Puerto Rico Legislator Asks Spain to Intervene in Addressing the Island's Political Status

El Vocero de Puerto Rico (Spanish-language article) ^ | June 19, 2008 | Maricarmen Rivera Sánchez

[wideawake]

Indeed. The Northwest Ordinance actually predated the Constitution's adoption.

That became an enormous issue from 1820 on, because the Ordinance outlawed slavery in the new states admitted under its authority.

In other words, it created a legal presumption that a new state had to be a free state and that it had to have a population of 60,000 or more free individuals.

The Southern bloc in the Senate felt that it should be up to the prospective state to decide its free or slave status and that slaves should count fractionally toward that 60,000 number.

And the South wanted to admit New Mexico as a slave state before it even reached a total population of 60,000 after Wisconsin became the 30th state and the 15th free state.

[Paleo Conservative]

Guam, the Marianas Islands and the US Virgin Islands of all places meet the requirements of statehood. Why they are not states already defies logic.

Heck, even American Samoa has more than 60K residents.

It would wreck their economies to have US minimum wage laws imposed on them.

[True Republican Patriot]

Thats not a valid comment regarding getting more value because of the Euro. For all You know, Spain will not give Puerto Rico one darn Euro for assistance. There is no love lost betweeen the two entities, just as Spain would not give Mexico two pesos, let alone a Euro.
However Hugo Chavez will be thrilled to shower PR with money and OiL!