Bipartisan Bill Seeks To Make Puerto Rico The 51st U.S. State

Bipartisan Bill Seeks To Make Puerto Rico The 51st U.S. State By 2021

Dominique Mosbergen
June 28, 2018

• https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Uy...d74a80b3e7e51d

Bipartisan Bill Seeks To Make Puerto Rico The 51st U.S. State By 2021

A bipartisan bill introduced on Wednesday seeks to make the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico the nation’s 51st state.


A bipartisan bill introduced on Wednesday seeks to make the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico the nation’s 51st state.

Filed by Rep. Jennifer González-Colón (R), Puerto Rico’s resident commissioner and non-voting representative in Congress, the bill lays out a plan to enable the territory to become a state by January 2021.

“This is the first step to open a serious discussion to determine the ultimate political status of Puerto Rico,” González said, per NBC News. “To sum everything up, this is about equality.”

The move has been described as Puerto Rico’s “biggest push for statehood” in many years.

Fourteen Democrats and 20 Republicans have backed the bill thus far; however, it remains unclear what odds the legislation has of passing.

View image on Twitterhttps://pbs.twimg.com/media/DgvR3_dW...jpg&name=small

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...tcJ_normal.jpgJenniffer González

✔@RepJenniffer


Today is a historic day. I am proud to be the spokesperson and, from the Congress, the one to start us on the road to the decolonization of Puerto Rico. #ElMomentoEsAhora

5:39 PM - Jun 27, 2018

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https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...tcJ_normal.jpgJenniffer González

✔@RepJenniffer


I thank my Republican and Democratic colleagues in Congress who continue to join as co-sponsors of the bill and those who were with us during the press conference to reiterate their support for Puerto Rico Statehood.

6:12 PM - Jun 27, 2018

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Several lawmakers supporting the bill said the federal government’s response to Puerto Rico’s devastation following Hurricane Maria highlighted the territory’s need for statehood.

“The hard truth is that Puerto Rico’s lack of political power allows Washington to treat Puerto Rico like an afterthought, as the federal government’s inadequate preparation for and response to Hurricane Maria made crystal clear,” Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.) told NBC News.

Nine months after the hurricane first hit the region, “millions in federal dollars for [post-Maria] reconstruction have yet to be allocated,” The Washington Post reported on Wednesday.

To this day, thousands of Puerto Rican residents remain without power.

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...Ej0_normal.jpgDavid Begnaud

✔@DavidBegnaud


Today in Puerto Rico

9 months after Hurricane Maria

2,365 customers still do not have power; in many cases these are homes where more than one person lives

It may be another month before they get it.

We’re going to tweet about this until the last customer has power

12:58 PM - Jun 27, 2018

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Puerto Rico has been a U.S. territory since 1898 when it was acquired following the Spanish-American War. Although Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, they can’t vote in presidential elections and don’t have a congressional representative with full voting powers.

González said her new bill calls for the creation of a bipartisan, nine-member task force to look into what measures need to be changed to allow Puerto Rico to be incorporated as a state.

“No longer do we want ambiguity. No longer do we want this kicked down the road,” Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, who’s fiercely advocated for statehood in the past, said at a press conference on Capitol Hill Wednesday.

“In Congress, you’re either with us or you’re against the people of Puerto Rico.”

View image on Twitter

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...1Nw_normal.jpgRicardo Rossello

✔@ricardorossello



Our fight for complete equality is our legacy to the people of Puerto Rico. It is imperative that our generation ends the colonial relationship that we endure. @Jenniffer2012

11:05 AM - Jun 27, 2018

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Puerto Ricans have been divided on the issue of statehood for decades. In the last referendum on the issue, 97 percent of those who voted supported statehood. According to NBC News, the opposition party boycotted the plebiscite, and only 23 percent of registered voters ended up casting ballots.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/bipartisa...091209298.html

NO

I DO NOT WANT TO REBUILD THAT WASTELAND WITH MY MONEY!

SELL IT OFF TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER!

Big Money Is Buying Up Puerto Rico’s Risky Real Estate

Distressed-mortgage investors are descending on troubled Puerto Rico. There are big names among them: Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Perella Weinberg Partners and TPG Capital.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Big Money Is Buying Up Puerto Rico’s Risky Real Estate


Distressed-mortgage investors are descending on troubled Puerto Rico. There are big names among them: Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Perella Weinberg Partners and TPG Capital.

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As long as not ONE taxpayer dime does not rebuild that corrupt Island...let them have it!

The rich people are doing the same thing in Miami and other areas in Florida.

As foreigners move in, Miami real estate is so expensive that locals are moving out

And New York City

Hipsters are driving low-income Hispanics out of Brooklyn

And Los Angeles

Los Angeles too expensive for most Hispanics, new study finds

Tens of thousands leave Los Angeles County for Inland Empire

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Beezer

NO

I DO NOT WANT TO REBUILD THAT WASTELAND WITH MY MONEY!

SELL IT OFF TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER!

