Posted on 11/08/2015 11:41:57 AM PST by GIdget2004
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson endorsed statehood for Puerto Rico at a Sunday campaign event on the island.
"In a Carson administration, I will leave no stone unturned in my efforts to secure this important step in Puerto Rico's history -- establishing Estado 51," said the retired neurosurgeon, highlighting the strategic benefits of the Caribbean island's location relative to the United States mainland.  Amid mounting scrutiny recently over his past, Carson traveled to the island territory to address a statehood advocacy group convention. The campaign estimated that 3,500 people were attended the New Progressive Party rally, at the Waldorf Astoria hotel.
"Mis hermanos Americanos, my campaign is built around the premise of 'We the People,' and through such lens, I view the statehood question in Puerto Rico as settled," Carson said, referring to a 2012 referendum in which a majority of island voters backed making Puerto Rico the 51st state.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
From my limited knowledge, they vote it down. Do they get our welfare, and if so, do they pay taxes?
Don’t they need to be able to file bankruptcy under U.S. law? Who would that hurt/help?
Quite true. But my flame war with FourPeas last night was NOT over the Politico story, but the Buzzfeed story, which was not a hit piece at all. In this instance, Buzzfeed was correct: Carson DID announce his endorsement of Puerto Rico statehood.
For the record, I've come to detest Carson. With "conservative" friends such as Carson, who needs enemies?
There are lots of reasons to not permit it.
Give them their independence and bid them a fond "Adios!". Then maybe they'll figure out how to build something other than a welfare state.
Or, perhaps give the island to Spain if they even want it?
There are a lot better options for the suffering American taxpayer and Constitution lover than another welfare queen star tacked on the flag background just so the Democrat Party can brag how much they do for Hispanics.
As mentioned in a related thread, Puerto Rican citizens are probably as clueless about the federal governments constitutionally limited powers as evidently most USA citizens are. So if Puerto Rico becomes the 51st state then the corrupt, post-17th Amendment ratification Senate is going become even more corrupt.
We cannot get rid of the 17th Amendment fast enough.
It’s a bit complicated. Of course people on welfare don’t pay taxes anyway. Full time residents don’t pay federal income tax, unless they have income from sources outside the island. They pay payroll taxes and excise taxes, and can receive Social Security, but not SSI. More info here...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_Puerto_Rico
I wish they would go it alone and take all their citizens with them. It’s costing us too much money for their welfare etc.
Lett hem have their own country and take all their citizens with them out of here. They regard their island as their country anyway and not the United States.
Right now PR gets all the benefits with none of the responsibility. We should swallow them and move Gitmo there.
Puerto Rico: What happens when you give a perfectly good island to Mexicans.
Soooo, what, he's running for Congress now? Isn't that the body that determines if a state is admitted into the union?
Not really a make or break issue for me, however. Just puzzling why he latched onto this particular issue.
Gentle Ben needs to stop talking about things no one cares about....PR statehood, Egyptian pyramids, etc. it lets the mediawhores come after him for unimportant remarks and distracts from his message.
You bet...we have nowhere near enough welfare recipients and RAT voters.
Newt supported this idiocy once also. That’s all we need. More electoral votes going to the Communist Party.
Miss you, Fred! RIP!
Yeah, me too.
Statehood is most definitely not in our national interest.
It is my understanding that the Puerto Ricans voted down statehood?? Geez, Carson, where were you when this happened???
yep
And the hits just keep on comin’.
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