Posted on 03/09/2016 3:22:33 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Rafael Rivera left Puerto Rico for central Florida late last year, fed up with the island's escalating debt crisis and dwindling sales at his cellphone shop.
Five months later, Rivera, 36, has a nice apartment in the Orlando suburb of Kissimmee and a job at a nearby Hyundai dealership. He's also registered to vote.
Because Puerto Ricans are the fastest-growing group of voters in a contested corridor of a battleground state, "you could make the case that they're the most important voters in the United States," said Fernand Amandi, a Florida pollster.
"Puerto Rican voters have completely upended the understanding of how the state is going to vote in November," Amandi said. "They could wake up in San Juan, have breakfast and be registered to vote in the U.S. come dinnertime. You see both parties doing a full-court press to win over what could very well be the decisive vote."
Faced with $72 billion in debt and soaring unemployment, Puerto Rico is losing tens of thousands of people each year. The Caribbean island's population dropped each year by 48,000 people from 2010 to 2013, according to data from the Pew Research Center.
Many landed here, along the Interstate 4 corridor that connects Tampa and Daytona Beach, an area characterized by swamps and strip malls and plentiful jobs. The Orlando metro area led the nation in job creation last year, according to Gallup....
(Excerpt) Read more at dailypress.com ...
Just in time for the Rubio surge! Lol.
Poor Little Marco, hoping the Puerto Ricans will save him in Florida. This is very lame and see-through.
Contrary to popular myth, PR is not a ‘state’.
Additionally, while the two parties allow Puerto Rico voting status for PRIMARIES, it is not permitted to vote in the Presidential Election as part of Electoral College provisions and rules.
It is NOT “swing” state; it is just another cog in the nomination gear train.
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/thepresidentandcabinet/a/Puerto-Rico-And-The-Presidential-Election.htm
The swing state being referred to is not Puerto Rico, but rather Florida.
Um, they’re not taking about Puerto Rico, they’re talking about Puerto Ricans moving to Florida, which is a state.
Why don’t we now let P.R go it alone and why do we keep it a territory anyway?
I am in FL and see people here from that island who never fly our flag, who don’t speak English, and don’t have a sense of loyalty to America before their own island.
So again why do we keep it, why not let them all go back?
I’d be all for that too, actually. I am just praying it never becomes a full-fledged state with Congressmen and Senators - very bad.
The reason that vote has failed every time is because Puerto Ricans don’t pay Federal Income Taxes. If they became a state, they would have to. It’s all about entitlements and money without the responsibilities.
I’m sure sometime we’ll see calls for a statehood vote coupled with a federal dispensation that its citizens would never have to pay Federal Income Tax. In that case, it would pass.
How does this country benefit form having them be a territory?
I know they do,. They get to come here, they enjoy welfare and jobs, and all the perks of the country, but I see no reason how we get anything out of it.
so how do we benefit form having them as a territory?
they get to come here, get welfare, jobs, medical, education etc, what on earth do we get?
I thought the US Navy had some gun ranges there, plus some other assets and capabilities related to ship degaussing, etc. But a lot of that has changed because of eco freaks. I also recall PR as hosting the big radio telescope at Arecibo that gets major funding from US sources..
“What on earth do we get?”
Just a small sample:
List – Killed in Action, Global War on Terror, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines, Puerto Rico born or Puerto Rico HOR
SPC Wilbel A. Robles-Santa, USA, KIA April 6, 2013, Zabul, Afghanistan
SGT Luis A. Oliver Galbreath, USA, KIA August 16, 2012, Kandahar, Afg.
SGT Jose J. Reyes-Cruz, USA, KIA July 18, 2012, Afghanistan
SGT Louie Ramos-Velázquez, USA, KIA May 26, 2011, Kandahar, Afg.
