A little food for thought.

Kevinkris · Apr 7, 2015

im surprised no one had any comment on this.

albin25 · Apr 7, 2015

I was going to comment, but I hit "remind me later".

Puerto Rico has had many "statehood referendums" and none have passed, other than the last one...and it was under questionable circumstances...Maybe they should just be cut loose to sink or swim on their own. They are free to move to the State of their choosing if they want to vote, and many have.

I think that if any of them became States they would be massive welfare money pits.

Ratfink · Apr 7, 2015

One "Kalifornia" is enuff...

Kevinkris · Apr 7, 2015

albin25 said:
They are free to move to the State of their choosing if they want to vote, and many have..

what would you do if you were told you had to move away from your home to have any say over what went on there?

albin25 · Apr 7, 2015

" what would you do if you were told you had to move away from your home to have any say over what went on there? "

Puerto Ricans have authority over what goes on there...what they don't have is say over what goes on here ... If they want to vote here they can move here, and if I want to vote there I'll need to move there, but while resident there I would be unable to vote in US elections.

"Puerto Rico is a self-governing commonwealth in association with the United States. The chief of state is the President of the United States of America. The head of Puerto Rico's Government is an elected Governor (currently Alejandro García Padilla) . There are two legislative chambers: the House of Representatives, 51 seats, and the Senate, 27 seats. They have their own Supreme Court.
Puerto Rico has authority over its own internal affairs. The US feds control: interstate trade, foreign relations and commerce, customs administration, control of air and sea ports, immigration and emigration, nationality and citizenship, currency, military... Just like they do over the States here.
The major differences between Puerto Rico and the 50 states are Puerto Rico's exemption from some aspects of the Internal Revenue Code (Puerto Ricans don't pay US federal income tax), its lack of voting representation in either house of the U.S. Congress (Senate and House of Representatives), the ineligibility of Puerto Ricans residing on the island to vote in US presidential elections, and its lack of assignation of some revenues reserved for the states (like interstate highway funds or our wonderful (not) Dept of Education).

Anyhoo...I would have actually have no problem with Puerto Rico becoming a State...Especially if the US Virgin Islands got wrapped up in the deal as a part of that new state. If they want independence that's ok too.

U201491 · Apr 8, 2015

There are enough left wing voters already. No more.

Kevinkris · Apr 9, 2015

i read comments by most of you on a somewhat regular basis and you all seem to believe the rights you live by were present from the beginning of time, not given by the constitution. yet when it comes to other people, the same is not true. it would be one thing if it were another nation but these places are under to control of the federal government and denied all of the same liberties you take for granted. how is it okay for their rights to be ignored for so long? especially with the number of soldiers that come from there.

albin25 · Apr 9, 2015

" i read comments by most of you on a somewhat regular basis and you all seem to believe the rights you live by were present from the beginning of time, not given by the constitution."

The Constitution doesn't GIVE anything... it RECOGNIZES our God given, since the beginning of time, rights and it limits the Government's infringement upon them. We derive our rights not from the Government but from our Creator.

Puerto Ricans wrote their own Constitution, it was ratified by their own elected government, approved by their own Supreme Court, and then approved by Congress in 1952. It's been in effect there for 63 years now.

Kevinkris · Apr 9, 2015

each of the states have their own constitution and yet are not denied the rights written on the US constitution. these people cannot make changes in their own government without getting approval from the federal government and are not allowed to appoint anyone into those positions. anyone who would say they should not be given the same rights we have has a very narrow view on who deserves to be respected. they live under the same flag as you and many die for it.