Posted on 02/01/2006 5:48:44 AM PST by cll
"Take it to a plebiscite and make two distinct choices - put up or shut up - either statehood or independence."
I couldn't agree more. Please take it up with your Congressman. Pronto! That's what this is about.
Gee. Thanks for your deep thoughts.
"Take it to a plebiscite and make two distinct choices - put up or shut up - either statehood or independence."
Does Puerto Rico produce anything?
Why is the U.S. Hanging on to it if there is no benefit to us?
I'm for letting Taiwan in......
Many Puerto Ricans do hate us.
And you'll have to forgive me if I find neither situation (giving our money to foreign countries or Puerto Rico) to be a comfort.
AHEM, TEXAS WAS AN INDEPENDANT REPUBLIC BEFORE JOINING!
Ping for a later answer. Gotta get back to work.
Oh, I would love a State of Alberta, plus states of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and British Columbia (if it changed its name) while we're at it. It seems to me like we'd get 8 new GOP Senators from Canada's Western Provinces. And yes, the oil sands would be quite a sweetener. : )
"(although, in fairness, a huge chunk of that are Social Security and Medicare payments, and residents of Puerto Rico pay Social Security and Medicare taxes just like everyone else)."
yeah i thought they did something like that
exactly - what i am saying is for a vote to take away that third option. that way they will be forced to either go their own way or become a state
Let me tell our family's youngest, who is a Marine and leaving for Iraq, that they are from a POS, and maybe you would like to tell that to the Marine's face, no? And while you are at it, you can tell that to my husband, wounded twice in combat, and then you can tell his brother who was also wounded in combat and then you can tell their uncle who fought in Korea.
POS, huh?
Please read Post #27.
They pay a Puerto Rican income tax, yet they get welfare and Social Security from the U.S. THEY ARE U.S.CITIZENS. So they need to be a STATE, and pay Federal Income tax like the rest of us poor slobs!
"Does Puerto Rico produce anything?"
yes, loyal Americans who have given their lives for their country, the United Stgates of America. The next time someone in the family goes to the veterans cemetery I will ask that they take a picture.
Must spell check, make that States. Not enough coffee, too much emotion.
"...LESS THAN WE DOLE OUT TO PEOPLE THAT HATE US."
Good point. Where can I find a breakdown of all U.S. world-wide aid handouts (payments).?
Residents of Puerto Rico have never voted for Democrats or Republicans in general elections, and your assumption that they would vote Democrat seems to be based on the fact that (mostly low-income) children and grandchildren of Puerto Ricans in NYC and Chicago vote Democrat for President. But have you noticed that the Irish and Italians and Poles and just about every other ethnicity in NYC and Chicago votes Democrat for President? While Florida Puerto Ricans (who are for the most part recent transplants from the Island) voted for Gore in 2000, they voted for Jeb in 2002 and (according to some polls) for W. in 2004 and seem poised to make the GOP their permanent home, since they are for the most part very culturally conservative and understand the importance of the War on Terror.
BTW, if Puerto Rico were to become a state, it would rank 25th in population and would elect 2 Senators and 6 Representatives. I have no idea who would get elected at first---probably likeable politicians who had previously run under the local party labels---but within a few years I think you'd find that Puerto Rican voters are very similar to those in Louisiana: Very conservative on social issues, more liberal on economic issues, very pro-military (despite calling for the closing of the Vieques bombing range, which was a NIMBY issue, and which only came up after a civilian guard died in a bombing accident) and very protectionist of local industries. Pollster Frank Luntz found that voters in Puerto Rico ranked as very conservative on every social issue that he asked about except the death penalty (where the Catholic tradition leads most people to oppose it, although not as much as they used to). If I had to guess, I would say that 20 years after Puerto Rico is admitted as a state it will have 1 Republican and 1 Democrat Senator and 3 Republican and 3 Democrat Representatives.
I fully support a vote for (1)Statehood or (2) Independence.
Sure, they're a little uptight and dull, but the same can be said of certain states in this country that shall remain nameless...
This is a false premise.
Puerto Rico has three choices: Petition for statehood, or petition for independence, or remain a Commonwealth. The first two require initiative action by Puerto Rico and approval by the United States. The third requires no action.
Neither statehood nor independence is a unilateral option. Both Puerto Rico and the United States must approve it.
In the case of statehood, Puerto Rico must convince the United States that it is advantageous to the United States to admit another state. So far I have seen no effort to do so.
In the case of independence, Puerto Rico must convince the United States that Puerto Rico is ready to stand on its own in the world community of sovereign states. So far I have seen no effort to do so.
What I have seen to date is only a lot of verbiage saying how good statehood would be for Puerto Rico. And that just doesn't cut it.
Neither statehood nor independence is a right. It must be earned.
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