Should Puerto Rico Become Our 51st State?

I was talking with a friend of mine about this last night. Should Puerto be a state? They certainly have done their share for the U.S., especially in the military. Do they want to become a state or would they rather be independent? What are the pros and cons?

Maybe ATS's Puerto Rican goddess Marg could give us a good idea of how they feel about this..

I would be behind PR becoming a state. I believe though that this has been put to a vote a number of times in PR and it has been voted down everytime.

I havn't heard any talk about it since I was in the Army (early '90's). Back then I think there was just over half opposed to it.

[edit on 6/21/05 by EastCoastKid]

the citizens of Puerto Rico believe that if they become a state they have to pay taxes and nobody likes to pay taxes so they voted down. disadvantage is that they have no voice in Congress. so they get wat they want and just stay as a common wealth.

I think Puerto Ricans should be forced to either become a state or become an independent nation. As long as they're given the opportunity to remain a protectorate they will due to the tax advantages.

Well, I don't know what they think, but I don't want em.

If only because we'd have to remake our flag=$$$

Besides, 50 is a much better number than 51. We should only,from now on, take on states 25 at a time. Worst comes to worst maybe multiples of 10 or 5. But nothing else.

The statehood of porto rico is really up the the porto ricans. They have to vote for statehood before there can be any movement on the issue.

I think it'll never happned. Because they speak spanish, and the rest of the US speaks english. Language is increibly important. Porto Rico will be close with the US, but a state? Probably not.

edit:
On the flag, it could allways just go back to a circle of stars. Or some of the other old ones:





This might be fun, just to freak nwoers out



Here are two proposed 51 star flags





I've also seen a pennant that was the american flag, but with a stylized white eagle in the blue field. Perhaps thats a bit too nationalistic tho.


[edit on 21-6-2005 by Nygdan]

Originally posted by Nygdan
I think it'll never happned. Because they speak spanish, and the rest of the US speaks english. Language is increibly important. Porto Rico will be close with the US, but a state? Probably not.

PUErto Rico.. Have you ever been to California, Arizona, Florida or North Carolina? New York.. Seems those states are bilingual. Spanish language signs everywhere, recorded phone messages.. press one for english, two for spanish.. I don't think that has anything to do with it. It's probly more a desire on their part to remain independent.

Where you at MARG?!

Originally posted by djohnsto77
I think Puerto Ricans should be forced to either become a state or become an independent nation. As long as they're given the opportunity to remain a protectorate they will due to the tax advantages.

TAX? For the love of christ we pay taxes here up to our eyeballs, We pay Income Tax, 6.6% Tax on ALL goods and services purchased, Social Security Tax, Gasoline Tax, Cigarrete Tax, Alcohol Tax, Medicare Tax. I mean if they Tax us anymore we would be screwed!

Originally posted by kenshiro2012
I would be behind PR becoming a state. I believe though that this has been put to a vote a number of times in PR and it has been voted down everytime.

This is true it has been voted down a number of times.

Originally posted by Amorymeltzer
Well, I don't know what they think, but I don't want em.

If only because we'd have to remake our flag=$$$

Besides, 50 is a much better number than 51. We should only,from now on, take on states 25 at a time. Worst comes to worst maybe multiples of 10 or 5. But nothing else.

I would throw something really heavy at your direction that would inflict large amounts of pain, but this is the internet so I can't.

Originally posted by Nygdan
I think it'll never happned. Because they speak spanish, and the rest of the US speaks english. Language is increibly important. Porto Rico will be close with the US, but a state? Probably not.

For your information, over 50% of the people on this island speak English. We are FORCED to take english in school since Kindergarden all the way to 12th grade and even in college, so I dont know where the hell you get the idea that all we speak is Spanish.

oh and another thing, as long as Bush is your President I don't want anything to do with your country much less be a state, so you can take that for what its worth.

Ok, let me clarify this . . . taking in consideration that my parents are pro state and has been all their lives, I grew wanting to be pro state too, I witness the 70s conflicts between the "pro independence" "nationalist" and " socialist" while they are minorities they still use a lot of tactics like making people scare of the "American imperialism"

Also they scare people with the taxes and that has work a lot for a while.

Puertorrico don't have English as the first language but is a required language anyway, so we can handle very well the English is needed.

You have to understand our history and why many older Puerto Rican doesn't like the US, unless is for free federal programs.

When US took over Puertorrico, the US though that it was acquiring a good piece of strategic property in the Caribbean.

But to their surprised they found out that more than half of the population was poor, and Puertorrico economy was none existent.

The population of Puertorrico is mixed and that was another set back for the US also to point out that most of the Puertorrican pro state population is also Republican.

Originally posted by marg6043
also to point out that most of the Puertorrican pro state population is also Republican.

Ah, so a better question would be whether we want Puerto Rico, not the other way around?

I don't see the integration of Puerto Rico ending up well. I think it'd be something along the lines of West+East Germany, just on a smaller scale with less positive results. Alaska and Hawaii are far enough away as to be independant nations - I can't imagine Puerto Rico getting any better treatment than totally shafted.


Ocelot - you know, you could just put all that into one post... At any rate, why the heavy object?

I have to call my mother and ask what is going on, I think this time around they are taking the "other choices" and are just going to ask, if they want statehood or not.

Idenpendance is not an option, also, my parents are pro republicans and I was one also until the last elections

By the way Puertorrico may not pay federal taxes but the the taxes are hidden with the items your buy, Puertorrico is a very spencive place to live and visit.

Also Puertorrico have to pay taxes to the goverment just like state does in the US.

[edit on 21-6-2005 by marg6043]

I have an associate down there and the feeling is they want independence. The person I know is heavy into politics there from a local gov't perspective and that is the buzz I hear as we have talked about it before. There are some groups that have in interest in become a state as they think it would give them a little more stablitiy but that movement doe not appear to be as strong from what I hear as the independence one.

Personally, I say we swap out Texas for them........I think we would get the better deal.

ECK!!! I commend you for making a post that's not about Bush! Well done. I agree with one of the above posters. State or an independent nation, they should just choose.

You are wrong Herman, Puerto Rican with education and knowledge knows that PuertoRico as an independent nation will never make it.

Puerto Rico has no natural resources and has not other way of income but American companies and federal aid.

Only the young and silly wants independence, I know, I was a young girl when they were doing all the fuss about it in college. It was always the young people that wanted the independence.

The only market Puerto Rico will become good at is the one they have right now is drug traffic from South American.

Puerto Rico is the doorway to drugs into the US.

Originally posted by marg6043
You are wrong Herman, Puerto Rican with education and knowledge knows that PuertoRico as an independent nation will never make it.

Puerto Rico has no natural resources and has not other way of income but American companies and federal aid.

Only the young and silly wants independence, I know, I was a young girl when they were doing all the fuss about it in college. It was always the young people that wanted the independence.

The only market Puerto Rico will become good at is the one they have right now is drug traffic from South American.

Puerto Rico is the doorway to drugs into the US.

I would have to agree with Marg on all of the above. Only the young and stupid support independence, us that actually have to make a living know better. And drugs are a very big problem here sadly. Over 90% of the murders in PR are drug related, as is much of the other crimes. You can take comfort in the fact that at least the drug dealers are killing each other, the problem is that every once in a while an inocent bystander gets hit.

[edit on 21-6-2005 by Ocelot]