Thanks for that.
Did you know that the PR statehood movement is going for the Tennessee Plan to petition for statehood?
I had to look that up to refresh my memory. I have to preface my position by saying that I'm not 100% sold on statehood, only that independence (after 108 years in the Union), as the other poster suggested, is ludicrous. There are some tricky issues that would have to be resolved and addressed, the per capita income being one, as PR would instantly become our poorest state, another would be figuring out the language issue (some believe that is the biggest impediment - as we might end up with a smaller-scale version of Quebec), as PR would have to have some unique set-asides that other states would not want applied to them (of course, New Mexico must've had similar problems, as about the time of statehood, or slightly earlier, the Spanish-speakers and Hispanic officeholders outnumbered the Anglos).
Another is gathering a supermajority consensus on statehood itself. I don't think the residents should be forced into an either/or choice of statehood or independence, and should continue to have the option of continuing under Commonwealth status. I wouldn't think until (with all 3 choices on a referendum) it reached 2/3rds to 3/4ths support for statehood, that it should go forward.