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Puerto Rican voters back statehood in questioned referendum
AP ^ | 11 Jun 17 | DANICA COTO

Posted on 06/11/2017 3:58:08 PM PDT by SkyPilot

Puerto Rico's governor announced that the U.S. territory has overwhelmingly chosen statehood in a nonbinding referendum Sunday held amid a deep economic crisis that has sparked an exodus of islanders to the U.S. mainland.

Nearly half a million votes were cast for statehood, more than 7,600 for free association/independence and nearly 6,700 for the current territorial status, according to preliminary results. The participation rate was just 23 percent with roughly 2.26 million registered voters, leading opponents to question the validity of a vote that several parties had boycotted.

Gov. Ricardo Rossello shows his ballot at the San Jose Academy during the fifth referendum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sunday, June 11, 2017. Puerto Ricans are getting the chance to tell U.S. Congress on Sunday which political status they believe best benefits the U.S. territory as it remains mired in a deep economic crisis that has triggered an exodus of islanders to the U.S mainland. Congress ultimately has to approve the outcome of Sunday's referendum that offers voters three choices: statehood, free association/independence or current territorial status.

"From today going forward, the federal government will no longer be able to ignore the voice of the majority of the American citizens in Puerto Rico," Gov. Ricardo Rossello said, announcing the victory. "It would be highly contradictory for Washington to demand democracy in other parts of the world, and not respond to the legitimate right to self-determination that was exercised today in the American territory of Puerto Rico."

U.S. Congress, however, has final say in any changes to the island's political status.

(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bankruptcy; debt; hellno; puertorico; welfare
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To: All

No thanks dude. We’ve decided way back that we’re not going to bail you out. We know that’s what your main goal is. GTH Dumbass


61 posted on 06/11/2017 5:20:04 PM PDT by ssfromla
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To: SkyPilot

Libre Puerto Rico! !

Free the maggot parasite commonwealth colony!


62 posted on 06/11/2017 5:27:07 PM PDT by ZULU (DUMP THAT POS PAUL RYAN!! HE KILLED OBAMACARE REPEAL AND WILL KILL TAX REFORM!!)
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To: SkyPilot

Not a fan of the concept, despite otherwise enjoying Latin culture (food, language, music etc). As other posters have pointed out, we would end up with 2 more D Senators, and additional leftward slant on DC politics.

Instead of making new states, let’s restore true federalism and re-decentralize the several states.


63 posted on 06/11/2017 5:27:49 PM PDT by SecAmndmt (Arm yourselves!)
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To: Rannug
Why don’t we Americans get to vote?

If the general population of the U.S. got to vote for P.R. Statehood, it's quite possible that most of the votes would go for statehood. Remember how Hillary got the majority vote count for the whole country? Democrats would me more motivated to get another liberal voting state, than republicans would be in rejecting it.
64 posted on 06/11/2017 5:28:12 PM PDT by adorno (w)
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To: SkyPilot

Hahahahahahahahahaha!

I just voted for Puerto Rico to give me a million dollars.


65 posted on 06/11/2017 5:35:25 PM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: SkyPilot

Sorry, we don’t have room on the flag for another star


66 posted on 06/11/2017 5:36:28 PM PDT by Keyhopper (Indians had bad immigration laws)
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To: Timpanagos1

They already are. Let them have their own country since they act liek they do, and if they want to come here they then apply for a visa , and all welfare is cut off.


67 posted on 06/11/2017 5:43:29 PM PDT by manc ( If they want so called marriage equality then they should support polygamy too.)
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To: SkyPilot

An economic basket case TWO DEMOCRAT SENATORS AND three Democrat CONGRESSMAN FOREVER? Get your hand out of my pocket and get lost Jose. Ain’t no way beat it. It would also become a HUGE open door for scumbags to sneak in our country. It already is and a few years ago they had to invalidate ALL P R birth certificate ALL OF THEM! to TRY to get some control and that was under Obama.
NO NO NO NO! GO AWAY we see right through this money grab.


68 posted on 06/11/2017 5:47:06 PM PDT by jmaroneps37 (Conservatism is truth. Liberalism is lies.)
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To: SkyPilot

BTW, FReepers, if congress brought forth the decision on P.R. statehood, I think that most senators would vote for statehood, mostly because there are a lot of scattered Puerto Ricans all over the country and their votes count, and the majority of senators (if not all), including republicans, don’t want to be seen as “racists”.


69 posted on 06/11/2017 5:52:02 PM PDT by adorno (w)
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To: SkyPilot

HELL. NO.


70 posted on 06/11/2017 5:52:17 PM PDT by Mr. Blond
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To: Mr. Blond

So, the mailman is a Hispanic. It’s election day.

ME: did you vote yet today?

HIM: I don’t vote here. I vote in my country.

ME: Where is your country?

HIM: Puerto Rico.

Been worried about the mail ever since.


71 posted on 06/11/2017 6:01:39 PM PDT by tenthirteen
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To: adorno

Sorry, Madame Clinton got 48 percent of the vote and only that because she beat Trump by 4.3 million votes in left coast California. Take that out and Trump got close to the majority and beat her by 1.5 million votes. Also, if PR wants and is granted “independence” it should please the dorks who ran the PR day parade in NYC and selected a murdering terrorist who killed several Americans in the name of Puerto Rico “independence”. Lets “honor” the parade organizers and their supporters by giving them just that.


72 posted on 06/11/2017 6:02:55 PM PDT by laconic (thes)
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To: SkyPilot

Puerto Rican voters back statehood in questioned referendum

Of course. They are broke and circling down the sewer of bankruptcy. Many years of corruption, grafting, bribery, and gross mismanagement are reaping the ineptitude of decades of thievery. Now, they want the good, old USA. To bail them out.

Not on your life, I say. If they can’t swim, let them sink. The USA already has enough of its own blood sucking unproductive handout seekers and drones.


73 posted on 06/11/2017 6:15:18 PM PDT by GoldenPup
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To: laconic

Your anger is duly noted, but still, Hillary won the majority of the votes, and California’s votes would count too for the decision of P.R. statehood. That is where the difference lies, because, we’re not talking about the electoral college count in a simple majority decision. Now, if the decision were to be about P.R. statehood requiring not a simple majority, but a 60% or more, then the California vote would not matter, nor NY’s, which is where Hillary “won” the majority of votes.


74 posted on 06/11/2017 6:18:20 PM PDT by adorno (w)
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To: SkyPilot

The governor of Puerto Rico is Ricky Rosselló. His mother’s name is Maga Nevares de Rosselló. Any guy whose mom is named MAGA is OK with me.


75 posted on 06/11/2017 6:36:15 PM PDT by InABunkerUnderSF (Proudly deplorable since 2016 - BLOAT)
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To: SkyPilot

I suggest that they do join the other 50 states. But I don’t think they should be their own state. I suggest that they join NY. It will be like the upper peninsula in Michigan. We don’t have to add a state.


76 posted on 06/11/2017 6:37:05 PM PDT by poinq
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To: nhbob1

I couldn’t agree more. Give them PR. Give us East & West California or North and South New York


77 posted on 06/11/2017 6:40:21 PM PDT by j.havenfarm
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To: SkyPilot

No statehood.


78 posted on 06/11/2017 6:48:07 PM PDT by buffaloguy
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To: SkyPilot

No statehood.


79 posted on 06/11/2017 6:48:08 PM PDT by buffaloguy
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To: buffaloguy

We do not need nor want Puerto Rico as a state.


80 posted on 06/11/2017 6:51:04 PM PDT by Herman Ball (2)
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