---

My thoughts exactly. We should cut them loose, give them their independence, and let THEM worry about their future, not us. And after we do that, everyone from that crappy island will automatically lose their citizenship, and they can all go back home and start rebuilding.

I agree with this.

My family is from Puerto Rico and the regular people have been trying to get rid of there corrupt government for decades.

I just wanted to try to clarify one of the major problems Puerto Ricans struggle with.

First off, Puerto Rican's are white (Caucasian). Like myself.... Blond, Light hazel eyes & olive skin.
Put me in the sun for an hour and I look like a very ripe, red tomato.

They DO NOT consider themselves Hispanic.
They will NEVER, NEVER check-mark 'HISPANIC' on a government form.

Puerto Rico has a major illegal immigration problem with people coming from Haiti and the
Dominican Republic forming enclaves of Dominican/Haitian ghettos.

The tensions and animosity between the Puerto Ricans and the illegal immigrant communities
have been building for decades.

The lower class or poorer Puerto Rican's live among the illegal immigrants which grew into
a mixed race community. The mixed race children are primarily born with black or very dark skin.

Puerto Rican's look down on them and call them 'Malano's'. They feel much like how we do about
the people here from Mexico and South America.

The typical Puerto Rican stereotype on the mainland (United States), I feel stems from the Puerto Ricans (Malano's)
that migrate into the U.S.

Myself included. Growing up in New York, I thought all Puerto Rican's were dark skin/black,
uneducated people that worked in factories and stood on the corners screaming sexual obscenities when
you walked past them.

I remember my first trip to the island to visit family. I did not want to go, afraid my family was all going to look
like the people in the factory of the dress company I worked for.

To my surprise, I was totally stunned when I arrived in Puerto Rico and everyone looked like me.

Light hair, light eyes and olive skin.

Lorrie, do you think Puerto Rico should be a full State or independent? I don't really know enough about the issue. I only know that there was a national security issue that started our involvement in Puerto Rico and it grew from there. I also like our 50 states, our flag and 100 Senators. It would change a lot of things in the US to add Puerto Rico as a state, but if there is a good reason for it that would be good for Puerto Rico and good for the US, I would like to know. Thanks!!

:)

Whatever they come up with...NO taxpayer dollars to rebuild. Let investors do it and take over.

Too many Governors and Mayor's are bankrupting their cities and expect the Federal government to bail them out...or FEMA.

Many of those homes has no permits. They were added on to and tin roofs. They had no insurance. I have to buy Renter's insurance, Homeowner's insurance, flood insurance, earthquake insurance, auto insurance, life insurance, health insurance and I sure as hell do not want to pay one dime for those who do not.

Their telephone lines were falling over before the hurricane...no US taxpayer dollars to fix the whole Island.

NO! Why should they have a budget if Uncle Sam will rebuild their houses, water, electric and all infrastructure? It is a racket and a scam.

Should have been reined in a long time ago. They did not want to become a State until disaster strikes and then WE foot the bill. NO, come up with Plan B.

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Originally Posted by Judy

Lorrie, do you think Puerto Rico should be a full State or independent? I don't really know enough about the issue. I only know that there was a national security issue that started our involvement in Puerto Rico and it grew from there. I also like our 50 states, our flag and 100 Senators. It would change a lot of things in the US to add Puerto Rico as a state, but if there is a good reason for it that would be good for Puerto Rico and good for the US, I would like to know. Thanks!!

:)

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A full state.

Under the leadership of our government and being a member in Congress, Puerto Rico
can be a huge travel destination surplus. Like the Bahama's, Hawaii and Cuba 55 years ago.

And it's only a 3 hour flight from Miami.

The island is absolutely beautiful. Crystal blue water, I have never seen such beautiful oceans before.

What people don't realize, English is there 'unofficial' national language. You must be fluent in the
English language to graduate school. Both reading and writing.

All Puerto Rican's speak English

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Originally Posted by Beezer

Whatever they come up with...NO taxpayer dollars to rebuild. Let investors do it and take over.

Too many Governors and Mayor's are bankrupting their cities and expect the Federal government to bail them out...or FEMA.

Many of those homes has no permits. They were added on to and tin roofs. They had no insurance. I have to buy Renter's insurance, Homeowner's insurance, flood insurance, earthquake insurance, auto insurance, life insurance, health insurance and I sure as hell do not want to pay one dime for those who do not.

Their telephone lines were falling over before the hurricane...no US taxpayer dollars to fix the whole Island.

NO! Why should they have a budget if Uncle Sam will rebuild their houses, water, electric and all infrastructure? It is a racket and a scam.

Should have been reined in a long time ago. They did not want to become a State until disaster strikes and then WE foot the bill. NO, come up with Plan B.

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I agree Beezer.

The private money would flood into Puerto Rico if it became a state.

Puerto Rico's corrupt government has kept the island in poverty since 1918.

Investors stayed far away because the risk was too high.

