18 replies to this topic

[Happy Panther]

http://www.cnn.com/2...rico/index.html

In an overshadowed Election Day contest, Puerto Ricans voted in favor of statehood in a nonbinding referendum, marking the first time such an initiative garnered a majority.

Congress would then need to approve.

Is anyone more familiar with this situation. Why would your regular PR guy want or not want to become the 51st state?

And is it worth the cost what with all the extra stars that would have to be sewn on flags?

[Darth Biscuit]

Not really familiar with it either...

What's in it for them to be a state rather than a commonwealth?

What's in it for the other 50 states and the feds for them to be a state and not a commonwealth?

[Doc Holiday]

Im half Puerto Rican, and by half I mean my mom is from the island. Probably to get more government funding. They right now have been getting all the benefits of being a state with none of the taxes, since pretty much as long as they have been a territory. But if they are wanting more federal funding I imagine they would have to join as being a territory they are dead last in funding priority

[Doc Holiday]

The thing I don't get is if they join their taxes would go through the roof compared to what they are paying now so I don't know why they would want to do that

[Inimicus]

Along with the increase in federal money they would get 2 Senators and 5 House seats. So a seat at the table that's been governing them. Currently they only have a non voting delegate in DC.

[Matthias]

Cool. Also, so we don't have to put another star on the flag, I would love to see North and South Carolina to become one state. The state of Carolina has a nice feeling to it. (I'm serious by the way)

[rodeo]

It's in a very weird place to be a state, amongst a bunch of other islands that aren't states. We should absorb all the carribean islands from Cuba down and make it 1 state.

[natty]

Cool. Also, so we don't have to put another star on the flag, I would love to see North and South Carolina to become one state. The state of Carolina has a nice feeling to it. (I'm serious by the way)

How about NC takes Charleston and gives the rest to Georgia.

Well...maybe we'll take the Lake Wylie area too.

[g5jamz]

$20 billion dollars

http://www.washingto...atehood-anyway/

For one thing, becoming a state would allow them to benefit from an extra $20 billion a year in federal funds – something Puerto Rico could use, given its 13 percent unemployment rate.

[Inimicus]

Cool. Also, so we don't have to put another star on the flag, I would love to see North and South Carolina to become one state. The state of Carolina has a nice feeling to it. (I'm serious by the way)

There would be a 51st star added.

As for the joining of NC and SC never going to happen. That's two senators that would have to actually earn a living as the joint state would lose two seats in that chamber. Additionally even though House seats are population based I cant help but think there would be a few Reps that would be out of work.

[Tarheel31]

No room for a 51st star.

I say we add a sombrero to the lower right corner.

[mmmbeans]

sombrero?

[Inimicus]

Plenty of room


This is the one the PR Statehood movement uses:

[rodeo]

I think the 51st star should have to be green for a probationary period.

[FurdTurgason]

Obama was a visionary. Where will the next six come from?