SGT José M. Caraballo-Pietri, USA, KIA April 10, 2011, Badghis, Afghanistan
SGT José M. Cintrón-Rosado, USA, KIA January 2, 2011, Taji, Iraq
SPC José A. Delgado-Arroyo, USA, KIA January 2, 2011, Taji, Iraq
PVT Francheska Velez and her unborn child, USA, KIA, November 5, 2009, Fort Hood, Texas
SPC Israel Candelaria Mejías, USA, KIA April 5, 2009, Near Baghdad, Iraq
SrA Jonathan Vega Yelner, USAF, KIA April 29, 2008, Near Bagram AB, Afghanistan
CPT Ulises Burgos-Cruz, USA, KIA April 6, 2008, Balad, Iraq
SGT Ricardo X. Rodríguez, USA, KIA October 4, 2007, Bayji, Iraq
SSG Wilberto Suliveras, KIA July 29, 2007, Taji, Iraq
CPT Maria I. Ortiz, USA, KIA July 10, 2007, Baghdad, Iraq
CPT Anthony Palermo, USA, KIA April 6, 2007, Baghdad, Iraq
SGT David A. Mejías, USA, KIA April 1, 2007, Baghdad, Iraq
SPC Jason Nuñez, USA, KIA March 25, 2007, Baqubah, Iraq
SGT Eduardo Santini, USA, KIA March 17, 2007, Baghdad, Iraq
SSG Karl O. Soto-Pinedo, USA, KIA Feb. 27, 2007, Baghdad, Iraq
SSG Jesus M. Montalvo, USA, KIA Oct.18, 2006, Baghdad, Iraq
LCpl Yull Estrada Rodriguez, USMC, KIA Sept. 20, 2006, Al Anbar, Iraq SSG Irving Hernandez, Jr., USA, KIA Jun. 12, 2006, Mosul, Iraq
SGT Jose M. Velez, USA, KIA June 9, 2006, Kirkuk, Iraq
1SG Robert Mendez, USA, KIA April 27, 2006, Baghdad, Iraq
SSG Luis M. Melendez, USAF, KIA Feb. 17, 2006, Gulf of Aden
LCpl Orville Gerena, USMC, KIA Feb. 6, 2006, Hit, Iraq
SGT Radhames Camilo-Matos, USA, KIA Jan. 7, 2006, Taji, Iraq
SGT Jason Lopez-Reyes, USA, KIA Jan. 5, 2006, Baghdad, Iraq
CWO Isaias Santos, USA, KIA Dec. 26, 2005, Baghdad, Iraq
SPC William Lopez-Feliciano, USA, KIA Dec. 22, 2005, Baghdad, Iraq
SSG Milton Rivera-Vargas, USA, KIA Dec. 8, 2005, Kirkuk, Iraq
SPC Javier A. Villanueva, USA, KIA Nov. 24, 2005, Hit, Iraq
SPC Alexis Roman-Cruz, USA, KIA Nov. 16, 2005, Balad, Iraq
PFC Antonio Mendez-Sanchez, USA, KIA Nov. 11, 2005, Kirkut, Iraq
SFC Ramon A. Acevedo, USA, KIA Oct. 26, 2005, Rustamiyah, Iraq
1LT Carlos J. Diaz, USA, KIA Aug. 23, 2005, Baqubah, Iraq
SPC Miguel Carrasquillo, USA, KIA Aug. 9, 2005, Baghdad, Iraq
PFC Emmanuel Hernandez, USA, KIA June 8, 2005, Shkin, Afghanistan
SGT Miguel A. Ramos, USA, KIA May 31, 2005, Baghdad, Iraq
MAJ Ricardo A. Crocker-Garcia, USA, KIA May 26, 2005, Haditah, Iraq
SGT Angelo Lozada, Jr., USA, KIA Apr. 16, 2005, Ramadi, Iraq
SPC Alenia Ramirez-Gonzalez, USA, KIA Apr. 15, 2005, Tikrit, Iraq
MSG Edwin Matos-Colon, USA, KIA Apr. 6, 2005, Afghanistan
CWO David Ayala-Rodriguez, USA, KIA Apr. 6 2005, Afghanistan
SPC Francisco G. Martinez, USA, KIA March 20, 2005, Tamin, Iraq
SPC Lizbeth Robles, USA, KIA March 1, 2005, Bayji, Iraq
SGT Julio E. Negron, USA, KIA Feb. 28, 2005, Bayji, Iraq
SGT Carlos J. Gil, USA, KIA Feb. 18, 2005, Humaniyah, Iraq
SFC Pedro A. Muñoz, USA, KIA Jan. 2, 2005, Shindand, Afghanistan
SPC Jose Rivera-Serrano, USA, KIA Dec. 27, 2004, Baghdad, Iraq
