Should Puerto Rico be made a state?

[ccharles000]

Poll question: Should Puerto Rico be made a state?

I was thinking today that since they can vote in the primary why not the GE. I am OK with it becoming a state.

[angstlessk]

1. I am not familiar with their politics..

ONLY IF THEY WANNA!!!! PS..HAVE NOT VOTED

[magellan]

4. Agreed, only if they want

I've heard they're fairly well split on it but don't know if that's true.

[elpresidenteAlex]

2. It's up to them

They always want to keep PR in the free, associated state that it is.

[Lost-in-FL]

9. It is not up to them...

it is up to Congress. They can vote for statehood until they are green in the face but only a majority vote in the US Congress can ratify the votes on a PR Referendum.

[cynatnite]

3. Do they want to be a state?

I don't know much about the issue. If they want to, I don't see why not. If they don't...well, can't blame them at this point in our history.

[napi21]

5. I don't think they want that in PR. n/t

[Pab Sungenis]

6. Give them a choice.

Full statehood or full independence. One or the other; it's time to end the second-class status of the territories.

Make a choice. Cake, or death?

[onehandle]

7. Why not? But DC, first. nt

[OmahaBlueDog]

8. DC should be made a state: PR should make up its damn mind

Look -- I'd love to have most of the benefits of citizenship without taxes, but at some point I think they either need to commit to statehood, or split off and run their own affairs.

Personally, I'd like to see "Puerto Rico and the USVI" jointly become state 51, and DC become state 52.

[JANdad]

23. So you think Puerto Ricans pay NO taxes...

I guess I will take up my wifes idea and move back to her home town in Isabella, PR...WHOO HOO, NO TAXES...

[OmahaBlueDog]

32. I apologize. Let me clarify. They pay no FEDERAL income taxes

"Income tax may also be levied by individual U.S. states and are on top of the federal income tax. In addition, some states allow individual cities to impose an additional income tax. However, some state and local taxes are deductible for federal tax purposes. Through this deduction, the federal government effectively subsidizes a portion of an individual's state income tax. Not all states levy an income tax and U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico and Guam pay no federal income tax."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_tax_in_the_United_States

That is not to say that Puerto Ricans do not pay territorial or local taxes.

[Alexander]

10. I think all US territories should have referenda on statehood/independence.

If "Yes" is 50%+1, the territory becomes a state.

If not, the territory becomes its own country.

Done.

[Barack_America]

11. That's up to Puerto Rico. n/t

[JackBeck]

12. If our government can subsidize a Puerto Rican womens sterilization project for 40 years

the least we could do is make them the 51st state as a token of our apology.

Christ, everyone refers to the island as the 6th borough around these parts, anyway, why not just make it official?

[redstateblues]

13. I visited there last year- They like it the way it is

[meow2u3]

28. That's because they're having their cake and eating it, too

They have the benefits of citizenship without the responsibilities of paying US Federal income taxes--why the hell wouldn't they want to change unless they had to?

I got this info straight from a first-generation Puerto Rican who travels frequently to and from her native town.

[TahitiNut]

14. Three times 'statehood' narrowly failed in a referendum.

Puerto Ricans favor their commonwealth status, recognizing the flaws that currently exist and with a mind towards correcting them. It's NOT an optimistic position, though.

[NV Whino]

15. Naw. It'll screw up the flag

I mean, what do you do with 51 stars?

[Mind_your_head]

16. Gosh I HATE math, but 51 isn't a prime number

so perhaps SOMETHING could be worked out re: the flag? :shrug:

The FLAG is the most important consideration, of course *cough* (I know you were being sarcastic too NVW)

-------

Seriously, I didn't vote. Don't know enough/much of anything about the issues.

There are much more important things to address these days, right? Maybe it wouldn't be very prudent for Puerto Rico to become amerika's "51st" state right now anyway? :shrug:

[Throckmorton]

18. No, it is evenly divisible by 3

3 x 17 = 51

[Mind_your_head]

20. Thank you.

I tried a few 'combinations' and couldn't come up with it....but since it wasn't a prime number I knew it was "out there". Something in my rudimentary education 'stuck in my head'.

[NV Whino]

29. Oh thank gawd

someone recognizes :sarcasm:

[TheMightyFavog]

22. Here's a couple of designs the Government has planned for such an eventuality.

[NV Whino]

30. Except for the fact that it makes me dizzy (dizzier?0

I kind of like the circle.

[Warpy]

17. Ask THEM

They've actually turned it down a few times.

[stevedeshazer]

19. They voted no, most recently in 1998

Hell, I'd support secession of my own state.

Long Live Cascadia!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_%28independence_movement%29

[Beregond2]

21. Sure, if they want that, but

they haven't in the past.

[GOPBasher]

24. If they want to, but it's up to them. DC first! n/t

[sniffa]

25. Other: Let them choose

[bean fidhleir]

26. No, they should be made their own country

We should get out of the empire business completely. Or else we should pull off the gloves and take over the entire world completely. But pissing around the way we do, a province here and there, an occupying force over yonder, an "advisor" force somewhere else? That's dishonest as hell and we should stop.

[KG]

27. actually, it's time for the US to let go of 'territories'.

anyway, all american citizens should be allowed to vote in any election. even the incarcerated.

[Canuckistanian]

31. I think Hawai'i should become independent, too

Considering that it was illegally annexed by America in 1898.

[KamaAina]

34. The really illegal part was the overthrow of the monarchy in 1893

yeah, right. A bunch of sugar planters toppled the regime all by themselves. The presence of U.S. Marines in Honolulu Harbor was the merest coincidence. :sarcasm:

Afterwards, Congress, led by mainland sugar interests, refused to annex the "Republic of Hawaii" -- until the Spanish-American War, when all of a sudden we became an important way station to some of the spoils of that war, namely Guam and the Philippines. :eyes:

[Canuckistanian]

37. I agree.

But my point is that the annexation was the ultimate goal of the usurpers - Hawai'ian born Americans eager to profit from the natural resources and low labor costs of Hawai'i.

The overthrow was ANOTHER shameful episode in American history.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[terrya]

35. No. Want another state? Make the District of Columbia a state.

That's LONG overdue.

[YankeyMCC]

36. Seems to me it would be a good idea but as others have said

ask them. I know they've voted on it several times and the status quo seems to be what they want :shrug:

[sentelle]

38. PR is a commonwealth

From my understanding (IANAL) they are entitled to a vote every 5 years to determine whether they want to go down the path toward full statehood, down the path of becoming an independant nation or neither.

During every vote, they have voted to remain a commonwealth. This gives them all the rights of a US citizen, and Puerto Ricans can (if living outside Puerto Rico) vote like any other citizen, no visas, no passports.

However, Puerto Rico is not subject to corporate or Federal Tax. This becomes the Key issue that prevents PR from becoming a state. Many US companies have moved to PR so as to avoid taxation. and you can be sure that they spend a lot of money in the local economy to keep things in the status quo.