Puerto Rico - 51st State? Congress Scrambling To Make It So

Last night (Tuesday) on his TV show, Glenn Beck dropped another bombshell — on Thursday, Congress will take up a bill to make Puerto Rico a state. Why is our Congress doing this now? Secretly? Quickly? If it hadn’t been for one of Beck’s “Refounders” (a Congressional insider), would we even know about this? Why is this important to you and me?

Well, the word is out, and my local 9-12/Tea party organization sent this out this morning. First thing to hit my mailbox, in fact…

There is a bill to make Puerto Rico a state. Again, they are trying to pull one over on us and on Puerto Ricans, who have consistently said they do not want to become a state. Read below for more information (from Eagle Forum). This was also discussed by Rep Tom Price on a conference call yesterday.

* The U.S. would transform, overnight, into a bilingual nation. At least half of Puerto Ricans do not speak English, the language of our U.S. Constitution and founding documents. The Washington Times article, “Puerto Rican statehood,” analyzes all the implications of adding a foreign language-speaking state to the Union.

* It would bring immediate demands for massive federal spending. The average income of Puerto Ricans is less than half that of our poorest state, and infrastructure and the environment are far below American standards. Puerto Rico has a population with a median national income of $17,741, nearly a third of that for the U.S.

* Puerto Rico is already a democracy. Despite the bill’s deceptive title, Puerto Rico already has an elected government and exists as a self-governed commonwealth of the U.S.

* Statehood would give Puerto Rico more congressional representation than 25 of our 50 states! It would inevitably give Democrats two additional U.S. Senators and 6 to 8 additional Members of the House.

H.R. 2499 is stealth legislation designed to lead to the admission of Spanish-speaking Puerto Rico as the 51st state, thereby making us a de facto bilingual nation, like Canada. The U.S. Congress should not be forcing Puerto Ricans to vote on statehood, especially since the Puerto Rican people have rejected statehood three times since 1991!

No Member of Congress who describes himself as a limited government, fiscal conservative should be casting a YEA vote for H.R. 2499, as Puerto Rican statehood would cause an immediate increase in federal expenditures, particularly for taxpayer-funded welfare state services.

Sponsored by Puerto Rican delegate Pedro Pierluisi (D), the Puerto Rico Democracy Act (H.R. 2499) – which has reared its ugly head a number of times over the past few congresses but has yet to have any success – would require Puerto Ricans to hold a national referendum to decide if they want Puerto Rico to remain a self-governing U.S. commonwealth, or become the 51st state.

The referendum would be set up as two plebiscites which would effectively deceive Puerto Ricans into voting for statehood. In the first round of votes, the Puerto Rican people would be given the choice between remaining a U.S. territory and “pursuing a different political status.” If the majority votes to maintain the status quo, this bill would require that Puerto Rico vote on this same issue every eight years.

If the majority votes for “different status,” a second round of votes would be held where Puerto Ricans would choose either statehood or independence-the status quo of “U.S. territory” would not even be an option! In other words, the two ballots would be rigged to favor the outcome of statehood, overriding the wishes of Americans and Puerto Ricans who want to maintain the current commonwealth status.

Why?

It’s called “Keeping Control of Congress.”

It’s called “2 more liberal Democrat Senators”.

It’s called “More liberal Democrat House Seats.”

If Puerto Rico had a conservative history, the Congress would be looking for a way to keep it from voting.

Suppose there was a solution whereby the politics is removed from the issue of statehood for Puerto Rico. Would people be more accepting of Puerto Rico's statehood and would Puerto Ricans be welcome with open arms and without the bigots who always show up to deride Puerto Ricans as dependents and a drain on the U.S. and un-American in many ways?

Puerto Rico has gone back and forth in their politics and they've had different parties in control at different times, even if most times they've had liberals leading the island.

But currently, they have a "republican" governor, even if by some standards he's kind of a RINO. (Heck, there are plenty of RINOs in the mainland party anyway).

So, how to we take party politics out of the equation?

Puerto Rico would get 2 senators and perhaps 6 representatives.

To appease both major political parties, why not split the sharing of the new political power of PR by making sure that, at least initially, the parties get equal representation in Puerto Rico.

So, we'd end up with one republican senator and one democrat senator, and 3 representatives for each party. And that political makeup could remain the same for at least 6 years, and from then on, after the dust has settled, elections could be held for regular competitive elections.

Some people might be upset at that kind of resolution, but it would be only fair, and party politics wouldn't be involved in the initial voting for statehood. .

PLEASE Adorno! The PNP (statehood party) has caucused with both the Democrats and Republicans over the years. It isn't bigoted to point out the islands poverty (looks good compared to Haiti or even DR, but NOT compared to the US), the fact that the median IQ is 89, the fact that most people speak Spanish and only know very poor English, and the fact that San Juan would have one the highest violent crime rates in the US (and PR as a state would have the highest rate of violent crime of the now 51 would it become a state).

Romero Barcelo (a Pay-Nay-Pay who caucused with the Dems) himself wrote a book called "Statehood is for the Poor." Its all about getting more bennies from Uncle Sap, just as billions were wasted in creating a Potemkin Village economy via Operation Bootstrap.

