House Votes to Allow Puerto Rico to Become 59th State

Michelle Malkin ^ | April 30, 2010 | Doug Powers

[george76]

Or would Puerto Rico be the 58th state? In any case, the House has voted and now the issue of Puerto Rican statehood is in the hands of Puerto Rico:

For our consideration, Puerto Rico’s unemployment rate is about 15.9% and 45% of its citizens live below the poverty level — so statehood for Puerto Rico would basically be like adopting another Michigan. If we’re hell bent to adopt another country, how about Singapore or New Zealand?

For some, statehood for Puerto Rico simply boils down to — you guessed it — “benefits”:

[highlander_UW]

since when did the US have to go begging for a territory to become a state? This is a first...oh, another Obama first, now I get it.

[Texas Fossil]

Simply a ploy to prevent “We the People” from evicting him from 1600 Pennsylvania.

Remember, November is Coming!

[sunmars]

let me guess extra senate seat perhaps, more congressional seats.

[bgill]

They’d get more benefits not becoming a legal state. Stay more like Mexico and slip across the beach to all the benefits, freebies, and perks their hearts desire.

[Red in Blue PA]

Why don't WE get to vote on this?????

[stephenjohnbanker]

List of Republicans who voted for it?

[VU4G10]

“benefits”

and

votes..

[Dead Corpse]

PR has been petitioning for Statehood for a while now. This is nothing new.

[YouGoTexasGirl]

....AND, remember, we need to be brought DOWN to levels of other nations so this is a quick fix for that...

[Sacajaweau]

Can you say “New Welfare State”?

[dfwgator]

So are blacks going to demand the Virgin Islands become a state, too?

[Dead Corpse]

Do you live in PR? Our vote comes from voting for OUR Reps in our States.

If those Reps aren't doing what the Constitutional Contract says... Soap Box, Ballot Box, Jury Box, Cartridge Box. Check one.

[MsLady]

That’s what I was wondering about. Seeing we are the ones who will be paying for this.

[Dead Corpse]

Actually, if we were still a Constitutional Republic with a laissez-faire Capitalist economy, absorbing something like PR would barely make a blip on the DOW.

As we are, a few billion more in welfare debt is a lot like giving poison to a corpse.

[qam1]

I here the Philippines wants to be a state also

[freedumb2003]

MUI PR is divided 1/3 for Statehood, 1/3 for remaining a territory, 1/3 for independence.

[Fresh Wind]

Statehood for Puerto Rico = Income Tax for Puerto Ricans

[dfwgator]

Don’t they have a Muzzie insurrection there?

[umgud]

How about Mexico? We’d get two more dem senators and a whole slew of new dem reps.