SSG Henry E. Irizarry, USA, KIA Dec. 3, 2004, Taji, Iraq
SGT Carlos Camacho-Rivera, USA, KIA Nov. 5, 2004, Fallujah, Iraq
LCpl Ramon Mateo, USMC, KIA Sept. 24, 2004, Al Anbar, Iraq
SPC Michael A. Martinez, USA, KIA Sept. 8, 2004, Baqubah, Iraq
SSG Gary A. Vaillant, USA, KIA Sept. 5, 2004, Khalidiya, Iraq
SPC Jacob D. Martir, USA, KIA Aug. 18, 2004, Iraq
SGT Melvin Mora-Lopez, USA, KIA June 6, 2004, Camp Cooke, Iraq
PO3 Fernando Mendez-Aceves, USN, KIA Apr. 6, 2004, Al Anbar, Iraq
SFC Jose A. Rivera, USA, KIA Nov. 5, 2003, Mahmudiyah, Iraq
SGT Francisco Martinez, USA, Nov. 4, 2003, Baghdad, Iraq
SGT Joel Perez, USA, KIA Nov. 2, 2003, Fallujah, Iraq
SPC Frances M. Vega, USA, KIA Nov. 2, 2003, Fallujah, Iraq
SGT Juan M. Serrano, USA, KIA July 24, 2003, Baghdad, Iraq
SPC Ramon Reyes-Torres, USA, KIA July 16, 2003, Baghdad, Iraq
SPC Kelvin Feliciano-Gutierrez, USA, KIA June 28, 2003, Bagram AB, Afghanistan
SPC Richard P. Orengo, USA, KIA June 26, 2003, Najaf, Iraq
SPC Gil Mercado, USA, KIA April 13, 2003, Iraq
SGT Orlando Morales, USA, KIA March 29, 2003, Helmaud, Afghanistan
LCpl Robert M. Rodriguez, USMC, KIA March 27, 2003, Al Nasiriyah, Iraq
They ignore the migration of conservative retirees from the northeast and Midwest into Florida. Dwarfs the PR migration.
Well done, sir !
Is Puerto Rico one of the stealth states that 0 spoke about in 2008
Thank you!
I understand, but Florida does still require residency for them to be able to vote in Florida. For PR to affect Florida’s election substantially would required massive amounts of their citizens to qualify for residency in Florida.
That may well be, but I’d suspect that concurrent with that is a massive amount of fraud and corruption associated with it - like PR citizens trying to claim the benefits of both places as in SSDI for being disabled in PR because you only speak Spanish, or not paying part-year income taxes and associated US pay for Federal Income Taxes, etc.
In any case, while maybe impactful it is likely largely fraudulent in my estimation. And if a clear government commitment to weed out those not actually qualifying were undertaken (say by a real conservative governor) that impact would diminish. Regardless to me it is not that Great Brown Hope Democrats hope and quisling concern Republicans fear.
If you moved there tomorrow and showed them proof you had a residence there, they would allow you to vote in the very next election being held there.
Regulations by state here are a little different. It isn’t all just about ‘owning a residence’. So are state income taxes and federal income taxes - it’s proportional and majority time..
Who in the hell from here would want to vote in a strictly Puerto Rican election that cannot even be a Presidential Election.
Specious argument
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