But, I can tell you, my aunt has owned a candy store more than 30 years in one of the main hotels in
old San Juan and it's been extremely lucrative. She passed the store and her estate to her grand children after
her death. They sold the store and retired.

Thank you Lorrie. I'm with you then on this. I do think it would be a great American tourist location, better than Mexico. It might even be a nice retirement location, cheaper than Florida. I'm seeing possibilities that benefit both the US and Puerto Rico.

:)

Even If Housing Aid Ends This Week, Puerto Rican Evacuees Say They Won't Go Back

By TIM PADGETT • JUN 26, 2018

• http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net.../623646987.pngMiami state Representative Robert Asencio (left) with Luis Javier Hernandez, the mayor of Villalba, Puerto Rico (center) and Florida state Senator Victor Torres (right) inspecting roads in Puerto Rico still not cleared after last year's Hurricane Maria.
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Originally published on June 26, 2018 4:14 pm

Ariana Colón’s 1-year-old son Sebastian shows off his first word – “Mamá” – as she speaks with me over the phone from the hotel room in Kissimmee, Florida, where they’ve been living this year.

Along with Sebastian’s father, they arrived there shortly after Hurricane Maria devastated their home island, the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, last September.

The family has benefited from a federal program for disaster victims called Transitional Sheltering Assistance. It pays their hotel tab while they find gainful employment and permanent housing.

But meeting landlord conditions for that housing has proven as difficult for Puerto Ricans like Colón as it so often does for longtime Florida residents.

“The requirements are way too high for us,” Colón says.

“They’re asking for three times the rent right away. And we have to provide proof that we get paid three times the rent in one month. There’s no possible way for us to make that.”

READ MORE: Leaving 'Paradise': Will Exodus for Florida Hurt Puerto Rico More Than Maria Did?

Colón is 20 years old and expecting another baby in November. She was a nursing student back in Bayamón, Puerto Rico; for now she works in fast food here. Her partner is a barber. About 1,800 Puerto Rican hurricane evacuees like them receive shelter aid in Florida – and their situation gets urgent on Saturday, June 30, when the government is ending that assistance.

Those families are asking for more time in the program to build more savings to qualify for housing.

“It’s not like I’m staying here in the hotel all day enjoying the pool, enjoying Disney or nothing like that,” Colón says. “We came here to work.”

FEMA – the Federal Emergency Management Agency – argues it has already extended the aid for Puerto Ricans once this year. But even if the help runs out this weekend, Colón says she won’t go back to Puerto Rico because, she insists, the island’s economy and infrastructure are still too shattered.

“The electricity goes and comes; the water as well,” she says. “It’s not stable. I don’t really want to risk that.”

She’s not alone. Many if not most Puerto Ricans in the shelter aid program say “they might be able to find a couch to surf on, or they’ll sleep in their cars,” said Jose Rodriguez, an Episcopal priest in Orlando who helps Puerto Ricans just arrived in Florida, with the group Vamos4PR.

“But very few of them want to return to Puerto Rico," he said.

Rodriguez told WLRN’s Sundial program last week that just about all the shelter assistance recipients feel they have little choice but to stay here.

“If you’re in a hotel at this point of the game, that means that you don’t have anything to go back to in Puerto Rico,” said Rodriguez. “The federal government has vetted you – they have verified that you truly have lost everything.”

TATTERED GRID
With the June 30 deadline looming, some Florida politicians are making fact-finding trips to Puerto Rico – gauging whether the island has even recovered sufficiently enough to absorb returning evacuees.

Last week, Miami state Representative Robert Asencio visited towns hard hit by Maria – and by what many call the U.S.’s lax recovery response.

“We met the mayors,” Asencio told me by phone from the island, “and quite honestly they say they’re still in recovery almost a full year after the storm.”

http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net...806/ariana.jpgPuerto Rican hurricane evacuee Ariana Colon (right) her partner Jonel Sanchez and their baby son Sebastian in Kissimmee, Florida.
CREDIT COURTESY ARIANA COLON

Asencio said housing reconstruction is slow, and the power grid is still so tattered that Puerto Rico’s government is moving to privatize it.

What’s more, said Asencio, who is also Puerto Rican, the massive post-hurricane exodus is only continuing. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, and as many as 400,000 of them have migrated to the U.S. mainland since Maria – as many as 100,00 to Florida.

“There is a fear among elected officials here that things might just get simply worse here before they get better,” Asencio said. “There’s a good possibility there’ll be more people leaving as opposed to those coming back.”

Asencio visited Orocovis, in central Puerto Rico, where the mayor told him about 5 percent of its population has bolted to the U.S. mainland since Maria.

"I asked him, ‘Do you think those people will come back?’” Asencio said. “And he goes, ‘Well, what are they going to come back to?’”

Puerto Ricans living on the mainland can also vote in U.S. elections, and they largely vote for Democrats. That’s a potential benefit for politicos like Asencio, who’s up for re-election this fall. But he insists it’s also a boon for Puerto Rico, should those migrants’ votes influence Washington to be more attentive to the island.

