The state of Hawaii

[PunkMaister]

Finally the last portion of the article here:

Economics

Federal Taxes. Some Puerto Ricans believe they would be worse off economically under statehood because they would be subject to federal income taxes. But our studies show that Puerto Ricans will be better off through the economic growth that would come from full integration into the U.S. economy, and have higher disposable incomes, after taxes, under the statehood option. They would also have full access to the full range of federal support and programs available to citizens in need.

Commonwealth backers insist on what we call the "Big Lie." They claim Puerto Rico can continue to have the "best of both worlds" under the Commonwealth status and continue to get federal benefits, while they promise even more financial and economic benefits under their plans; without paying federal income taxes and still staying outside the union. They promise all this while Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans are without full voting representation in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Under the Commonwealth arrangement Puerto Rico's one single delegate to Congress has no voting rights. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Evidence shows that the Puerto Rico state income tax burden to Puerto Ricans under the current Commonwealth system in which the islands has its own tax system, is excessive and disproportionate to incomes when compared with the states. This reality is even more acute with respect to the majority of Puerto Rican families and individuals, those with low and moderate incomes. Approximately 50 percent of Puerto Ricans live under the federal poverty line. The fact is that the commonwealth option costs Puerto Ricans economically everyday. Full integration to the national economy will provide job creation and income benefits. Preferential tax benefits to mainland corporations are already being reduced due to legislation that is phasing out IRS Section 936 tax incentives for these corporations. It is estimated that Puerto Ricans are on the average $6,000 per year poorer today than citizens of Mississippi, our least well off state.

Payroll Taxes in Puerto Rico - No change with statehood. Puerto Ricans are already integrated to the mainland payroll tax system and therefore full incorporation as a state of the union will not mean drastic changes in the way individuals and families in Puerto Rico make their contributions. It will not cause economic hardship to Puerto Ricans nor it will require new federal processes or the creation of new agencies for implementation. Puerto Ricans already fully contribute Payroll Taxes to the national Social Security and Medicare systems (combined these are known as FICA tax) the same way as all other US taxpayers. The rate is exactly the same as that paid by taxpayers in the states, 7.65%. The self-employed are also already required to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes at the same rate, and are permitted to take a deduction on their income tax returns, proportionate to the self-employed. As mentioned earlier, Puerto Ricans pay proportionately more in Puerto Rico state income tax than the citizens of similar incomes in the states who pay a combination of federal, state and sometimes local income taxes.

Medicaid - Commonwealth status continues to immiserate U.S. citizens in need. For the least financially well off in US society, Medicaid is often the support mechanism through which needed medical care service and attention is provided. Medicaid funding is disbursed to state governments and the program is administered by state agencies. Due to Puerto Rico's status as a territory and not a state, the US citizens of Puerto Rico receive only 15 percent of the funding in Puerto Rico where 50 percent of citizens live under the poverty line.

Federal funding for Medicaid in Puerto Rico is capped at about $200 million annually as of December 2003, according to the Council of State Governments. The federal government funds 85 percent of Medicaid spending in the states.

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Our Response

Independence is an honorable option that gets high marks only from those who think in emotional and highly nationalistic terms. Puerto Rican identity is strong and will always be strong, irrespective of status. A people with a history as long and rich as Puerto Ricans will not lose their identity as a result of a change in political status.

Commonwealth holds out the falsehood that Puerto Ricans call their own shots, can have all benefits bestowed by U.S. citizenship, and still not pay federal taxes. To us, this inequality is the worst of all worlds and Commonwealth backers paints a colorful that simply does not exist. It does not exist now and under Commonwealth status it never will. Fundamentally, it cannot.

In response to these myths we put forward the following facts:

1. Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States with limited self-government.

Despite pretensions to the contrary by proponents of the existing status Puerto Rico does not call its own shots in its dealing with the U.S. Congress, the mainland, regionally or internationally. It has been the habit of commonwealth backers, to say, suggest or imply that it does; and this is both a gross untruth and a misinterpretation of the most dishonest proportions.

2. The people of Puerto Rico are not fully represented and do not have fiull voting rights in the U.S. Congress where they are represented by a single non-voting delegate. Therefore, the people of Puerto Rico do not exercise sovereignty over their own affairs.

While Puerto Ricans elect a governor and have a state government like all the states, the United States Congress controls the destiny of Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico's external affair, in foreign trade, international relations and international security affairs including military issues. Puerto Rico has powerless representation in the U.S. House of Representatives under Commonwealth. It is also a fact that Federal law is already paramount in Puerto Rico due to its territorial status, and has been since the Treaty of Paris in 1898.

