Posted on 04/29/2010 10:44:57 AM PDT by Red Steel
WASHINGTON — The House on Thursday took up legislation that could set in motion changes in Puerto Rico's 112-year relationship with the United States, including a transition to statehood or independence.
The House bill would give the 4 million residents of the island commonwealth a two-step path to expressing how they envision their political future.
Initially, eligible voters, including those born in Puerto Rico but residing in the United States, would vote on whether they wish to keep their current political status or opt for a different direction.
If a majority are in favor of changing the current situation, the Puerto Rican government would be authorized to conduct a second vote and people would choose among three options: statehood, independence and sovereignty in association with the United States. Congress would have to vote on whether Puerto Rico becomes a state.
Pedro Pierluisi, Puerto Rico's non-voting delegate to the House, said that while the island has had votes on similar issues in the past, Congress has never authorized a process where Puerto Ricans state whether they should remain a U.S. territory or seek a nonterritorial status.
-snip-
Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory at the end of the Spanish-American War. Those born on the island were granted U.S. citizenship in 1917 and Puerto Rico gained commonwealth status in 1952.
Today, Puerto Ricans serve in the military but can't vote in presidential elections. They do not pay income tax on income earned on the island.
In the last referendum, "none of the above" garnered 50 percent of the vote, topping the other options including statehood at 46.5 percent and independence at 2.5 percent.
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
You think they'll give up a free ride on income tax in exchange for a right to vote for president? I suppose if the majority of Puerto Ricans are not earning enough to pay income tax, then maybe.
I'm thinking maybe we can get California to revert back to Territorial Status. My vote in presidential elections doesn't count for much these days, but my income taxes are pretty substantial.
Let's start a movement.
THERE ARE 60 REPUBLICAN CO-SPONSORS OF THIS BILL.
Does anyone know who they are? They should be voted OUT !
Also, there are a lot of pharmaceutical companies in PR. There is a lot of potential tax revenue for the federales.
What Glenn Beck presented is hardly a conspiracy. One need only read up on Puerto Rico’s New Progressive Party platform and the Tennessee Plan.
bttt
Cosponsors:
Madeleine Bordallo [D-GU]
Eni Faleomavaega [D-AS]
Eleanor Norton [D-DC]
Gregorio Sablan [D-MP]
Neil Abercrombie [D-HI1]
Todd Akin [R-MO2]
Michael Arcuri [D-NY24]
Joe Baca [D-CA43]
Brian Baird [D-WA3]
Tammy Baldwin [D-WI2]
Shelley Berkley [D-NV1]
Howard Berman [D-CA28]
Madeleine Bordallo [D-GU]
Eni Faleomavaega [D-AS]
Eleanor Norton [D-DC]
Gregorio Sablan [D-MP]
Neil Abercrombie [D-HI1]
Todd Akin [R-MO2]
Michael Arcuri [D-NY24]
Joe Baca [D-CA43]
Brian Baird [D-WA3]
Tammy Baldwin [D-WI2]
Shelley Berkley [D-NV1]
Howard Berman [D-CA28]
Gus Bilirakis [R-FL9]
Rob Bishop [R-UT1]
Marsha Blackburn [R-TN7]
Charles Boustany [R-LA7]
Bruce Braley [D-IA1]
Corrine Brown [D-FL3]
Henry Brown [R-SC1]
Virginia Brown-Waite [R-FL5]
Vern Buchanan [R-FL13]
Dan Burton [R-IN5]
George Butterfield [D-NC1]
