http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-w...59919.html

This has been kind of under the radar, but Puerto Rico just elected a pro-statehood governor and representative. A bill has already been filed in Congress.

(01-19-2017 02:07 PM)bullet Wrote:  http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-w...59919.html

This has been kind of under the radar, but Puerto Rico just elected a pro-statehood governor and representative. A bill has already been filed in Congress.

Minorities aren't allowed to have their votes equally counted by the GOP. It will take a Dem majority and probably a Dem President to get that done.

They'll need to dump Spanish as their official language, IMO. There should be English-speaking requirements for local/city/state positions if that's the case.

(01-19-2017 02:10 PM)ECUGrad07 Wrote:  They'll need to dump Spanish as their official language, IMO. There should be English-speaking requirements for local/city/state positions if that's the case.

Why bother? The GOP isn't going to allow this.

(01-19-2017 02:12 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(01-19-2017 02:10 PM)ECUGrad07 Wrote:  They'll need to dump Spanish as their official language, IMO. There should be English-speaking requirements for local/city/state positions if that's the case.

Why bother? The GOP isn't going to allow this.

While you're at it, can I have the Powerball #'s for this week? Since you can see the future.

(01-19-2017 02:09 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(01-19-2017 02:07 PM)bullet Wrote:  http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-w...59919.html

This has been kind of under the radar, but Puerto Rico just elected a pro-statehood governor and representative. A bill has already been filed in Congress.

Minorities aren't allowed to have their votes equally counted by the GOP. It will take a Dem majority and probably a Dem President to get that done.

http://www.puertoricoreport.com/jeb-bush...IEQRoWcHIU

(01-19-2017 02:15 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(01-19-2017 02:09 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(01-19-2017 02:07 PM)bullet Wrote:  http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-w...59919.html

This has been kind of under the radar, but Puerto Rico just elected a pro-statehood governor and representative. A bill has already been filed in Congress.

Minorities aren't allowed to have their votes equally counted by the GOP. It will take a Dem majority and probably a Dem President to get that done.

http://www.puertoricoreport.com/jeb-bush...IEQRoWcHIU

LOL...and where is he?

(01-19-2017 02:13 PM)ECUGrad07 Wrote:  

(01-19-2017 02:12 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(01-19-2017 02:10 PM)ECUGrad07 Wrote:  They'll need to dump Spanish as their official language, IMO. There should be English-speaking requirements for local/city/state positions if that's the case.

Why bother? The GOP isn't going to allow this.

While you're at it, can I have the Powerball #'s for this week? Since you can see the future.

The only way this would be allowed would be if tied to further gerrymandering of our Presidential process by creating 7 or 8 more GOP states.

(01-19-2017 02:07 PM)bullet Wrote:  http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-w...59919.html

This has been kind of under the radar, but Puerto Rico just elected a pro-statehood governor and representative. A bill has already been filed in Congress.

Well if we are going to bail them out of debt........they already get over 6 Billion in welfare payments from the USA. It would be an electoral lock for the Dems. Murder rate per 100,000 is sky high. Don't see the upside.

I have no issue with Puerto Rican statehood, but a lot of Puerto Ricans do. I can see this fizzling out like all the other statehood drives in the past. Once statehood began to build steam the folks would get skittish and dump the pro-statehood folks in the next election. It will take serval pro-statehood admins and majorities to get this passed. On my scale of which territories I think should get statehood first:

- Puerto Rico
- US Virgin Islands
- Guam
- Northern Mariana Islands

The last two might be more realistic as a joined state.

50 is a good number.

Let's just let Mexico have them.

That debt and murder rate is awful.

(01-19-2017 02:10 PM)ECUGrad07 Wrote:  They'll need to dump Spanish as their official language, IMO. There should be English-speaking requirements for local/city/state positions if that's the case.

Puerto Ricans speak English, too. I had a few friends in college from Puerto Rico. Schools were taught in English. They serve in the US Military.

Puerto Rico should be a state.

(01-19-2017 02:17 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(01-19-2017 02:15 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(01-19-2017 02:09 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(01-19-2017 02:07 PM)bullet Wrote:  http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-w...59919.html

This has been kind of under the radar, but Puerto Rico just elected a pro-statehood governor and representative. A bill has already been filed in Congress.

Minorities aren't allowed to have their votes equally counted by the GOP. It will take a Dem majority and probably a Dem President to get that done.

http://www.puertoricoreport.com/jeb-bush...IEQRoWcHIU

LOL...and where is he?

Still in the Republican Party..

(01-19-2017 02:18 PM)49RFootballNow Wrote:  I have no issue with Puerto Rican statehood, but a lot of Puerto Ricans do. I can see this fizzling out like all the other statehood drives in the past. Once statehood began to build steam the folks would get skittish and dump the pro-statehood folks in the next election. It will take serval pro-statehood admins and majorities to get this passed. On my scale of which territories I think should get statehood first:

- Puerto Rico
- US Virgin Islands
- Guam
- Northern Mariana Islands

The last two might be more realistic as a joined state.

Even the last two, joined together, have a population (200K) which is less than half that of Wyoming... Maybe let them be annexed by Hawaii so they are part of that state?

