Again with the 51st State...

Logging on to the AOL homepage this morning, (I'm too lazy to change my email address), I noticed that the House Committee on Natural Resources had just voted 30-8 to favorably report HR 2499, the Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2009 to the floor.

What this does, is set up a two-stage referendum, the first is whether or not Puerto Ricans want to change their status. If the answer is "yes" then they go on to a choice between a new "Sovereignty in Association with the United State" status, which may include stripping Puerto Ricans, even those living here, of their American citizenship; independence, which does include stripping Puerto Ricans of their American Citizenship; and statehood, which strips Puerto Ricans of their right to independence.

They do this every ten years or so, and this is a good idea, as there are a number of "activists" who claim that the people who live there want independence and are thus being repressed by not being allowed to secede and become an independent country aligned with Cuba. This has been going on for over a century, and people are wondering about why this thing isn't settled yet. Well the answer is simple: Commonwealth status is a halfway measure, similar to "organized territory" status that many of the 50 states had prior to joining the Union. It's either one way or the other, statehood or independence, and until the situation is settled there will be this kind of stuff forever.

The main argument against Puerto Rican statehood is taxation. Except for DC, it has been the policy of the federal government that there be no taxation without representation, so Puerto Ricans don't pay income tax. Balance this with the fact that they only have a kind of congressman called a "Resident Commissioner," who can only vote on the floor if it can be proven that it doesn't count. If it were a state, PR would have six full-fledged congresspeople in the House, as well as two senators.

If the people of PR actually vote to join the Union at last, they may not actually get in,
Congress would have to vote again on the subject and Obama would have to sign it (Arizona didn't get in until 1912, because Teddy Roosevelt and William Howard Taft didn't like its proposed constitution and cast vetoes) before it would actually take place, and this ignores the possibility that the Senate may choose to ignore the bill if it passes the full House.
The other bill having to do with the reorganization of the Union is the DC Voting Rights act, which has been stuck in the Rules Committee since last March. The reason for that is that the Senate decided to place a number of amendments advocating the arming of the people of the District to an unacceptable level, as well as constitutional questions. This is another issue that will either be taken up this year or never.

So, assuming the two bills pass, will the Union expand further? The answer is clearly "no." The other four territories that have non-voting congresspeople aren't nearly big enough to have statehood, and no foreign country really wants to become a state. It's probably just as well.

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Comments

[S1m0n]

Six new Puerto Rican congresspeople and presumably two senators are likely to add up to a nice bonus for the Democratic caucus. It's hard to imagine that as things are they'll be electing many republicans.

However, this referendum is going to go the same way as all the rest as long as there's a tax freebie attached to the status quo. If I was a democratic strategist, I'd be trying to find ways around the 'no taxation..' principle, knowing that as soon as it's off the table they'll be clamoring for full statehood.

The status quo is a case of perpetual adolescence, anyway.

[ElPasoAl]

If the Puerto Ricans do vote for statehood , very few of them would pay taxes because the median income is so low. The Congress should add the US Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico with a congressman who.has a triple alowawnce for office expenses in the district.

[SagesseBleu]

Puerto Rico is a "distinct society" within the US and deserves to determine its own path, much like Quebec in Canada. The US governs PR as a result of the Spanish American War of 1898. To say PR is only benefitting from mainland tax dollars without contributing is foolish. PR has sent troops to fight in wars, provided the US with a connection to Latin America, and influenced the culture of the US. Most people in Puerto Rico are warm, hospitable and accepting of mainlanders.

[winningticket]

How about Puerto Rico joining the EU and adopting the Euro? Kidding aside, I think the US and Puerto Rico can do each other a favor and part ways. Let Puerto Rico be independent.

[TJCole]

Do you know Puerto Rico has one of those huge antenna arrays that is shooting millions of watts of ELF waves into the Ionosphere...?

We have three of them, the other two are in Alaska..!

[Shawn0965]

I think the vote should be the other way around. A 50 state referendum on whether the rest of us want to continue paying taxes and supporting people who haven't paid anything in 100 years.

[Luis Balzac]

So clever your comment. Unfortunately many people are misinformed like you. Puertoricans do pay federal taxes. They pay Medicare and Social recurity at the same rare as those of us in the mainland. Even when residents in PR receive only a portion of the benefits. Those living in PR have been treated like second class citizens for over a century. By the way< we pay the most expensive tax....the "blood tax". We volunteer and have more medals defending the US than every state but one. Eventhough we dont vote for President ----- we go to war a defend the Democracy we are not even able to enjoy.

[Shawn0965]

Well, I certainly give you an "A" for effort, even though most of your statements are far from accurate. Puerto Ricans do pay into Social Security, but they collect far more in benefits than they pay in.

Under the current system, Puerto Rico costs the U.S. over $9.7 billion yearly. Why? Because that’s what we lose from a combination of federal taxes forgone from large corporations doing business on the island as well as from individuals, together with grants-in-aid and transfer payments to the island. Puerto Rico gets significant amounts of federal grants-in-aid and transfer payments to individuals, such as veterans benefits, and welfare payments, which are not off-set by taxes collected on the island.

So, 10 billion a year out of the US Treasury are transfered to Puerto Rico, that are not paid by the residents of Puerto Rico. I'm not sure what "medals" your talking about, but considering the US was around for 134 years before Puerto Rico became a commonwealth, that dog won't hunt.

[firstrax]

If you had the choice to vote whether your income is taxed or not, how would you vote ?

[AnotherMcIntosh]

If it truly "has been the policy of the federal government that there be no taxation without representation," the middle class, or what's left of it, would not be obligated to pay the disproportionate amount of taxes that they do.

If that truly was the policy, the banksters would pay most of the taxes.

[KGTKGT]

I hope you realize that there is a difference in DC getting full voting rights and the situation with PR. While I understand your argument, it is more like apples and oranges and not apples and apples.

[LMPE]

I bet that Sarah Palin wants them to be independent. After all, she supported the Alaskan Independence Party, even if she never joined it.