Puerto Rico Votes in Favor of Statehood

[Sanji Himura]

http://thehill.com/homenews/news/337347-puerto-rico-votes-in-favor-of-statehood

So what does today's results mean now? Nothing for now. The ball now rests in Congress' court to pass something called an 'Enabling Act'. If the act passes, the ball now shifts back to Puerto Rico to form the frame work for their state constitution and elects their new state officers. This process can, and does take years.

 

[Northstar]

This is rather surprising considering how long they resisted it.

 

[Blitz24]

They want taxation and representation. The issue of late has been the fact that they are in financial straits.

 

[Johnnypenso]

This is rather surprising considering how long they resisted it.

Probably seems a lot more attractive when you can't pay your bills.

 

[HELLAFLUSH240SX]

Probably seems a lot more attractive when you can't pay your bills.

You say it like they would be the only state that couldn't pay its bills.

 

[TenEightyOne]

This is rather surprising considering how long they resisted it.

Iirc they voted for it last time too but the number of spoiled/blanc votes led to some uneasiness about the validity of the result.

 

[Sanji Himura]

You say it like they would be the only state that couldn't pay its bills.

Technically speaking, that isn't true. 45-46 states, depending on if you trust the NCSL or the NASBO, have some form of balanced budget requirement on the books.

 

[Johnnypenso]

You say it like they would be the only state that couldn't pay its bills.

I say it like it's a lot more attractive when you can't pay your bills.

 

[TRGTspecialist]

According to the Wall Street Journal, 97 percent voted for statehood, though turnout was only about 23 percent.

Ouch. They'll have a hard time arguing the legitimacy of something only 22.3% of voters voted for.

 

[W3H5]

Didn't the Dominican Republic try something like this years (1870 or something) ago and despite all the positivity it got caught up in politics and bureaucracy and faded away?

 

[HELLAFLUSH240SX]

I say it like it's a lot more attractive when you can't pay your bills.

Well the reason they can't pay their bills isn't because they have a small economy outside of US tourism. Becoming a state should have been happened considering they don't need Visas to come to the Û.S and they serve in our military.

 

[Johnnypenso]

Well the reason they can't pay their bills isn't because they have a small economy outside of US tourism. Becoming a state should have been happened considering they don't need Visas to come to the Û.S and they serve in our military.

The reason they can't pay their bills is because they spend more than they take in. The size of the economy doesn't make that a foregone conclusion. I'm Canadian and I can also enlist in the U.S. military and I don't need a visa to visit either. Should we be a state as well?

 

[HELLAFLUSH240SX]

The reason they can't pay their bills is because they spend more than they take in. The size of the economy doesn't make that a foregone conclusion. I'm Canadian and I can also enlist in the U.S. military and I don't need a visa to visit either. Should we be a state as well?

If you don't mind being invaded and taken over, sure. Any non citizen can enlist, but Puerto Rican's are already considered US citizens. Also, Canada isn't considered a US territory is it?

 

[Johnnypenso]

If you don't mind being invaded and taken over, sure. Any non citizen can enlist, but Puerto Rican's are already considered US citizens. Also, Canada isn't considered a US territory is it?

You said they should become a state because they don't need visas and can enlist in the military. That same criteria applies to many, many countries of the world.

 

[Sanji Himura]

If you don't mind being invaded and taken over, sure. Any non citizen can enlist, but Puerto Rican's are already considered US citizens. Also, Canada isn't considered a US territory is it?

To sort out the potential confusion, Canadian citizens doesn't require a visa. There are 38 countries that participate in the Visa Wavier Program with more that may be added to the list (I'll list those here in Italics). Citizens of those countries have the right to apply for entry to the US without a visa.

Most EU countries (except Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania)*
Andorra
Australia
Brunei
Chile
Iceland
Japan
Liechtenstein
Monaco
New Zealand
Norway
San Marino
Singapore
South Korea
Switzerland
Taiwan **
Argentina
Brazil
Bulgaria
Cyprus
Israel
Poland
Romania
Turkey
Uruguay

*British Nationals include British Citizens and British Overseas Territories Citizens deriving their status by way of a connection with Gibraltar are eligible for entry to the US without a visa by way of the VWP.

** Restricted to citizens with a Taiwanese National ID Number only.

 

[TenEightyOne]

To sort out the potential confusion, Canadian citizens doesn't require a visa to visit the US, and are the only country in the world that enjoys that right.

I'm a little confused by that claim... British citizens holding a passport don't need a visa if they're visiting for fewer than 90 days. That's what "waiver" means, you don't need one. In that case I guess the same is true of the other countries you named?

 

[HELLAFLUSH240SX]

You said they should become a state because they don't need visas and can enlist in the military. That same criteria applies to many, many countries of the world.

Yes, I should have been clearer but you are using that to muddy the waters. They also pay taxes, they also can be drafted in to war. This isn't a sovereign country we are talking about, but again a US territory. When those other countries fall in to that category then maybe they will become States. Until then Puerto Rico has a valid reason to be considered.

 

[Johnnypenso]

Yes, I should have been clearer but you are using that to muddy the waters. They also pay taxes, they also can be drafted in to war. This isn't a sovereign country we are talking about, but again a US territory. When those other countries fall in to that category then maybe they will become States. Until then Puerto Rico has a valid reason to be considered.

I'm using your quoted words to muddy the waters?. Adding in the taxes doesn't help the case either as I know quite a few Canadians that pay taxes in the U.S. The only real difference is that they are a legally recognized territory of the United States. Beyond that, I don't see anything that would make the rest of the country want to promote them to statehood, especially given their current financial situation.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

This is rather surprising considering how long they resisted it.

Trump: *hands waving* "Because of me Puerto Rico wasn't to be part of my dream to make America great again, what wuuuunderous day numero 51"

 

[Obelisk]

Honestly, I happily welcome Puerto Rico as the 51st state (if it happens). The more the merrier!

 

[Liquid]

Surely there's a better phrase for the US beginning the process of conferring statehood on Puerto Rico than the Enabling Act?

 

[mustafur]

I'm using your quoted words to muddy the waters?. Adding in the taxes doesn't help the case either as I know quite a few Canadians that pay taxes in the U.S. The only real difference is that they are a legally recognized territory of the United States. Beyond that, I don't see anything that would make the rest of the country want to promote them to statehood, especially given their current financial situation.

To be fair their current situation is made worse because they are not a state and don't have the access to the financial aid a state would be able to receive.

 

[Sanji Himura]

I'm a little confused by that claim... British citizens holding a passport don't need a visa if they're visiting for fewer than 90 days. That's what "waiver" means, you don't need one. In that case I guess the same is true of the other countries you named?

Yeah, that is a screw up on my part.