In the same manner the US Virgin Islands (pop 100K) could be brought in as a part of Puerto Rico.

But all for getting the territories into the US via some mechanism.

(01-19-2017 02:35 PM)Bull_Is_Back Wrote:  

(01-19-2017 02:18 PM)49RFootballNow Wrote:  I have no issue with Puerto Rican statehood, but a lot of Puerto Ricans do. I can see this fizzling out like all the other statehood drives in the past. Once statehood began to build steam the folks would get skittish and dump the pro-statehood folks in the next election. It will take serval pro-statehood admins and majorities to get this passed. On my scale of which territories I think should get statehood first:

- Puerto Rico
- US Virgin Islands
- Guam
- Northern Mariana Islands

The last two might be more realistic as a joined state.

Even the last two, joined together, have a population (200K) which is less than half that of Wyoming... Maybe let them be annexed by Hawaii so they are part of that state?

In the same manner the US Virgin Islands (pop 100K) could be brought in as a part of Puerto Rico.

But all for getting the territories into the US via some mechanism.

True enough. However, we could always change the number of Representatives in the House to reflect a lower population state. In 1800 there was one Rep per 70k people. Now it's greater than 700k. Could you imagine 4000 US Representatives? LOL! Talk about a cluster****!

(01-19-2017 02:30 PM)chess Wrote:  

(01-19-2017 02:10 PM)ECUGrad07 Wrote:  They'll need to dump Spanish as their official language, IMO. There should be English-speaking requirements for local/city/state positions if that's the case.

Puerto Ricans speak English, too. I had a few friends in college from Puerto Rico. Schools were taught in English. They serve in the US Military.

Puerto Rico should be a state.

The official language in Puerto Rico is both English and Spanish. This has been the case since the United States occupied the island during the Spanish-American War. Government business is done almost exclusively in English. English is a compulsory course in the public schools.

That being said, the typical person in PR speaks Spanish at home.

(01-19-2017 02:35 PM)Bull_Is_Back Wrote:  

(01-19-2017 02:18 PM)49RFootballNow Wrote:  I have no issue with Puerto Rican statehood, but a lot of Puerto Ricans do. I can see this fizzling out like all the other statehood drives in the past. Once statehood began to build steam the folks would get skittish and dump the pro-statehood folks in the next election. It will take serval pro-statehood admins and majorities to get this passed. On my scale of which territories I think should get statehood first:

- Puerto Rico
- US Virgin Islands
- Guam
- Northern Mariana Islands

The last two might be more realistic as a joined state.

Even the last two, joined together, have a population (200K) which is less than half that of Wyoming... Maybe let them be annexed by Hawaii so they are part of that state?

In the same manner the US Virgin Islands (pop 100K) could be brought in as a part of Puerto Rico.

But all for getting the territories into the US via some mechanism.

What about the black majority state of New Columbia?

(01-19-2017 02:48 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(01-19-2017 02:35 PM)Bull_Is_Back Wrote:  

(01-19-2017 02:18 PM)49RFootballNow Wrote:  I have no issue with Puerto Rican statehood, but a lot of Puerto Ricans do. I can see this fizzling out like all the other statehood drives in the past. Once statehood began to build steam the folks would get skittish and dump the pro-statehood folks in the next election. It will take serval pro-statehood admins and majorities to get this passed. On my scale of which territories I think should get statehood first:

- Puerto Rico
- US Virgin Islands
- Guam
- Northern Mariana Islands

The last two might be more realistic as a joined state.

Even the last two, joined together, have a population (200K) which is less than half that of Wyoming... Maybe let them be annexed by Hawaii so they are part of that state?

In the same manner the US Virgin Islands (pop 100K) could be brought in as a part of Puerto Rico.

But all for getting the territories into the US via some mechanism.

What about the black majority state of New Columbia?

You mean Southwest Maryland?

(01-19-2017 02:35 PM)Bull_Is_Back Wrote:  

(01-19-2017 02:18 PM)49RFootballNow Wrote:  I have no issue with Puerto Rican statehood, but a lot of Puerto Ricans do. I can see this fizzling out like all the other statehood drives in the past. Once statehood began to build steam the folks would get skittish and dump the pro-statehood folks in the next election. It will take serval pro-statehood admins and majorities to get this passed. On my scale of which territories I think should get statehood first:

- Puerto Rico
- US Virgin Islands
- Guam
- Northern Mariana Islands

The last two might be more realistic as a joined state.

Even the last two, joined together, have a population (200K) which is less than half that of Wyoming... Maybe let them be annexed by Hawaii so they are part of that state?

In the same manner the US Virgin Islands (pop 100K) could be brought in as a part of Puerto Rico.

But all for getting the territories into the US via some mechanism.

I think the Virgin Islands actually has a strong independence sentiment. St. John's could be part of PR and maybe St. Thomas, but I think St. Croix would prefer independence to that. Also have some issues with the Dutch who attached strings when they gave us the islands.

Guam and the Northern Marianas are a long way from Hawaii and have some hostility towards each other from WWII when Northern Mariana residents occupied and mistreated the people of Guam under Japanese leadership.