The reall problems with Statehood. Read why!

[Mike_Coordero]

Pocho here we go again. This is for Keeptrying. Gringo is not a bad word. Even White Americans like this word. It just mean green money or green go. I believe the state hood party won't win much in the coming election because all they do is lie to my people. As long as the PPD keep winnig the more time there is for a free Puerto Rico.

[CnstrGuy]

So in otherwords Mike, you'd rather keep us in a limbo state. You'd rather keep us hiding behind Common Wealth in the small hope that someday we will vote for independence? That's selfish! Let's keep P.R. in limob because I don't agree with what the majority of the people want. COME ON! That's not fair nor is it right.

[seethelight]

What I find so interesting about this whole statehood issue is that the USA never intended to give PR statehood from the start. 100 years later, we are kidding ourselves if we think statehood is in our future. Had the US wanted to grant stethood to PR it would have established an "incorporrated territory" from the beginning. But on the contrary, US government refused to incorporate the land it invaded, calling its inhabitants mongrels and illiterates. We could not possibly have governed ourselves!!!Never mind that when the US invaded PR most of their own southern states had more illiterates than PR had. They were still allowed to vote, but in PR they took that right away. Satehood would mean more representation in Congress than 18 states which today are less populated than PR.
Do you really think the US is ready to let us have that much power? Don't worry about statehood, the US will never let it happen.

[REDEVALL]

Interesting..all this discussion. I'm not from PR, but I lived there 2 years as a marine. I loved the island and the people there. My wife is from there. They are certainly NOT second class citizens. I can't say whether or not it would suffer if given statehood, but I can say that if it became independent it certainly would. Many american companies would pull out. The federal government would pull out (taking with it all the money it sends there). And a lot of jobs would be lost because the bases would probably close or reduce in size.

I don't want anything bad to happen to the PR people, but it is up to them to decide. I just hope that however it goes that they are ok, that my family there remains ok..

[seethelight]

In response to redeval;The thought of US corporations pulling out of PR simply because it is independent would never happen. There has been and still is too much interest in what these corporations can get out of the island. There is too much at stake for them and independence doesn't mean cut off from the US. It means being able to determine our own destiny and being able to negotiate our own trade agreements and deciding who we want to do business with. Everyone who has any interest in PR should study the history of the island. And now that there is so much talk about statehood or independence, learn about US/PR relations since the US invasion of PR in 1898. The US denied PR the right to self government since the beginning and keeping it in limbo is what they intend to do. Who is a Puerto Rican? Who do we owe allegiance to and what flag? What country are we citizens of? We never asked for citizenship. It was imposed on us by a government who needed men to fight in WWI. Not once did the so called democratic government allow the people to decide what they wanted, and so here we are today. I feel for what my father and grandparents lived through. My great geandfather lost his land because of the US and their imposing taxes to keep the masses from voting and changing Spanish pesos at .60 cents for every peso, so the Puerto Rican lost 40% of his money overnight. They bought up the lands and broke the law so they could continue to take over the land to run their corporations on. It's a very different world when you look at the story through the eyes of the Puerto Rican. I urge you and everyone, know your history,please. The US has not been a grand Uncle to PR, don't kid yourself. There could have been another relationship, but the racist ideas of the time prevented it.
Two very good books on PR history: Morality and Power by Mria del Pilar Arguelles and Puerto Rico A Political and Historical History by Arturo Morales Carion.

[REDEVALL]

Seethelight...
I only say that because I happen to know the CEO of one of the companies. She told me that if given independance that the company (and its some 5000 jobs) would pull out of PR
because of something to do with tax benefits.
I don't remember the whole gist of the conversation either (it was brought up when she found out my wife was from PR). But she seemed to indicate that the concensus among many of the bigger companies was the same.. No reason to stay, and many to leave.

[Mike_Coordero]

Your company might say that because they don't have the hold picture. When PR become free US would give PR a 5 to 10 year before the copany have to pay taxes. Secon this company would never have to pay fedral taxes which is one of the reason they are there.
Believe me, US would want to make more bussines with a free PR than with a PR State or with PPD. Freedowm for PR is the right thing to do and the US Goverment know this.
So now US is just waiting for the PR to vote for a free PR and beleive me they hope it happens soon.