3. The U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico will never be able to deal with the Congress on an equal footing until they have full sovereign voting rights in Congress and thereby exercise control over their own affairs. This can only be achieved with statehood.

4. Puerto Ricans do not have constitutionally guaranteed citizenship now and what they have is a limited second class variety extended to them by Act of Congress in 1917. United States citizenship can only be guaranteed by Puerto Rico becoming a state.

Under the current status Puerto Ricans will not receive more or equal benefits as citizens residing in the states. On the contrary, it is likely that under the current status they will probably receive less federal benefits, and are losing more federal tax incentives as each year goes by. Statehood, on the other hand, will offer first class citizenship with full rights as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Puerto Rico will be able to send a full delegation of elected representatives and senators to the U.S. Congress and be able to vote for President for the first time. That very same U.S. Constitution will protect the rights of Puerto Rico as a state and Puerto Ricans as citizens, the same as the other 50 states. And we predict the island will experience swift economic growth with statehood, bringing its economic indicators and standard of living up to a level equal to the other states of the Union.

Link here!

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On the whole Punk, you've stated the same old bla-bla that statehooders have fed Puerto Ricans since the 1970's, when massive influxes of welfare started inundating the island thus enticing the poor, and the not so poor, to rip off the gringo tax payers.

What we fail to grasp is the sordid (vulgar) truth behind our statehood story.

Punk, to answer your Google-ized pro statehood banter sentence by sentence would take me a century, I will twitter it as best I can.

First of all Mr. Punk, statehood is a win win for Puerto Ricans in terms of money and security. Like I said it'll be a Lotto Dream come true. Why do you think Puerto Ricans are mostly pro-statehood now? They're no fools!

Cut out that nationalistic pro-american weep story and get down to REALITY. Puerto Ricans don't care a hoot about being Gringos or accepting as theirs the history of the FOUNDING FATHERS. In fact we don't IDENTIFY with these guys and their white wigs.......... well except with the faces on the money they represent.

To put it simple, Statehood is a Lotto Dream come true. Why?

As it now stands, most Puerto Ricans live below the federally accepted POVERTY LEVEL, much lower than Mississippi. That would immediately entitle us to massive returns of monies via INCOME TAX CREDITS. In other words, Federal Income tax money paid to Uncle Sam by Puerto Ricans on April 15th will be RETURNED, almost fully + extras to keep the economy afloat. This was outlined in the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Study during the last plebiscite round in Washington in 1998. Statehood as an alternative was then dropped like a lead ball by the Republicans, and later on by the complete senate.

Will only the poor live off welfare under statehood? NO professionals too!

Even today doctors live off Medicare and Medicaid funds. In fact they hike up their fees and let the Gringo tax payers pay them. Isn't it strange that the Puerto Rican Medical association is Gung Ho for the Obama health plan even though their mainland colleagues are against it?

PR doctors, dentists and even lawyers, like the poor in "Los Caseríos" will also enter into these welfare maintenance plans, keeping their salaries stable. After all being a government worker is already a way of life on the island and it doesn't have the stigma that it does on the mainland.

No Punk, its not strange that the U.S hasn't offered us statehood. Its not the PPD, Its that Gringos haven't figured out what to do with us after our usefulness during the Cold War has evaporated.

What I find strange is that even the PNP, with a 53% backing for statehood, hasn't moved fast enough to corner congress. MMMMMMMM Do they know something we don't know?

Some amusing CONSEQUENCES of Statehhood, which might not be so funny in the long run.

As Dominicans and Haitians see how we'll rip off Uncle Sam under statehood ,they'll want part of the action too.

Statehood in Puerto Rico will provoke a massive migration of boat people unlike anything seen in history.

As Puerto Ricans view the hords of blacks and illiterates landing on the shores of Mayaguez they'll hop on planes in droves heading to the already crowded and crime infested ghettos of Orlando, leaving our once loved "Isla del Encanto" to the immigrant vultures in serach of anything they can find.

By the way, Orlando is now the 17th city in crime in the United States.

[PunkMaister]

And you did not read a single line of what I posted because automatically you assume it's the from the New Progressive Party line when it is not... In fact the association that website belongs too has lambasted the NPP time and time again for not being pro active in the quest for Statehood and equality and no Equality does not mean monetary parity to us all. It's pretty arrogant of you to assume that most statehooders all they want is the money they can get from Uncle Sam, most certainly not all of us are like that. Is there a welfare mentality in the island which was ironically encouraged by the U.S itself during the Cold War? Absolutely. And that mindset needs to change because with that mindset not even the European Union as liberal as they are would want us around.