Puerto Rico votes to become The 51st State of America

I think Fred is just being realistic.

I seriously doubt this Congress will admit a new state to the union. There's questions surrounding the referendum, there's a pretty deep divide among the houses, and there's already a long to-do list of things that need addressed (e.g., the fiscal cliff, immigration reform, the federal budget, etc.). You also have, as Fred pointed out, the fiscal and economic issues concerning Puerto Rico itself.

It's not about the Latino vote. Congress is not going to admit a new state if it'll be a burden to existing states (which is where they're elected from), as a whole. Statehood is definitely far from certain at this point.
 
Jason said:
I think Fred is just being realistic.

I seriously doubt this Congress will admit a new state to the union. There's questions surrounding the referendum, there's a pretty deep divide among the houses, and there's already a long to-do list of things that need addressed (e.g., the fiscal cliff, immigration reform, the federal budget, etc.). You also have, as Fred pointed out, the fiscal and economic issues concerning Puerto Rico itself.

It's not about the Latino vote. Congress is not going to admit a new state if it'll be a burden to existing states (which is where they're elected from), as a whole. Statehood is definitely far from certain at this point.
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As a territory it is already a burden....
  • Welfare (cash benefits)
  • food stamps
  • USDA Food
  • Medicare
  • Assistant Housing

^ That's not even the short list (there is so much more)

These are some of the things The People of Puerto Rico already get without paying federal income tax or voting for a President. So technically, it is more of a burden now then it would be as a state.
 
Jason said:
There's questions surrounding the referendum
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No questions about the referendum taken in Puerto Rico. It was clear and well crafted meant to answer the question. The independence and commonwealth supporters do not question the result as not being accurate. At the same time a political party was elected as it ran on the issue of applying for statehood.

Jason said:
there's a pretty deep divide among the houses, and there's already a long to-do list of things that need addressed
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Oh puleeze...Congress has plenty of time and there's no real debate. You are either for it or against it. No different than any other territory applying.

Jason said:
It's not about the Latino vote.
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It's totally about the Latino vote. Having alienated the Latino vote and suffering a huge electoral loss that puts the future of the GOP in doubt, the vote of the 3 million Latinos in PR is the ONLY issue that would hold u statehood.

Jason said:
Congress is not going to admit a new state if it'll be a burden to existing states (which is where they're elected from), as a whole. Statehood is definitely far from certain at this point.
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Guess US should have thought about it when taking over PR 100 years ago. As for economic burden, no more than the other "welfare" states in the South and West, all those "Red States" that get more in government payments than they get in taxes.
 
Adam Howard said:
As a territory it is already a burden....
  • Welfare (cash benefits)
  • food stamps
  • USDA Food
  • Medicare
  • Assistant Housing
^ That's not even the short list (there is so much more)

These are some of the things The People of Puerto Rico already get without paying federal income tax or voting for a President. So technically, it is more of a burden now then it would be as a state.
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How do you come to this conclusion? Statehood would increase federal spending in Puerto Rico, not lower it. The additional revenue collected in federal income taxes (which some Puerto Ricans already do pay) and from Section 936 companies would offset this some, but not by much. They pay Commonwealth income taxes; however, there would be less residents paying income taxes under the IRS code, if it were applied, due to the cutoff point being higher (per capita income is lower than the U.S. average). We're looking at least an extra $9 billion+ in spending in the first four years.

Puerto Rico's per capita income is $8,500 (give or take $100). That's less than one third of the U.S. average, and about one half that of Mississippi (which is the poorest state in the union). The average monthly per capita income is $709 per month. Disability payments are about $790 per month. It'll be the 25th largest state in terms of population, but rank 16th among states based on persons receiving disability income. Section 936 companies (where most additional revenue to the U.S. Treasury would come from) only employ about 11% of the population.

I'm not saying Puerto Rico shouldn't become a state, or whether lack of representation is fair or not. From an economic perspective, it'll be more of a burden in the near term. Federal spending will only increase, and most project the additional revenue statehood will bring won't compensate much for this. I believe this alone will prevent Congress from admitting it into the union any time soon (it certainly has the last four times).
 
Jason said:
I'm not saying Puerto Rico shouldn't become a state, or whether lack of representation is fair or not. From an economic perspective, it'll be more of a burden in the near term. Federal spending will only increase, and most project the additional revenue statehood will bring won't compensate much for this. I believe this alone will prevent Congress from admitting it into the union any time soon (it certainly has the last four times).
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If current PR government applies for statehood based on the recent election which is was elected to do and for which it put the statehood referendum on the ballot and the GOP denies PR statehood after just losing an election due to GOP alienation of Latino vote (Puerto Ricans in FL are the second largest voting bloc after Cubans) it is political suicide.

I agree with you that GOP will likely block PR statehood and pay the price politically.
 
BGL said:
If current PR government applies for statehood based on the recent election which is was elected to do and for which it put the statehood referendum on the ballot and the GOP denies PR statehood after just losing an election due to GOP alienation of Latino vote (Puerto Ricans in FL are the second largest voting bloc after Cubans) it is political suicide.

I agree with you that GOP will likely block PR statehood and pay the price politically.
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Not really interested in a partisan debate on the issue, but Puerto Ricans have historically backed Republicans. Its affiliate on the island supports statehood. I think you'll find people on both sides of the isle that won't take up this matter strongly because of other issues (not just the Latino vote). It's yet to be seen if President Obama will, even though he has made remarks that he supports statehood.

