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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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!!

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Originally Posted by lorrie

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.

I must have visited a different Puerto Rico than you.
Most of them told me that they were tri-racial: European, Taino and African.

I and my wife were embraced and felt nothing either way.

But Slowly but surely they are shaking off the mind-screw that was placed on them.

The Indian, Spanish and African races came together on the island of Puerto Rico, contributing their blood and traditions to the formation of the Puerto Rican culture. The original inhabitants of Puerto Rico at the time of the Spanish conquest were the Taino and Carib Indian-tribes.

91.02.06: The Heritage and Culture of Puerto Ricans

teachersinstitute.yale.edu/curriculum/units/1991/2/91.02.06.x.html