Ken Calvert [R-CA44]
David Camp [R-MI4]
Lois Capps [D-CA23]
Michael Capuano [D-MA8]
Dennis Cardoza [D-CA18]
Russ Carnahan [D-MO3]
André Carson [D-IN7]
John Carter [R-TX31]
Bill Cassidy [R-LA6]
Michael Castle [R-DE]
Kathy Castor [D-FL11]
Yvette Clarke [D-NY11]
William Clay [D-MO1]
Michael Conaway [R-TX11]
Gerald Connolly [D-VA11]
John Conyers [D-MI14]
Jim Costa [D-CA20]
Joseph Crowley [D-NY7]
Henry Cuellar [D-TX28]
John Culberson [R-TX7]
Elijah Cummings [D-MD7]
Kathleen Dahlkemper [D-PA3]
Artur Davis [D-AL7]
Diana DeGette [D-CO1]
William Delahunt [D-MA10]
Charles Dent [R-PA15]
Lincoln Diaz-Balart [R-FL21]
Mario Diaz-Balart [R-FL25]
Norman Dicks [D-WA6]
Lloyd Doggett [D-TX25]
Michael Doyle [D-PA14]
Steve Driehaus [D-OH1]
Eliot Engel [D-NY17]
Mary Fallin [R-OK5]
Sam Farr [D-CA17]
Chaka Fattah [D-PA2]
Jeff Flake [R-AZ6]
John Fleming [R-LA4]
Trent Franks [R-AZ2]
Marcia Fudge [D-OH11]
Jim Gerlach [R-PA6]
Alan Grayson [D-FL8]
Al Green [D-TX9]
Raymond Green [D-TX29]
Raul Grijalva [D-AZ7]
Phil Hare [D-IL17]
Alcee Hastings [D-FL23]
Martin Heinrich [D-NM1]
Jeb Hensarling [R-TX5]
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin [D-SD]
Brian Higgins [D-NY27]
James Himes [D-CT4]
Maurice Hinchey [D-NY22]
Steny Hoyer [D-MD5]
Darrell Issa [R-CA49]
Sheila Jackson-Lee [D-TX18]
Henry Johnson [D-GA4]
Marcy Kaptur [D-OH9]
Patrick Kennedy [D-RI1]
Dale Kildee [D-MI5]
Carolyn Kilpatrick [D-MI13]
Ronald Kind [D-WI3]
Ron Klein [D-FL22]
John Kline [R-MN2]
Suzanne Kosmas [D-FL24]
Frank Kratovil [D-MD1]
Dennis Kucinich [D-OH10]
James Langevin [D-RI2]
Rick Larsen [D-WA2]
Steven LaTourette [R-OH14]
Barbara Lee [D-CA9]
John Lewis [D-GA5]
Nita Lowey [D-NY18]
Daniel Lungren [R-CA3]
Stephen Lynch [D-MA9]
Connie Mack [R-FL14]
Daniel Maffei [D-NY25]
Kenny Marchant [R-TX24]
Betsy Markey [D-CO4]
Edward Markey [D-MA7]
Eric Massa [D-NY29]
Kevin McCarthy [R-CA22]
Michael McCaul [R-TX10]
Betty McCollum [D-MN4]
Thaddeus McCotter [R-MI11]
James McDermott [D-WA7]
James McGovern [D-MA3]
Howard McKeon [R-CA25]
Cathy McMorris Rodgers [R-WA5]
Kendrick Meek [D-FL17]
Gregory Meeks [D-NY6]
John Mica [R-FL7]
Candice Miller [R-MI10]
Alan Mollohan [D-WV1]
James Moran [D-VA8]
Richard Neal [D-MA2]
Devin Nunes [R-CA21]
John Olver [D-MA1]
Solomon Ortiz [D-TX27]
Ronald Paul [R-TX14]
Mike Pence [R-IN6]
Ed Perlmutter [D-CO7]
Collin Peterson [D-MN7]
Chellie Pingree [D-ME1]
Ted Poe [R-TX2]
Jared Polis [D-CO2]
Bill Posey [R-FL15]
David Price [D-NC4]
Adam Putnam [R-FL12]
Nick Rahall [D-WV3]
Silvestre Reyes [D-TX16]
Ciro Rodriguez [D-TX23]
Michael Rogers [R-AL3]
Thomas Rooney [R-FL16]
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen [R-FL18]
Dutch Ruppersberger [D-MD2]
John Salazar [D-CO3]
Loretta Sanchez [D-CA47]
Adam Schiff [D-CA29]
Aaron Schock [R-IL18]
Robert Scott [D-VA3]
José Serrano [D-NY16]
John Shadegg [R-AZ3]
Carol Shea-Porter [D-NH1]
Heath Shuler [D-NC11]
Albio Sires [D-NJ13]
Louise Slaughter [D-NY28]
Adam Smith [D-WA9]
Christopher Smith [R-NJ4]
Jackie Speier [D-CA12]
John Spratt [D-SC5]
Fortney Stark [D-CA13]
Betty Sutton [D-OH13]
Gene Taylor [D-MS4]
Lee Terry [R-NE2]
Bennie Thompson [D-MS2]
Glenn Thompson [R-PA5]
Michael Thompson [D-CA1]
John Tierney [D-MA6]
Dina Titus [D-NV3]
Paul Tonko [D-NY21]
Niki Tsongas [D-MA5]
Greg Walden [R-OR2]
Timothy Walz [D-MN1]
Zach Wamp [R-TN3]
Debbie Wasserman Schultz [D-FL20]
Diane Watson [D-CA33]
Melvin Watt [D-NC12]
Henry Waxman [D-CA30]