Puerto Rican officials like Luis Vega Ramos, a member of the island’s House of Representatives from San Juan, agree.

“We’re losing our young, productive people to states like Florida,” Vega concedes. “But as we have more voting presence across the nation, we have more voices to keep Puerto Rico’s plight alive in the national debate.”

Colón, who says she’ll to register to vote here this summer, feels that way too.

“Over here you have more power to make changes for Puerto Rico,” she says.

And maybe, she adds, changes for Florida – like better access to affordable housing for U.S. citizen families like hers.

http://news.wgcu.org/post/even-if-housing-aid-ends-week-puerto-rican-evacuees-say-they-wont-go-back

NYC to help displaced Puerto Ricans as FEMA aid expires
By: JESSICA FORMOSO

POSTED: JUN 28 2018 09:12PM EDT
VIDEO POSTED: JUN 28 2018 09:11PM EDT
UPDATED: JUN 29 2018 02:25PM EDT


NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - Liz Cruz left Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria devastated the island and destroyed her home. On December 7, she, her husband, and children arrived in New York.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency placed hundreds of Puerto Rican families like the Cruz's in hotels across the city. But the assistance they are receiving from FEMA will run out on Saturday.

Cruz couldn't hold back her tears as she explained that her family is now scrambling to find a place to live. She said the uncertainty is frustrating.

In a statement to Fox 5, a spokesperson for the mayor's office said, "The Trump Administration abandoned the people of Puerto Rico. Our Mayor will not. We will shelter our fellow U.S. citizens and we will do all we can to help them to get back on their feet."

https://media.fox5ny.com/media.fox5n....0_640_360.jpg

More than 100 households are receiving FEMA's transitional shelter assistance, also known as TSA, according to the city.

Those families will be receiving direct transportation directly from their TSA hotel rooms to hotel rooms operated by the Department of Homeless Services.

Cruz said she was told that her family will be picked on Friday. The city did confirm to Fox 5 that Cruz and her family will be taken to a shelter. The city said it will provide Puerto Rican families with case management services to connect them to housing, social services, and educational supports.

More than 130 Puerto Rican households that did not qualify for the FEMA TSA program are in the process of applying for shelter. Some are already in the shelter system.

Senator Gustavo Rivera released this statement after the original publication of this article:

"With two days remaining until the June 30 deadline, FEMA has once again failed to put forth any sort of long-term actionable plan to help those Puerto Rican families displaced by Hurricane Maria across the country, including those in New York City, transition into permanent housing.

In the void left by FEMA, New York City, which is facing a homelessness and housing crisis of their own, has stepped up and developed a plan to provide a safety net to those Puerto Rican families who will be evicted by the federal government on Saturday.

However, it is critical that this plan is implemented efficiently so that these families, who have been forced to leave their homes, receive the resources and services they desperately need.

While this is a step in the right direction, there’s still a lot of work to be done and I am committed to continue working with our City and State governments to ensure my fellow Puerto Ricans have access to the resources they need to rebuild their lives."

http://www.fox5ny.com/news/displaced...ricans-housing

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Originally Posted by Judy

Lorrie, do you think Puerto Rico should be a full State or independent? I don't really know enough about the issue.

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After all these years, I think we should make up our minds. We are asked to bail out a separate country that is not obligated to pay all the taxes the people in states pay. But their government needs to be in line with the policies of the United States. Still I fear the adding of a apparently backward country to have voting power to change the direction of our country. So they need to earn the right, not just demand statehood.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Judy

Thank you Lorrie. I'm with you then on this. I do think it would be a great American tourist location, better than Mexico. It might even be a nice retirement location, cheaper than Florida. I'm seeing possibilities that benefit both the US and Puerto Rico.

:)

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Absolutely and much safer than Mexico.

Did you know you can drive around the entire island in 6 hours or across the island in 3 hours?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jtdc

After all these years, I think we should make up our minds. We are asked to bail out a separate country that is not obligated to pay all the taxes the people in states pay. But their government needs to be in line with the policies of the United States. Still I fear the adding of a apparently backward country to have voting power to change the direction of our country. So they need to earn the right, not just demand statehood.

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No, the U.S. should not bail out Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rican's are self reliant and have lived under the authoritarian corrupt
governors for decades. They have always wanted statehood but the criminals
running government have blocked it. Why? because statehood would dry up the
gravy train.

When I say corrupt, think Bill and Hillary Clinton x 100

The media never reports on Puerto Rico and most people here know absolutely nothing
about the island, it's politics or nationals. Heck, most people don't even know it's a commonwealth!

I can only recall 2 major events that took place where our media flooded local reports in the U.S.

Hurricane Andrew and Irma.

And what the media reported on was the illegal immigrant ghettos where everyone lives
in make-shift housing. Of course there was devastation in these areas, no make-shift
house held together by duck tape can withstand 100+ mile winds.

The media did not show the vast majority of the island which has high-rise condominiums,
beautiful homes and yes, Mansions!

Give them statehood and let private money invest and rebuild.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lorrie

A full state.

