PR Statehood, Independence, or Commonwealth?

[dulceAMOR]

NOT MENTIONING PARTY PREFERENCE, I BELIEVE PR SHOULD STAY A COMMONWEALTH, IT HAS BEEN LIKE THAT FOR SO LONG NO MATTER WHAT POLITICAL PARTY HAS GOVERN PR, WE HAVE THE LUCK TO GET ASSISTANCE AND HAVE US CITIZEN RIGHTS AND AT THE SAME TIME CONSERVE OUR CULTURE AND ROOTS. I LIVE IN FLORIDA AND BELIEVE ME IS NO MAGICAL STATE AND COUNTRY EITHER. IM JUST LIVING HERE BECAUSE MY SON WANTS TO AND HE IS SO ATTACHED TO ME, BUT OTHER WISE I WOULD BE LIVING IN PR. PEOPLE BELIEVE IN THE "AMERICAN DREAM" BUT THEIR ISNT ANY. IN THE US THEIR IS SO MUCH DISCRIMINATION AND DENEGRATION THAT I DONT BELIEVE PR SHOULD BE A STATE, WE ARE WELCOME IN A CONVINIENT WAY FOR THE US BUT OUR HUMAN RIGHTS ARE NOT RESPECTED. THE ONLY REASON US IS INTERESTED TO HELP PR IS BECAUSE THEY USE RESOURCES FROM OUR COUNTRY TO BETTER THEIR COUNTRY. DONT THINK THE US WANTS US BECAUSE WERE SPECIAL AND BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE EVERY COUNTRY IS SPECIAL IN THEIR UNIQUE WAYS. UNITED STATES SAYING IS: YOU SCRATCH MY BACK AND I WILL SCRATCH YOUR.

[BoricuaFL2]

Dulce,

I going to ask you a question, and please do not feel I am putting you on the spot, but can you please tell me what "resources" the U.S. is getting from PR? The excuse that PR was crucial for U.S. security and occupied land that many said should had been used for housing and farm is over. There are no military bases in PR, except Ft. Buchannan, which is going to revert back to the use of the Army Reserve and Army National Guard. Puerto Rico does not produce oil, does not huge mineral deposits, except for 2 billion dollars worth of copper in the central mountains, which incidentally, the people of that area won’t allow to be dug up and processed. The other excuse I hear is the importation of food products from the U.S., but the truth is, if we were indepedent, I think we would import from other countries too, just as much as we bring food products from the U.S. I do not care what Puerto Rico wants when it comes to its political preference, I know what I have accepted, and that is to live as an American who is Puerto Rican here in the U.S. I just believe in the philosophy, "different strokes for different folks". I have had many run-ins with very stupid people, but I consider myself very educated and just brush them off. Don’t think I will not defend myself from verbal abuses. Discrimination and distrust can be found anywhere in this world. I am taking a terrible guess, but it seems to me, you probably live in an area that other Puerto Ricans live in too, correct me if I am wrong. I live in an area in Florida that has very little Hispanics. I have never had any problems. My Spouse is a Black Puerto Rican and I have had problems even within my own Boricuas…yes, racism among our own. I just brush them off too. Hay estupidos en todos los grupos.

[Ecuajey]

Originally posted by BoricuaFL2
...but can you please tell me what "resources" the U.S. is getting from PR?

"Puerto Rico sustains over 2,300 diversified industrial plants - including many leading Fortune 500 multinationals...."

"One of the largest industrial sectors in Puerto Rico with 65 manufacturing plants, the pharmaceutical industry has...outbound shipments of pharmaceutical products reaching the $28 billion mark in FY 2001...25% of all pharmaceutical products manufactured in the U.S. are shipped from Puerto Rico and 16 of the top 20 selling prescription drugs in the U.S. are produced here...For FY 2003 Total net income for the manufacturing sector amounted to $29.6 billion."

"During 2000, outbound shipments of electrical equipment amounted to $2.8 billion, of which nearly $2.5 billion were shipped to the U.S. mainland...68% of the Island’s electronics and software facilities are subsidiaries of mainland U.S. firms...."

"7.6% of all medical devices and equipment manufactured in the U.S. are shipped from Puerto Rico...Outbound shipments in this area grew 19.1% between 1991 and 2000, reaching $1.8 billion."

"No wonder plants in Puerto Rico often rank #1 on measures of productivity and quality within their parent company structures."

http://www.pridco.com

Plus, the #1 Sears, Macy's, JcPenny's are in Puerto Rico, Wal-Mart has control of over 50% of the PR retail market, and Boricuas buy USA cars like crazy. The Puerto Rico resource that the USA values is dinero. lol

[BoricuaFL2]

Ecuajey,

I am very much aware of the volume of commercial activities and goods that Puerto Rico is producing. These are not resources, they are goods and services. There is no exploitation from what I see. There are services and goods that are being paid for in wages. My question was directed at the resources that dulce said the U.S. is getting from PR. The quality and production is a plus for Puerto Rico. The advantages of tax breaks for mainland companies are gone. Puerto Rico is very lucky having any multinational company set up operation since NAFTA. This is another factor that affects manufacturing goods and jobs. The statement of folks buying U.S. cars is not that quite correct. The sales of American cars are much lower then foreign vehicles. Japanese are still number one because of their quality and economy on gas usage. Like I stated before, if PR was independent, PR would probably be doing the same thing it’s always done, spend money in the malls, give tax breaks to companies to set up shop there and buy U.S. cars.

[Ecuajey]

Originally posted by BoricuaFL2
I am very much aware of the volume of commercial activities and goods that Puerto Rico is producing. These are not resources, they are goods and services. There is no exploitation from what I see.

I don't think dulce meant natural resources. If she did, then I don't. According to dictionary.com resources mean:

"1.Something that can be used for support or help

5. b The total means available to a company for increasing production or profit, including plant, labor, and raw material; assets."

As you can, raw materials are not the only things that are called resources. The atmosphere in which people and factories are well used for the highest profit is a resource for companies. In PR's case, mostly USA companies. Therefore, Puerto Rico's mass-commercialism and pro-industrial & business atmosphere are resources in which, one way or another, the USA values to keep regardless of NAFTA and the phasing-out of section 936. Also, I never wrote "exploitation." As for USA car sales in PR. I never wrote they were #1. Whether they be # 2 or 3, they are bought and sold en masse for such a small island.

[BoricuaFL2]

I am very much aware what other resources are, you see, I have a MS in Human Resources. What I ask Dulce was, what resources was she talking about? I am old enough to remember people stated that PR was being exploited for its resources, yet I could not see what the heck they were talking about. Many unions in the past claimed that the human resource was exploited by companies, that is debatable, but I have no time for that. My original question to Dulce is still the same, what did she mean by resources?

[Joseph]

Nationalism is very sensitive after, universal
advanced spiritual text, prophylaxis or health
initiative that cures disease or prolaims the
fountain of youth, money or religion. However
it is important to review every important data
so their would be logical mutual benefit.

Please provide additional information via
e-mail to jmichael@vcrmc.org or reply to
this thread. Include websites that provide
the average median income in puerto rico
compared to other latin american nations.

Review http://www.vcrmc.org/economic.html
user name is eternal & password is living

This should provide reference to states in
our country such as alaska and Hawaii whom
are far way yet maintain their heritage and
flag with the economic advantage/protection
from the gross domestic product of the 300
million americans. This includes the right
to vote in elections to improve the life
of every american. I have revised previous
text on the 'Bible' subject line on Puerto
Rico discussion forum, held since 1999.

Sincerely, Joseph Michael, Philosopher