that we do (food stamps, medicare/caid, etc, and can be drafted should we go back to that.  They pay no fed income taxes unless they have state-side income, but do pay excise taxes, like on booze, which goes to the island gov't, so therewould be very little, if any financhial benefit to statheood, and would have much to loose if they became independent.

On the other hand, many PR's feel like a colony and resent it.   

The culture issue is certainly important, but PR culture has already become "gringo-ized" to a large extent. 

Many PR's believe that the current administration wants them to become independent, which is why the FBI killed (rather than capture) a leader of Los Machertero, a terrorist (or revolutionary) group, and recently conducted warrentless and brutal searches of indepentista homes, hoping to flame anti-americanism.

I agree that it should be up to the PR's themselves, but it is really up to Congress no matter what they say, and there is room to belive that Congress would say no to statheood.

There hasn't been a plebisite in some time now in P.R. which is an Estado Libre Associado or free associated nation (the word estado can be translared as either state or nation).  The Indepentistas typically win 5-8% of votes for ledgislature and governor.  The other two, statheood and status quo split the rest, and both parties have controlled the gov't. 

Puerto Ricans have no vote in Congress, but have an observer who, of course, can lobby.  Nor do they vote for Pres.  They do get all the Fed programs that we do (food stamps, medicare/caid, etc, and can be drafted should we go back to that.  They pay no fed income taxes unless they have state-side income, but do pay excise taxes, like on booze, which goes to the island gov't, so therewould be very little, if any financhial benefit to statheood, and would have much to loose if they became independent.

On the other hand, many PR's feel like a colony and resent it.   

The culture issue is certainly important, but PR culture has already become "gringo-ized" to a large extent. 

Many PR's believe that the current administration wants them to become independent, which is why the FBI killed (rather than capture) a leader of Los Machertero, a terrorist (or revolutionary) group, and recently conducted warrentless and brutal searches of indepentista homes, hoping to flame anti-americanism.

I agree that it should be up to the PR's themselves, but it is really up to Congress no matter what they say, and there is room to belive that Congress would say no to statheood.


Yes, PR should have a say.  But I find it highly unlikely they'll vote for statheood or independence anytime soon.  There's a lot to gain from being a territory of the US, and why would they ruin that?

Here is the latest.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060303/pl_nm/puertorico_politics_dc



Cat

They have a good thing going, I don't see why they'd want to become a state or go independent.