Puerto Rico, the 51st state

[SoonerCoug]

For people who think MSNBC is purely liberal, I beg to differ. They just did a piece on Puerto Rico potentially becoming the 51st state, and their only guest was a guy from the Heritage Foundation (super conservative think tank). He went on and on about how the vote is rigged because Puerto Ricans who live in America will be able to vote on whether Puerto Rico should become a state. (I fail to see how this is unfair. We allow Americans who live elsewhere to vote in our presidential elections.) He also says it's a ploy by the democrats to get two more senate seats. That may be true, but no opposing viewpoint was provided.

Why shouldn't PR be able to become a state if that's what the people want?

[falafel]

For people who think MSNBC is purely liberal, I beg to differ. They just did a piece on Puerto Rico potentially becoming the 51st state, and their only guest was a guy from the Heritage Foundation (super conservative think tank). He went on and on about how the vote is rigged because Puerto Ricans who live in America will be able to vote on whether Puerto Rico should become a state. He also says it's a ploy by the democrats to get two more senate seats. That may be true, but no opposing viewpoint was provided.

Why shouldn't PR be able to become a state if that's what the people want?

In my experience, the people of PR don't want it to become a state.

[SoonerCoug]

In my experience, the people of PR don't want it to become a state.

OK. I don't really know what they want. I'd be interested to see some polls.

My how things have changed over the years. See quote from G.H.W. Bush State of the Union address:

There’s another issue that I’ve decided to mention here tonight. I’ve long believed that the people of Puerto Rico should have the right to determine their own political future. Personally, I strongly favor statehood. But I urge the Congress to take the necessary steps to allow the people to decide in a referendum

[Indy Coug]

The idea about PR becoming a state has been intermittently kicked around for at least 40 years. There's no reason to think it's any more possible now than in the past.

[woot]

Anyone else think that our current nice and neat number of states will be a barrier to adding any more?

[DapperDan]

In my experience, the people of PR don't want it to become a state.

Unless something has changed, this is my understanding as well. They like the in between status they currently enjoy.

[Katy Lied]

I'm against it. I'm also against Guam or Samoa becoming states.

[DapperDan]

Anyone else think that our current nice and neat number of states will be a barrier to adding any more?

I think it will have more to do with some artificial notion of tradition that people who failed american history will promote.

[SoonerCoug]

Apparently what congress is voting on today is different in many ways. It has some Republican support, and the wording on the ballot will be different. It's going to be interesting.

[wuapinmon]

Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., whose parents were born in Puerto Rico and who represents part of Chicago, slammed the bill on the House floor Thursday morning, calling it a device to "impose" statehood on residents who have repeatedly rejected the idea.

"Really it's designed to get one thing and one thing only, and that is to have the people of Puerto Rico accept statehood for themselves," he said. "Why don't we accept their wishes? … It's spelled the same in English as in Spanish: N-O. No. No."

Funny

[Indy Coug]

I'm curious if the pro-state Puerto Ricans outnumber the pro-independence Puerto Ricans? As best as I can tell, the vast majority are fine with the status quo.

[dabrockster]

From my undestanding the people of PR have voted 3 different times if they wanted to become a state and each time they said no. Last time was in 1998.

The question that was asked in the past gave 5 options:

Do you want:
Limited self-government free association
statehood
sovereignty
none of the above.

(FYI: None of the above won hands down each time)


What this new bill is proposing to do is change the wording and make it a two stage voting process:

The first part of the question:
"Do you want to maintain the status quo?"

Then if you chose "No" (Which many people think is a trick question considering the political and economical feelings across the country) they will give you only 3 options to chose from:

Statehood
full independence
modified commonwealth.


Seems like they have removed "None of the above Option". Except in the initial question, which many feel is a very tricky way to get the result you want (If you want them to chose Statehood)..


It seems very shady to me...

[dabrockster]

OK. I don't really know what they want. I'd be interested to see some polls.

My how things have changed over the years. See quote from G.H.W. Bush State of the Union address:

There’s another issue that I’ve decided to mention here tonight. I’ve long believed that the people of Puerto Rico should have the right to determine their own political future. Personally, I strongly favor statehood. But I urge the Congress to take the necessary steps to allow the people to decide in a referendum

The people of PR were given that chance back then and said no (1998)

[SoonerCoug]

The people of PR were given that chance back then and said no (1998)

I missed that because the LDS Church exiled me to Siberia without access to news from 1997 until 1999. Coming home made me feel like I had been in a time capsule, and I still haven't learned about all the things I missed. For example, I haven't even seen Titanic yet.

[Pheidippides]

For example, I haven't even seen Titanic yet.

Neither have I. I count it as a blessing, not a curse.