As long as PR remains a Commonwealth, its inhabitants are free to take a plane to Orlando, New York, Boston, etc. and live amongst their own in the Boricua diaspora. Then they can enjoy being full Americans, and at least learning some ghetto English. Statehood is a pipedream, that will only happen due to vote hungry Democrats and spineless Republicans who are afraid of being called "racist" for not wanting a Third World country to become a state.

Odd that our last civil war was also preceeded by years of the free state/slave state territorial games that are being recreated in the census, immigration reform, now statehood issues.
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Yoe, I wondered if anyone else would pick up on this thought too. This is the very first thing that crossed my mind. It was the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, proposed by Congressman Stephen Douglas, and after three months of debate, passed by Congress and signed by President Pierce that created two new states, one ostensibly “free,” and one “slave.”

The part that really struck a cord in my memory, however, was the inclusion of the so-called “popular sovereignty” provision which caused both proslavery and antislavery forces to rush into Kansas in particular and apply full strength and pressure to gain decisions in their own favor — by groups such as the EMIGRANT AID COMPANY....Hmmmm... THe resulting border war between Kansas and Missouri was a precursor to the War Against States Rights (aka the “Civil War”).

Think about the parallels. Today, the Federal Government is not using slaves as the convenient “victims,” it’s “illegal aliens,” most of whom are Hispanics. If you oppose Illegal immigration you are a — “racist.” Just the same, if you now oppose Puerto Rican statehood you will be called a — “racist.” They are already in full “race-baiting” mode right now in Arizona — expect it to get MUCH worse.

If the PR Progressive Party follows the platform Glenn Beck pointed out on his TV program — THEIR 2008 party platform, then the “non-binding” vote that Congress may agree to tomorrow in HR 2499 (which includes 58 Republican co-sponsors — which is why I call them the STUPID party), then the vote in PeurtoRico will ask the people if they want to keep the “Status Quo?” If history holds, 60% will say NO — because about 60% ALTOGETHER want independence, statehood or modified commonwealth, rather than the current “status quo” commonwealth. With the “status quo” removed, generally the people will choose statehood over the other 2 choices by a 3-2 margin. Then, the Progressives who lead Peurto Rico will draft their Constitution (wanna bet it’s already written?), elect their 2 new Senators and 6 Congressmen, send them to Washington, and DEMAND that they be seated — which is what Tennessee did back in 1796.

Then, of course, Washington, DC might demand to do the same thing — and there’s at least 3 more Democrat Congressmen and two Senators if they demand representation just as a State. And, of course, Our Democrat President and his benificent Congress would certainly oblige.

In short, all this could happen in short order. It may not happen by November — but it could happen by year’s end. Now imagine this scenario. On election day, the Republicans win an amazing 45 seats in the House to retake the Majority 223-212; and they win 10 seats in the Senate, jumping from 41 seats to 51, while the Democrats decline from 57 to 47 (+ 2 INdependents that caucus with Dems). HOWEVER, on the SAME election day, Puerto Rico voted in the second stage of their referedum to seek statehoos with almost 60% of the popular vote. The “State” officials - elected at the same time by Puerto Ricans - Governor, two “Senators,” and six “Congressmen,” present themselves and their newly written State Constitution to the lame duck Democrat Congress in December, 2010, demanding they be accepted as a State and seated as a delegation. Congress agrees, the President signs off, the Republicans weakly whine, the Press pelts them as racists, the Tea Partiers pitch a fit and are called “racistbigotnazifascisthaters..”

Suddenly, the Democrats have parity in the Senate — which means they HAVE the senate — a 51-51 split means the Vice President casts the tie-breaking vote — hello Harry Reid (or whoever replaces him IF he is defeated). And instead of the Republicans having a 223-212 margin in the House, its a 223-218 margin...Throw in DC, and it’s 223-220 and a Senate at 53-51. Add in a few other territories, or give felons the vote....You get the picture.

THis is ALL pushing toward an unsustainable situation. Patriotic Americans who love their country and who support the Constitution can only allow such lawlessness to go on for so long. At some point, we just stand up and say to the theives — it STOPS NOW! When that happens, who thinks the thieves go away quietly? And how many of us will continue to let our homes be plundered and our childrens futures destroyed?

Excuse me.

Puerto Rican statehood has been kicked around for 20 years AT LEAST.

Now suddenly it’s being “fast tracked.” By the most partisan Congress of all time.

Now with a tough election coming up none the less.

Yes, I’m sure Pelosi and Reid are doing this out of the goodness of their hearts because have nothing but love for the Puerto Rican people.

And here you sit with your Holier than Thou glow chiding ME for being cynical?

Ask yourself this: if the Democrat poll numbers weren’t in the toilet, would this be a big deal?

If you notice, they’re also suddenly pushing DC statehood.

What do you think that’s about?

Lastly I find it odd that you want “the politics taken out” of what is basically a political process. But that is often a phrase used when liberals are pushing their latest dumb idea....

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