Under the leadership of our government and being a member in Congress, Puerto Rico
can be a huge travel destination surplus. Like the Bahama's, Hawaii and Cuba 55 years ago.

And it's only a 3 hour flight from Miami.

The island is absolutely beautiful. Crystal blue water, I have never seen such beautiful oceans before.

What people don't realize, English is there 'unofficial' national language. You must be fluent in the
English language to graduate school. Both reading and writing.

All Puerto Rican's speak English

---

40% of Puerto Rico is on food stamps. There's a lot of poverty and government cheese takers there that I'm afraid would turn into Democrat voters. We don't need another heavily democrat state.

Around 25 years ago I spent some time in Puerto Rico (3 months) and I saw a lot of slums and unemployed people that didn't really seem to have an interest in working. I'm not saying there weren't some nice areas, but the slum areas seemed to far outweigh the nicer ones. Making Puerto Rico a State won't do anything to improve tourism. Right now all an American needs to enter Puerto Rico is a state identification card (no passport required). I think the average income for the country is around $19,000 right now, however, it was much lower when I was there 25 years ago .... much, much lower.

Right now more Puerto Ricans live in the United States than do in Puerto Rico. There is little to no opportunity for the youth there and they have left the island for the mainland (here) in droves. Puerto Rico has been in a recession for over a decade.

There's a reason the Dems want the good folks of Puerto Rico to be able to vote in our elections and it's certainly not because a majority of them would vote Republican!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lorrie

Absolutely and much safer than Mexico.

Did you know you can drive around the entire island in 6 hours or across the island in 3 hours?

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No, I didn't know that. Like I said I just really don't know much about Puerto Rico. It sounds beautiful with so much potential and they should do all rebuilding with the hurricane proof construction, do all underground power lines, too. I'm actually getting excited about this! Where will we put the 51st star on the flag? I guess they'll just squeeze them all up a bit and squeeze it in. All Puerto Ricans are already US citizens right? So .... I mean why not?

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Originally Posted by MW

40% of Puerto Rico is on food stamps. There's a lot of poverty and government cheese tackers there that I'm afraid would turn into Democrat voters. We don't need another heavily democrat state.

Around 25 years ago I spent some time in Puerto Rico (3 months) and I saw a lot of slums and unemployed people that didn't really seem to have an interest in working. I'm not saying there weren't some nice areas, but the slum areas seemed to far outweigh the nicer ones. Making Puerto Rico a State won't do anything to improve tourism. Right now all an American needs to enter Puerto Rico is a state identification card (no passport required). I think the average income for the country is around $19,000 right now, however, it was much lower when I was there 25 years ago .... much, much lower.

Right now more Puerto Ricans live in the United States than do in Puerto Rico. There is little to no opportunity for the youth there and they have left the island for the mainland (here) in droves. Puerto Rico has been in a recession for over a decade.

There's a reason the Dems want the good folks of Puerto Rico to be able to vote in our elections and it's certainly not because a majority of them would vote Republican!

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Yes that is correct.

No different than here. The DemoRATS need uneducated illegal immigrants to live off government
to stay in power.

Same in Puerto Rico

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Originally Posted by Judy

No, I didn't know that. Like I said I just really don't know much about Puerto Rico. It sounds beautiful with so much potential and they should do all rebuilding with the hurricane proof construction, do all underground power lines, too. I'm actually getting excited about this! Where will we put the 51st star on the flag? I guess they'll just squeeze them all up a bit and squeeze it in. All Puerto Ricans are already US citizens right? So .... I mean why not?

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One reason why not could be their voting record. It appears with Rubio getting 70% they are for open borders.

To be honest we do not need any more shiny object to distract us away from the invasion of our country. Apparently Puerto Rico already has the illegal problem, so we would be taking on another country that has an invader problem already.

Puerto Rico does not cast electoral votes for the president of the United States. It does, however, participate in the Democratic and Republican presidential nominating processes. Puerto Rico held Republican primary elections on March 6, 2016. The Democratic caucuses took place on June 5, 2016.
Hillary Clinton won the Puerto Rico Democratic caucuses. Clinton also won the territory in 2008, defeating Barack Obama 68 to 32 percent.[1]
Marco Rubio won the Puerto Rico 2016 Republican primary with more than 70 percent of the vote.[2] Donald Trump came in second with 13.8 .

stoptheinvaders wrote (excerpt):

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Hillary Clinton won the Puerto Rico Democratic caucuses. Clinton also won the territory in 2008, defeating Barack Obama 68 to 32 percent.[1]
Marco Rubio won the Puerto Rico 2016 Republican primary with more than 70 percent of the vote.[2] Donald Trump came in second with 13.8 .

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but if memory serves me the Puerto Rico Democrat party also had around twice the delegates the Republicans had. Democrats had 50 something and the Republicans had 20 something.

