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Puerto Rico wants to become the 51st state of the US
BBC News ^ | The Day After | 7 November 2012

Posted on 11/07/2012 6:39:20 PM PST by MinorityRepublican

Voters in Puerto Rico have supported a non-binding referendum to become a full US state.

The measure will require approval from the US Congress, but President Barack Obama has said he will respect the vote.

The island is currently a US territory, which uses the dollar and whose citizens travel on US passports.

But it does not return senators to the US Congress and is represented in Washington by a non-voting delegate.

Almost 80% of the island's electorate took part in the referendum, the fourth in the past 45 years.

With almost all the votes counted, almost 54% voted to change the island's relationship with the US.

And in reply to a second question on what future they favoured, nearly two-thirds wanted full statehood.

If Congress grants its approval, Puerto Ricans would have the right to vote in all US elections, but would also have to pay federal taxes, something at present they are excused from.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: puertorico
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1 posted on 11/07/2012 6:39:26 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

Great! Then we’ll just need six more!!


2 posted on 11/07/2012 6:42:13 PM PST by TXBlair (What the crap is wrong with you, America???)
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Comment #3 Removed by Moderator

To: MinorityRepublican
2 more Rat Senators and another 1 million Rat votes, and 3 million more on the dole, what could go wrong?
4 posted on 11/07/2012 6:44:40 PM PST by DAC21
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To: MinorityRepublican

Why? They have all the benefits of citizenship but do not have to pay the income tax.


5 posted on 11/07/2012 6:44:57 PM PST by SeeSharp
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To: TXBlair
Puerto Ricans pay U.S. taxes, not in Obama's America.

They will trade voting for dimocRATS for taxes.

6 posted on 11/07/2012 6:45:53 PM PST by zerosix (Native sunflower)
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To: zerosix

Who care what THEY want, don’t we here in the lower 48, Alaska and Hawaii get to say about this? I vote NO.


7 posted on 11/07/2012 6:47:22 PM PST by celtic gal
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To: MinorityRepublican

At least you spelled “Puerto” right.


8 posted on 11/07/2012 6:49:20 PM PST by BunnySlippers (I LOVE BULL MARKETS . . .)
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To: CaptainKrunch

Puerto Rico has a Republican gov. The one thing I dislike about FR is the constant bashing of Hispanics. There are many of us who are Conservatives, and many more who have served this country honorably in the military.


9 posted on 11/07/2012 6:49:54 PM PST by sean327 (God created all men equal, then some become Marines!)
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To: MinorityRepublican

NO.


10 posted on 11/07/2012 6:50:14 PM PST by BunnySlippers (I LOVE BULL MARKETS . . .)
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To: celtic gal

Obama won. Elections have consequences.


11 posted on 11/07/2012 6:52:30 PM PST by ari-freedom (Election Day should be after Thanksgiving, not right after Halloween)
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To: celtic gal

They just voted out a Governor in Luis Fortuno who completely turned around their economy. He did a Scott Walker and then some, has almost eliminated a $3.3 billion deficit, unbelievable economic growth and investment, bond rating up from junk status. Opponent portryed him as a greedy, out of touch, rich, businessman and beat him. Sound familiar? Pass on statehood.


12 posted on 11/07/2012 6:53:14 PM PST by cumbo78
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To: celtic gal
Who care what THEY want, don’t we here in the lower 48, Alaska and Hawaii get to say about this? I vote NO.

Write your Congressman. He'll have a vote on the matter; you won't.

13 posted on 11/07/2012 6:54:22 PM PST by okie01 (THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA; Ignorance on parade.)
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To: CaptainKrunch

Can we make Israel a state?.... with 120 electoral votes?


14 posted on 11/07/2012 6:54:39 PM PST by Viennacon
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To: sean327

HAD. HAD a Republican governor. He lost yesterday. People are stupid now.


15 posted on 11/07/2012 6:55:04 PM PST by Clock King
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To: MinorityRepublican
Taxation without representation is tyranny!

......Oh, wait,....

16 posted on 11/07/2012 6:55:24 PM PST by Navy Patriot (Join the Democrats, it's not Fascism when WE do it, and the Constitution and law mean what WE say.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

It’s not about votes.. It’s about 0bama getting the excuse he needs to CHANGE OUR FLAG. I’m thinking the color ‘yellow’ is top on his list. Bye bye old glory. Phase II of the grand Socialist transformation. Will probably have his ‘O’ or his picture on it, too.


17 posted on 11/07/2012 6:55:58 PM PST by Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America
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To: TXBlair

Great! As a state, their people will pay federal income tax.

That will fix them!


18 posted on 11/07/2012 6:57:39 PM PST by donmeaker (Blunderbuss: A short weapon, ... now superceded in civilized countries by more advanced weaponry.)
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To: MinorityRepublican
The people who want this keep having these votes every few years. I guess they won't stop until the Puerto Ricans give them the answer they want.

I think statehood is a bad idea. It certainly isn't something to be rushed into on the basis of a slight majority in a nonbinding resolution. The Puerto Ricans are products of a different cultural tradition--Spanish-speaking and Catholic. The colonies which later formed the United States were English-speaking and 99% Protestant (seeing Spain as the enemy and generally holding anti-Catholic attitudes). A lot of Puerto Ricans may have moved to the mainland, but few if any non-Hispanic Americans have gone to Puerto Rico to live.

Statehood is irrevocable, or at least the outcome of the War between the States seems to have established that. What if PR became a state and twenty years later everyone thought independence was better? If they were allowed to leave, 600,000 lives were wasted to establish the principle that secession is not allowed.

That's in addition to a Puerto Rican state being a guaranteed two Democrat senators and five Democrat congressmen--and 7 electoral votes for the Democrat nominee for President.

As for the flag, we could either keep it at 50 stars and require Vermont to become a province of Canada, or add a star. 51 is 3 times 17--so could have a set of three rows of stars 8 across and a set of stars 9 across, alternating rows--might not look too bad. I remember when Hawaii became a state and my father thought there would be a problem with a 5 by 10 arrangement. They worked out something different.

19 posted on 11/07/2012 6:58:49 PM PST by Verginius Rufus
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To: Viennacon

More socialists? Is that what we want?


20 posted on 11/07/2012 6:59:10 PM PST by donmeaker (Blunderbuss: A short weapon, ... now superceded in civilized countries by more advanced weaponry.)
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