Peter Welch [D-VT]
Lynn Westmoreland [R-GA3]
Robert Wexler [D-FL19]
Addison Wilson [R-SC2]
Rob Wittman [R-VA1]
Lynn Woolsey [D-CA6]
David Wu [D-OR1]
John Yarmuth [D-KY3]
Donald Young [R-AK]
Well, yea.
I didn't say it was
[You think they’ll give up a free ride on income tax in exchange for a right to vote for president?]
Average net income in Puerto Rico is around $17,000 per year. They would be getting refund checks. Shhhh. We don’t want them to find out.
They’ll be getting tax rebate checks back.
I am very concerned as my conservative seems to be wanting to vote yes, Ginny Brown-Waite, FL
“They do not pay income tax on income earned on the island”
That Puerto Rico is a tax-free haven is a myth. We pay all kinds of taxes, including income taxes. Individuals and employers pay Social Security and Medicare taxes at the same rate as in the states. Employers pay Federal unemployment taxes. Persons with non-PR-source income do pay federal income tax. On top of that we pay very high state income tax, sales taxes, property taxes, etc.
UN-effin-BELIEVABLE...
PENCE
JOE WILSON
RON PAUL
THAD MCCOTTER
CONNIE MACK
JEFF FLAKE
DARRELL ISSA
What are they thinking? Why do they think we send them to DC? ... to sell our country down the drain?
I am speechless. Truly speechless.
So why don't you want to be a State?
Don’t forget Blackburn
“So why don’t you want to be a State?”
We are a State already. We just don’t know it.
Sorry! I wasn’t implying that YOU had said it ;)
Frankly I don't particularly see a problem with this idea. Puerto Rico has been a territory longer than any territory in the history of this Nation, and quite frankly it is way past time they decided if they want to be an independent country, thus relieving the US of the financial burden of keeping them afloat, or becoming a State and making their welfare state a permanent drain on our economy.
I suppose we could offer to give the island back to Spain, but I don't think they want it. We are ultimately going to have to deal with this issue. I don't see why we shouldn't force the issue now. Who knows, they may vote to become independent.
I don’t disagree with that at all. I think much of the outrage over the issue is that PR is getting tricked into this. Instead of being asked if they want to be a state, they are being asked if the want to maintain the current status of PR. That’s a little ambiguous and I have a feeling the majority of people in PR will vote No to that question. In turn, they will be given 3 choices (if I’m not mistaken): to become a state, to declare independence, or modify the territorial agreement (or something to that effect). Glenn Beck said that the latter 2 choices only garnered around 3% of the vote in the past. Thus, they would become a state by default. I could be wrong about this though.
“Wouldn’t it be a ‘kick in the pants’ if: The voters in PR turned it down”
The people of Puerto Rico voted on it three times already and all three times they voted NO. They do not want to be a state and nothing has changed since the last time they voted on it. So what is the strategy of this vote today? That is the real question.
Thanks. I didn’t realize they voted in the past.
IMHO, the Dems lost on DC so they must try somewhere else for more Dems in Congress. Plus it takes our attention away for other machinations they are doing.
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