Republicans have as good a chance if not a better chance of winning votes in Puerto Rico as Democrats once they're a full state and with the electoral college, the population of Puerto Rico is so small, it wouldn't really matter anyway. Besides, a lot of Republicans through businesses and trades would be living, working and voting in Puerto Rico during the redevelopment of Puerto Rico and many would retire there as well. I personally don't see their voting record as a territory as an issue one way or the other.

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Originally Posted by MW

stoptheinvaders wrote (excerpt):



Correct me if I'm wrong, but if memory serves me the Puerto Rico Democrat party also had around twice the delegates the Republicans had. Democrats had 50 something and the Republicans had 20 something.

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RNC-----23
DNC-----60

So if Puerto Rico becomes a State 2 more Dem Senators and more Dem Representatives.

In Florida battleground, Puerto Ricans fleeing Maria's destruction reshape electoral landscape

By Emily DeCiccio | Fox News

How Puerto Ricans are reshaping Florida's voting landscape

Hurricane Maria changed the electoral landscape in Florida's critical I-4 corridor with an influx of displaced Puerto Ricans who can now register to vote. Some influential community leaders open up about the power of the Puerto Rican vote.



ORLANDO – Carmen ‘Millie’ Santiago arrived in Florida with her husband and two children after Hurricane Maria took everything – destroying her home and the child care center where she worked, forcing the family to leave Puerto Rico and start over.

“Often, when people relocate to a new place, they have the opportunity to sell a couch or a mattress and have some money,” Santiago said. “The people who came here after Maria didn’t have the opportunity to do any of that. We are all here starting from scratch.”

Santiago represents just one of the roughly 200,000 Puerto Ricans who fled their island for Florida after the Category 4 storm hit the U.S. territory last September.

More on this...

• Many in Puerto Rico still under tarps as storm threat looms
• Puerto Rico issues new data on Hurricane Maria deaths
• Puerto Rico institute sues health department to obtain data

But as they begin the painstaking work of rebuilding their lives in the Sunshine State, the influx of new residents has also commanded the attention of Florida’s officeholders and candidates. Taken together, these potential new voters represent a potent political force and their relocation could hold major implications for this year’s elections and beyond.

Over 56,000 Puerto Ricans, including Santiago and her family, have settled in the Orlando area, according to estimates by the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College in New York. Orlando is a critical part of what’s known as the I-4 corridor – which runs between St. Petersburg and Daytona Beach and has become one of America’s most contested political battlegrounds.

'There’s an active campaign and fight for the soul of the Puerto Rican voter.'
- Hector Cordero-Guzman, professor at Baruch College

According to Census Bureau data, Puerto Ricans have voted 60 percent Democratic in past elections nationally. But these voters could well be up for grabs for both parties, in this year’s midterms and perhaps in 2020 – as Puerto Ricans pay close attention to candidates’ plans and promises for the island’s reconstruction and for those who fled.

Donald Davison, a professor of political science at Rollins College, said it would be wrong to view their vote on a monolithic bloc for one party.

http://a57.foxnews.com/media2.foxnew....jpg?ve=1&tl=1


“I think it’s a simplification to classify a Puerto Rican vote or a Hispanic vote as a party’s lock yet,” Davison said. “These are groups of voters that display a great complexity and subtlety.”

In just one sign of how the population has expanded in a short period of time, nearly 14,000 people – three times as many as last year – showed up during the Puerto Rican parade in Central Florida in April.

More significant, community leaders told Fox News that many registered there as first-time voters.

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'People are engaged,' Christian Lloyd Suarez says. (Benjamin Nazario)


“People are engaged and involved and you saw a lot of people there registering voters,” Christian Lloyd Suarez, the Puerto Rican parade’s organizer, said.

While a litmus test for political candidates wooing this important electorate traditionally has been their position on statehood for Puerto Rico, the view of the U.S. government’s controversial handling of post-Maria recovery aid has become just as important, community members and leaders say.

Some Puerto Ricans felt the Trump administration offered insufficient help to the island in the wake of the disastrous storm. The island was allocated over $15 billion in federal aid earlier this year, though Puerto Rican leaders have asked for much more.

“People are still watching and they’re seeing who’s helping our community, who’s voting in favor of legislation that will help our community,” community leader Zoé Colón told Fox News, noting that Puerto Ricans are not remaining passive. “… We are a force to be reckoned with.”

Florida’s 2018 midterm election could be one of the most important in years. And candidates seeking all levels of public office have been courting Puerto Ricans, who have a long history in the state.

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Zoé Colón says, 'We are a force to be reckoned with.' (Benjamin Nazario)


The governor's office is open this year, while several congressional seats will be competitive and Floridians will vote on 13 proposed constitutional amendments. Sitting Republican Gov. Rick Scott, who backs Puerto Rican statehood, also is challenging three-term Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.

The issue of displaced Puerto Ricans flared into a recent campaign controversy in a Florida congressional race – when Republican John Ward, a businessman running in Florida’s 6thDistrict, came under fire for saying those who relocated to Florida after Hurricane Maria shouldn't be allowed to vote.