Yes, the GOP lost more Latino voters this election (it would have been surprising if they didn't, tbh), but I don't think that alone will be a reason Congress doesn't act quickly on this issue. I lived in Puerto Rico for a year, and found there to be a healthy mix of people that supported either party. From what I hear from friends I've stayed in touch with, that hasn't drastically changed. On the island, there's still some questions over the vote.

We'll just have to agree to disagree.
 
Jason said:
Not really interested in a partisan debate on the issue, but Puerto Ricans have historically backed Republicans. Its affiliate on the island supports statehood. I think you'll find people on both sides of the isle that won't take up this matter strongly because of other issues (not just the Latino vote).
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It's an entirely partisan political issue. As for Puerta Rican voters,voting GOP, not in the last 20 years. Democrats have gotten the majority of votes. It's a lose lose,for GOP. Either vote for PR statehood and two new Democratic Senators or furhter alieanate the Latino voters.
 
BGL said:
It's an entirely partisan political issue. As for Puerta Rican voters,voting GOP, not in the last 20 years. Democrats have gotten the majority of votes. It's a lose lose,for GOP. Either vote for PR statehood and two new Democratic Senators or furhter alieanate the Latino voters.
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The long term win would be to support statehood. If the GOP denies it, people will always remember them blocking it and the Latino vote isn't quick to forget or forgive.

I'm in favor of statehood :) (Of course I don't belong to any party, not even Independent)
 
It was inevitable. It was required by statute to be included in every national election until it passed.

The US has lost its conservative values for good. With the re-election of BHO, all hope is lost.
 
BGL said:
It's an entirely partisan political issue. As for Puerta Rican voters,voting GOP, not in the last 20 years. Democrats have gotten the majority of votes. It's a lose lose,for GOP. Either vote for PR statehood and two new Democratic Senators or furhter alieanate the Latino voters.
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No, you're trying to make it one, and not everything is so black and white.

As for Puerto Ricans not voting GOP in the last 20 years, that's just false (even more so on the island itself -- they flip-flop about every 4 years). Have you ever spent a decent amount of time in Puerto Rico? Just curious.

As an Independent I support statehood (in the long term), but it's not going to happen any time soon.
 
Jason said:
No, you're trying to make it one...
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A vote (political and partisan by definition) on becoming a state (political entity by definition) is "political" and "partisan". It has been a huge political and very partisan issue in Puerto Rico since US occupied the country. It has been one for the US as US troops have fought PR independence movement and PR independence advocates attempted assassination of Harry Truman.

Current events simply move the partisan political battle on the timeline of history to 21st century when the Latino population have take and partisan political vote to become a political part of the United States and Congress must now deal with the petition for that partisan political entity, statehood. It will be a very partisan and political fight in Congress as GOP will fight tooth and nail against for political and partisan reasons. It would add to the political power of Latinos in the US and that will be the detriment of GOP's political and partisan interests.

Do you detect a theme common to all partisan political issues and decisions?
 
dutchbb said:
Apparently the people of Puerto Rico are not aware of the existing states that want to secede from the union because the US federal government does not respect the constitution, i.e. liberties & rights of the American people.
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That would be zero though some of detached from reality GOP racists in the Red Meat States, 100,000 to date out of population of 350,000,000 have "petitioned for secession" now that a black man has been re-elected President, a reality they could not come to terms with four years ago and about which they harbored delusional fantasies in 2012.
 
BGL said:
A vote (political and partisan by definition) on becoming a state (political entity by definition) is "political" and "partisan". It has been a huge political and very partisan issue in Puerto Rico since US occupied the country. It has been one for the US as US troops have fought PR independence movement and PR independence advocates attempted assassination of Harry Truman.

Current events simply move the partisan political battle on the timeline of history to 21st century when the Latino population have take and partisan political vote to become a political part of the United States and Congress must now deal with the petition for that partisan political entity, statehood. It will be a very partisan and political fight in Congress as GOP will fight tooth and nail against for political and partisan reasons. It would add to the political power of Latinos in the US and that will be the detriment of GOP's political and partisan interests.

Do you detect a theme common to all partisan political issues and decisions?
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You do realize that both parties' affiliates on the island support statehood (and have been for quite some time)?

Statehood will not be blocked _solely_ based on the Latino vote (there's a number of other reasons to put this issue off, for now). You can oppose or support something without having a specific party affiliation. If you think all Puerto Ricans are die-hard Democrats, then you haven't spent much time in Puerto Rico. The island swings back-and-forth about every 3-4 years (and by slim margins at that). I experienced it in just the one year I lived in San Juan.

I'll just agree to disagree.
 
Jason said:
Statehood will not be blocked _solely_ based on the Latino vote
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It may not be blocked at all but the GOP Tea Party opposition is totally based on the admission of 1M Latino voters. GOP Tea Party is dead set against Latinos in US. GOP will oppose because they know it will add Democratic Senators and House reps and GOP will insist, like the Confederacy slavers they are, on parity, on having a "slave state" added at same time.
 
BGL said:
It may not be blocked at all but the GOP Tea Party opposition is totally based on the admission of 1M Latino voters. GOP Tea Party is dead set against Latinos in US. GOP will oppose because they know it will add Democratic Senators and House reps and GOP will insist, like the Confederacy slavers they are, on parity, on having a "slave state" added at same time.
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Clearly you've never been to Texas.
 
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