Puerto Rico to Vote Sunday on Statehood

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Voters in Puerto Rico head to the polls Sunday to decide whether to back a bid to make the U.S. territory the 51st state, at a time when the island is gripped by an economic crisis that is creating stiff challenges for such a proposal.

The nonbinding plebiscite in the island of 3.4 million people presents three options: statehood, independence or a continuation of its current status as a territory. Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, a member of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party, has made the push for statehood a centerpiece of his administration since assuming office in January.

More:
wsj.com/articles/puerto-rico-to-vote-sunday-on-statehood-1497026520
 
I know the votes have been very close before. They are in a lot of debt. It will just add to our debt. Probably more votes for the democrats though.
 
Puerto Ricans are Americans, statehood just affirms what is the defacto.
 
I’m with Independence. A part of me thinks the US can no longer function as a United country. Adding Puerto Rico to our disfuction doesn’t seem to make sense. As far as remaining a colony, they bankrupted themselves so that’s not working out for them.
 
7_Sorrows said:
I know the votes have been very close before. They are in a lot of debt. It will just add to our debt. Probably more votes for the democrats though.
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So, that’s one plus vote. 🙂
PJH_74 said:
Puerto Ricans are Americans, statehood just affirms what is the defacto.
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I served with PR’s in the ARMY and liked them alright. Never really saw one after that. But becoming a state is much more than what you say here. The debt they struggle under is a serious consideration.
Stylteralmaldo said:
I’m with Independence. A part of me thinks the US can no longer function as a United country. Adding Puerto Rico to our disfuction doesn’t seem to make sense. As far as remaining a colony, they bankrupted themselves so that’s not working out for them.
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How would independence work? Were they independent before and we simply took them over? No, they became our territory after the Spanish - American war. Before that they were a part of Spain. To simply cut them adrift is pretty much unthinkable. They are not separate from us and their welfare and debt are very much our responsibility.

I’m okay with them remaining a territory. But statehood? I prefer round numbers and I hear the fishing there is not very good. Help with their debt might be what we should focus on.
 
Why would the rest of us want them as more than a territory? I like the symmetry of 50, don’t need their debt, and we all get along well as it is.

I can see their pros and cons, but what is the benefit to my state to add them?
 
Wedge_Antilles said:
Why would the rest of us want them as more than a territory? I like the symmetry of 50, don’t need their debt, and we all get along well as it is.

I can see their pros and cons, but what is the benefit to my state to add them?
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I don’t see any particular benefit to any specific state, but it provides benefits to the nation. With Puerto Rico as a state, especially if it remains Spanish-speaking, the US would become an effectively bilingual nation alongside countries like Canada and Finland with the corresponding celebrations of diversity and the benefits of associating with more parts of the world.

Puerto Rico has long been in sort of a weird, awkward position as a non-quite-accepted stepchild of America that no one wants to actually banish but that doesn’t get a lot of respect at family reunions. Whatever the decision is, it needs to be made. The current political situation is, frankly, ridiculous.
 
Congress would have to approve statehood. If Puerto Rico is perceived as just looking for a financial bailout, Congress is unlikely to go along with that.
 
As our territory, doesn’t their debt become our issue anyhow?

If they are that far behind, independence would just add one more Third World country to a hemisphere already overburdened with them.

Right now (having not been there), ISTM that they have the best of both worlds, being US citizens, yet having their own Olympic team and other ineternational recognitions.

Still, being a state might attract the American investment that they need. Some investors might be put off by the prospect of a future independence vote. Statehood would remove that issue.

ICXC NIKA
 
If they ever became a U.S. state, one of the most likely results would be two more Democratic party Senators in the U.S. Senate in perpetuity.
 
So what if they vote to become and State and the U.S. declines?
Seems like putting the cart before the horse to me. But then, I know nothing of the topic. 😊
I had an aunt from Puerto Rico and still have cousins there. They never speak/spoke about it.
 
We are already in decline. So?

If we collapse, the South American chunk of the “Third World” would become a war zone within ten years if not less.

ICXC NIKA
 
I wonder how the rest of the country felt about other territories becoming states back in the day.

What was the benefit of adding Alaska as a state?
What was the benefit of Minnesota? Or Washington? Or Arizona?

Remember that US history your long-suffering high school teacher trying to teach you? Puerto Rico is just like other US territories, except that citizens there have never voted to become a US state, unlike the other 50 territories.

My only real concern about have 51 states is it would totally ruin the song “Fifty Nifty United States” that I teach my students. :eek: 😃

Couldn’t care less if they vote Republican or Democrat. As for their debt, we didn’t force Arkansas or California out of the US when they were drowning in debt. And like it or not, Puerto Rico is currently a US territory and part of the US.
 
Dwyer said:
If they ever became a U.S. state, one of the most likely results would be two more Democratic party Senators in the U.S. Senate in perpetuity.
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And that’s a bad thing? 😃 Kinda like some southern and midwestern states having 2 Republicans. At least you spelled the name of the party right though! 👍
 
In a mathematical journal some years back, possible designs for a 51 - point union were mooted, that would keep center symmetry and corner stars, etc.

My guess is everybody would get used to 51 and then the USVI would vote in. 🙂

ICXC NIKA
 
GEddie said:
In a mathematical journal some years back, possible designs for a 51 - point union were mooted, that would keep center symmetry and corner stars, etc.

My guess is everybody would get used to 51 and then the USVI would vote in. 🙂

ICXC NIKA
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:eek:

That would totally mess up the “Fifty Nifty United States” song!

AAAAACCCCKKK! :bigyikes:

😃
 
Maybe we could reach a compromise. We keep the 50 stars but we add an image of Ricky Martin in the bottom right corner to represent Puerto Rico.
 
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