Posted on 04/26/2010 3:19:03 AM PDT by paustin110
One piece of legislation that is garnering interest is H.R. 2499, The Puerto Rico Democracy Act, introduced in May 2009 by Pedro Pierluisi (D.-Puerto Rico) and coming up for a vote before the House of Representatives next week.
The bill basically gives Puerto Ricans the chance to vote between retaining their current status or choosing a new status, to include Statehood. The text of the bill can be found here.
One of the many controversial issues of this bill is the issue of plebiscite as opposed to a constitutional convention. Roberto G. DePosada, writing for Roll Call, asks:
Why not have Congress authorize the commonwealth to elect delegates and hold a constitutional convention that would reflect Puerto Rico’s entire political spectrum? Then the convention could debate and reach a consensus for charting the island’s future to submit to Congress.
(Excerpt) Read more at soitgoesinshreveport.blogspot.com ...
Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free???
NO!
no......................
YES, they need to pay taxes too. Right now all they do is milk the system at our expense.
Considering that P.R. has access to our monies, we may as well make it official and tax “everything that moves” on that island, as Hillary would say...
Right idea, wrong State. I like Hawaii.
Instead, Lets give away Illinois to Canada. At least everything North of Springfield. Its already on the border. Its politics is corrupt as corrupt can get. And as a bonus, I am sure Michigan would love to throw in a little something themselves. How does Detroit, Ontario sound?
The only exception is we should be able to keep the Red Wings, since most of their support comes from the suberbs and other parts of the state anyway...........
But, Hamtramk IS a viable possability.
We'd have to politic with Canada ... what makes you think they would TAKE Detroitistan?
It's a problem, certainly and best dealt with a pair of scissors (cut a state loose) rather than trade off an injured reserve player.
No
We need nominations for six more states too. That way Obama will be able to remember the number.
Can you imagine even MORE Spanish?
First order of business is to declare English the official language of America. Second, remove all Spanish from all signs, ballots, telephone menus, etc. Third, consider Puerto Rico if they can/will comply with the English-only requirement of America.
We moved from So. Cal. to Tenn. four weeks ago. Haven’t heard Spanish even once — except on some phone menus when making calls to national firms. It’s wonderful.
No.
Well, how would you stop it? They’re American citizens on an American territory with more then enough people to qualify.
Zero will only allow it if his Amnesty bill gets blocked and he thinks it can build up the Dem voting machine....
I’m for total independence. All those in jail on Rykers Island can be GIVEN their release if they offer to renounce their citizenship. Let’s flush our toilet with this one.
You cannot call yourself a cultural conservative, or rightest of any type, and support statehood for PR. We have enough of a problem with the mainland being turned into a Third World country by people who don't belong here in the first place. The PR are lucky that the palefaced saps gave them citizenship in 1917.
The single worst part of H.R. 2499, dubbed the Puerto Rico Democracy Act, is that it would allow former Puerto Ricans to vote in a pro-statehood advisory referendum even if those former residents are already registered voters in a U.S. state. Instead of voting "early and often," this might be called the "vote here, there and everywhere" stratagem. It is fundamentally undemocratic at its core.
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