“I don't think that they should be allowed to register to vote,” he told a reporter, saying he "doesn't necessarily have a problem" with Puerto Ricans coming to the mainland United States but thinks the focus should be on their return. He said the U.S. should provide "the capital and resources to rebuild Puerto Rico, which is where I honestly think they belong."

One of his primary opponents, former state representative Fred Costello, posted a video of the remarks on YouTube. State GOP Rep. Bob Cortes, a Costello supporter who is Puerto Rican, said of Ward, "Electing a candidate like that is dangerous and would be a disservice, not just to the Puerto Rican Americans he would disenfranchise, but to all freedom-loving Americans."

In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel on May 22, though, Ward clarified his remarks and said he was referring to temporary, displaced Puerto Ricans.

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“Puerto Ricans are American citizens, and if they’re going to be permanently living here in Florida, of course they can register and be welcomed into the community,” he said.
Despite Ward’s comments, many Puerto Ricans may now consider Florida their long-term home.

Hurricane Maria caused more than an estimated $100 billion in damage. The number of hurricane-related deaths remains in dispute; many experts believe it is in the hundreds, if not thousands, according to an Associated Press report.

Hurricane Maria also caused the longest blackout in U.S. history, leaving the entire island of 3.3 million people without power, including those in hospitals and nursing homes who relied on respirators.

Millie Santiago recalled to Fox News that she told her husband in the wake of Maria that they could “start in Florida from scratch, because we lost everything in Puerto Rico.”
“It was at that moment when we enrolled in FEMA,” she said.

Puerto Ricans leaders allege a contrast between the Trump administration’s response to Hurricane Maria, whose highest sustained winds hit 155 miles per hour, and Hurricane Irma, which hit Florida 10 days earlier and had maximum winds at 132 miles per hour.

They note, for instance, that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) activated its Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program on the day Irma struck, but the agency took more than a month to active it on the mainland for Hurricane Maria evacuees.

Rev. José Rodríguez of Iglesia Episcopal Jesus de Nazareth, who has been helping many of the Puerto Rican families displaced by Maria, complained that families affected by Maria had to fight with the feds for hotel extensions while those affected by Irma did not.

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Jimmy Torres Vélez says Puerto Ricans who make Florida their new home are mindful of the impact their participation in elections can have on Puerto Rico. (Benjamin Nazario)


“Why did Irma get extended without a fight, but the Puerto Rican families have to fight?” he asked.

The Trump administration, though, has adamantly defended its response.

“We've done unprecedented movement in terms of federal funding to provide for the people of Puerto Rico and others that have been impacted [by] these storms,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said last September. “We'll … continue to do everything that we possibly can under the federal government to provide assistance.”

Brendan Ramirez, CEO of the Pan American Behavioral Health Services of Florida, said political candidates cannot dismiss Puerto Ricans’ concerns, though.

“You don’t have to look any further than the 2016 presidential election, where voters felt marginalized and did something that nobody thought they would be able to do, and the reason that they did that was precisely because they felt like they were marginalized,” he said. “That’s what you’re going to see here in Central Florida with new and established Puerto Ricans.”

Puerto Ricans long have been rooted in Florida, first in the southern end of the state and in later years in the central region. Their numbers in Central Florida have grown dramatically in recent years in response to the economic crisis on the island, prompting many professionals and more affluent Puerto Ricans to leave.

Jimmy Torres Vélez, coordinator for Boricua Vota, said that Puerto Ricans who make Florida their new home are mindful of the impact their participation in elections on the mainland can have on Puerto Rico.

“Here, we have an opportunity and can vote,” Velez said, “and we need to make sure that people understand that by voting here, they can help Puerto Rico.”

Fernando Rivera, professor of Sociology at University of Central Florida, said the connection between Puerto Ricans on the island and the mainland has “grown stronger” since the storm. “The U.S. Congress has a lot to say and do, as to the future of the island,” he said.

Millie Santiago said there should be no question about the determination of Puerto Ricans. “I can tell you firmly that we’re hard-working people. We’re on the streets fighting to get ahead and we are here for everyone, not just fighting for our own skin; we stick together,” said Santiago. “I want people to understand that. We’re here to fight, not just for our fellow Puerto Ricans, but for all the Latinos that find themselves here without housing.”

The most recent data shows that in 2015, about 769,000 Puerto Ricans in Florida were eligible to vote. Groups like Boricua Vota, Mi Familia Vota and UnidosUS are making major pushes to register Hispanic voters in the state. Their leaders say they expect to register a combined total of 35,000 new Puerto Rican voters.

Christian Lloyd Suarez said lawmakers from both parties have an opportunity to make their case to Puerto Rican voters. “A lot of Puerto Ricans don’t identify as a Democrat or as a Republican … so I think there’s a real opportunity for Puerto Ricans to be persuaded,” Suarez said.

As Hector Cordero-Guzman, a professor at Baruch College Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, put it, “There’s an active campaign and fight for the soul of the Puerto Rican voter.”

