The reall problems with Statehood. Read why!

[TainaChulita]

Is this a discussion or a kindergarten fight Lenny? Can we change the subject from dirty diapers to what really matters? Which is Puerto Rico. You have your views and I have mine. Although I am young I am not easily steered off course. I will not lie that certain leaders have moved their countries under false pretexes but it would also be wrong to assume that all leaders moving towards freedom are just glory hungry. I myself am motivated by something else . I am willing to labor for everything I have or can have , and not for what is in it for me but how it can affect my people. I am not self righteous and I always think about others.. especially when it concerns my people.. I am not motivated by dreams of glory but that of a brighter future. I look at Puerto Rico's forefathers.. San Pedro Albizu Campos, He was not motivated by your so called Glory but by a great love for Puerto Rico. He endured the most vile tortures so that you can call your self a Puerto Rican , he dedicated his life for our land.. NOt everyone is glory hungry and the peril that exists in Latin America is not only caused by the leaders but from the disunity it's people can bring...

[Poncepr68]

Tainachulita,

I am glad to here that you are not too easily influenced by others. Concerning you be young in no way shape or form was that intended to down play you, even though someone here might find it amusing to make it sound that way. Now on to your little comment about kindergarden, it would not be this way if certain individuals here would respect others with different views, but to go on calling a person a vendepatria I really doubt that highly. Pedro Albizu Campos, now there I will agree with you to certain extent. He fought for what he believed in and I can resect and admire that but the leaders that we have today in no way shape or form represent that of the man. These individuals today are all about themselves and that you can try to hide or even change the view but it will always be there staring you straight in the eye. Ruben is no good you can try to argue that point with me all day and that my friend will not change. Question for you how many years did he throw Fernando Martin out for governor but now that he can use a tragic accident to his advantage he is now running for governor now look at this and tell me that you do not see foul play here, it is not about Puerto Rico it is about them and not us. If that makes me vende patria than so be it. I could follow an individual like Pedro Albizu Campos to hell and back but never will I follow the trash for leadership that is promising independence today.

[Virgil]

TainaChulita,

Well, you have been tremendously eloquent in making your point. However, it has always been the same, people tend to mix up realism with negativism. There is a problem right now with the current generations of Puerto Ricans. Have you had a chance to stroll around the island from time to time? Have you seen all the "botellas, latas de cerveza, bolsas de Mc Donalds y Burger King, platos desechables, carros quemados, enseres electricos inservibles" in fact all the garbage that our own people is dumping in the streets?? Do I feel good about it? NO!!! As no one should! Is it a real problem ? YES!!! That's reality. HAve you been in a traffic jam lately here in Puerto Rico?? In a three lane road people create 6 lanes, and they even use the green areas to cut in front of the group of cars of those of us who patiently wait in line.

For you I might be a negative person. For me, I am being realistic about this whole situation we are in.

In order to fix that problem, we must make people responsible for their actions. First, we must start by cutting away all these damn cupones!! They are creating generations of free loaders.

Second, we must forget about this "Ay bendito" crap which is bringing us to our knees.

It is true that many good people use the cupones in a right manner, but unfortunately they are the exception.

With a country like that there's no way you can "echar pa'lante". Only a revolution will change all of this.

I also have faith in our people like you do, but faith alone doesn't save souls.

Wishful thinking has never killed anyone, yet "estrellandote" against that wall called reality has killed many and it will keep on taking its toll on new victims.

Best Regards.

[Eddier1]

[quote]Originally posted by Virgil:
>>TainaChulita,

Well, you have been tremendously eloquent in making your point.....

With a country like that there's no way you can "echar pa'lante". Only a revolution will change all of this.<<

Well Virgil you have finally said something I can concur with. It seems that it took a Puerto Rican "Joan of Arc" person to make you see the light. Thank goodness to social reason for her eloquence and social responsibility towards our people.

And yes I agree totally with you that we need a new system entirely. You called it a revolution and in that I concur wholeheartedly too.

However, statehood is the antithesis of that revolution because it will only be the consolidation of the present bad conditions that P.R. is presently going through. Nothing would really change with statehoodism; in fact because with the introduction of federal income taxes which Puertorriquenos cannot afford, things would only get much worst.

Have a Nice Day Boricua,
EddieR #1



[This message has been edited by Eddier1 (edited 14 August 2000).]

[Virgil]

Eddier,

If that revolution you talk about is a socialist state, we would never allow something like that to happen. There are other means to make people learn a culture of work and personal responsibility. First thing I would do is implement the death penalty, eliminate government aides with the exception of those who really need it, I would strictly raise the fines for common misdemeanors such as wall grafitti, and littering. Second, I would establish English and Portuguese immersion language schools in every region, So on and so forth.

Your way of "curing" the problem is like the story of the man that had a dog full of fleas and since he was sick of the fleas he killed the poor dog. The revolution I talk about is one where people will really start to think that not government but themselves are the ones who should provide for themselves. Socialism is the opposite to that. It is government being the "proveedor", converting its citizens in parasites just as it is now.
All social programs were thought of with a good purpose on mind.

Concerning your taxation arguments, you should be more than aware, that most puertorricans would not be paying federal income taxes since most of us are under the poverty level according to US standards. That would obviously change, but in the meantime most families rather than paying income taxes would recieve Earn Income Tax Credits. You live in a state, you know better than me about it. Regarding property taxes, you know better than I do that those are established by the state and not by the federal government. So, only if Puerto Rico as a state decides to set taxes on property (which it now does for as long as you are paying a mortgage)then we would pay property taxes. However, that is unforeseable since Puerto Rico already lost the 936 section of the IRS and nothing has happened.

Back to you!

[Eddier1]

[quote]Originally posted by Virgil:
>>The revolution I talk about is one where people will really start to think that not government but themselves are the ones who should provide for themselves.<<

From this latest post, I see that you have used the word revolution incorrectly. What I perceive now is that you want a reform or a reformation and not a new system that a revolution alone can bring.

Really I don't think that the Reforms of you and your party P.N.P. which I have heard lots and lots about since Rossello took office, will do anything of real value but instead cause great internal strife within PUerto Rico.

To have all the trappings of statehood and not the reality is not acceptable to the Boricuas, since they have time and again rejected it at the ballot boxes. You know of course, that Congress would have the final say over if and when P.R. would be admitted as a State. And you probably know too that both Alaska and Hawaii were taxed for years and years (I call it paying old-fashioned colonial or classical Tribute to the Imperial Nation). And this was done with no guarantee that they would ever be accepted by the U.S. Congress.

Now you know that Boricuas are made of different stuff from the Hawaiians and the Eskimos, and will never accept such a paying arrangement. Why?, you may ask; well because for centuries our Boricuas dealt with that other Imperial Nation of Spain, and are well experienced in not trusting Imperialists of any nation.

Thanks for expounding on this issue and making clear and distinct what you meant.

EddieR #1

[Poncepr68]

Eddier1,

I can finally say that I find myself agreeing with you concerning socialism and yet I can still say that I have lived in a socialist country and it is no good there what makes you think that it would work in Puerto Rico? You can find has you have stated in other topics that in the United States they have several socialist programs to assist the most unfortunate, like Virgil has said we do need to limit who and why certain individuals are getting assistance. In Puerto Rico today too many times you find that a person can not get any help with that so called "PALANCA" and this is also a problem in socialist countries today. Would this improve or worsen the problems that Puerto Rico faces today.