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018...landscape.html

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Originally Posted by Judy

Republicans have as good a chance if not a better chance of winning votes in Puerto Rico as Democrats once they're a full state and with the electoral college, the population of Puerto Rico is so small, it wouldn't really matter anyway. Besides, a lot of Republicans through businesses and trades would be living, working and voting in Puerto Rico during the redevelopment of Puerto Rico and many would retire there as well. I personally don't see their voting record as a territory as an issue one way or the other.

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Small=2 Senators
Large=2 Senators

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Beezer

. . . They did not want to become a State until disaster strikes and then WE foot the bill. NO, come up with Plan B.

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This election was in June, before the hurricane hit in Sept.

Puerto Rican status referendum, 2017

Location Puerto Rico Date June 11, 2017 Voting system PluralityResults

Statehood   97.18% Independence/Free Association   1.50% Current Territorial Status   1.32%

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto...ferendum,_2017

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

And New York City

Hipsters are driving low-income Hispanics out of Brooklyn

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Yes, so true.

Brooklyn was In desperate need for a refresh and restart.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Judy

No, I didn't know that. Like I said I just really don't know much about Puerto Rico. It sounds beautiful with so much potential and they should do all rebuilding with the hurricane proof construction, do all underground power lines, too. I'm actually getting excited about this! Where will we put the 51st star on the flag? I guess they'll just squeeze them all up a bit and squeeze it in. All Puerto Ricans are already US citizens right? So .... I mean why not?

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The government owns the power lines which is why it hasn’t been updated or replaced since 1915.

Private investment is the only future success for Puerto Rico.

You may not know this, but Puerto Rican’s do pay and collect Social Security.

Under no circumstance should any of the current people in government be allowed
to remain if statehood is granted.

They are the problem and each and every one of them have to go!

All I can say is take a trip to the island to form your opinion.

Round trip rip tickets are cheap.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lorrie

The government owns the power lines which is why it hasn’t been updated or replaced since 1915.

Private investment is the only future success for Puerto Rico.

You may not know this, but Puerto Rican’s do pay and collect Social Security.

Under no circumstance should any of the current people in government be allowed
to remain if statehood is granted.

They are the problem and each and every one of them have to go!

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I'm curious---how will statehood change the current people in government?
If the voters are voting them in now, how will statehood change the way the voters vote?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lorrie

Yes, so true.

Brooklyn was In desperate need for a refresh and restart.

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Brooklyn Is Booming. So Why Is Population Shrinking? - CityLab
https://www.citylab.com/equity/2018/03/brooklyn-is-booming-so-why.../556280/
Mar 23, 2018 - In case you hadn't heard, Brooklyn has gentrified.

In 2017, New York City’s largest borough lost about 2,000 people, the first net loss since 2010.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stoptheinvaders

RNC-----23
DNC-----60

So if Puerto Rico becomes a State 2 more Dem Senators and more Dem Representatives.

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Thank you. Well, for someone going on memory alone, I was pretty close. :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lorrie

The government owns the power lines which is why it hasn’t been updated or replaced since 1915.

Private investment is the only future success for Puerto Rico.

You may not know this, but Puerto Rican’s do pay and collect Social Security.

Under no circumstance should any of the current people in government be allowed
to remain if statehood is granted.

They are the problem and each and every one of them have to go!

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Yes, I did know Puerto Ricans paid into Social Security and receive benefits when they retire. They don't pay income taxes though, as I understand it.

Yes, I learned about the power line issue recently after the hurricane down there. I'm a big proponent of burying power lines, especially in hurricane and bad weather areas of the country. They would be able to restore power and services so much faster if they were buried and could clean trees off roads much more quickly not having to wait for the power company to come deal with the lines in the road. They bury everything else, water and sewer lines, natural gas lines, telephone lines, cable lines, why not bury power lines? Makes no sense this conversion hasn't already happened years ago so I think there is corruption involved in this persistence of above ground pole lines.

I agree with purging all the crooked government officials as a condition and using private investment to every length possible. It could be quite a story to tell, Lorrie!! Little Puerto Rico could become quite the Shangri-La!! Now is the time to do it while Trump is President because he'll know how to do it right, get all the big money people and investors down there, put them to work on a beautiful new Island Project. Everyone wins.

Yep, I'm liking this idea more and more.

Hey Lorrie, what about Cuba? Only 90 miles from Florida. I think we should work towards making it a state of the United States as well. Some day, down the road. So close to US. Another beautiful island. The Cuban people are really great. We'd like them a lot. Shame this rift with the Castros and the Cubans who moved here have kept US-Cuba apart.

Puerto Ricans who can't speak English qualify as disabled for Social Security. Hundreds of Puerto Rico's residents qualified for federal disability benefits in recent years because they lacked fluency in English, according to government auditors. ... However, they do not automatically qualify for disability payments.

Apr 10, 2015

Puerto Ricans who can't speak English qualify as disabled for Social ...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/.../puerto-ricans-who-cant-speak-english-qualify-as-dis...