Puerto Rico votes in favor of U.S. statehood amid low turnout

[webfact]

Puerto Rico votes in favor of U.S. statehood amid low turnout

By Tracy Rucinski

 

People march in support ofPuerto Rico becoming an independent nation as the economically struggling U.S. island territory voted overwhelmingly on Sunday in favour of becoming the 51st state, in San Juan, Puerto RicoJune 11, 2017. REUTERS/Alvin Baez

 

SAN JUAN (Reuters) - The economically struggling U.S. island territory of Puerto Rico voted overwhelmingly on Sunday in favor of becoming the 51st state, although turnout was low and adding another star to the U.S. flag likely faces an uphill battle in Congress.

 

A government website for the non-binding referendum, Puerto Rico's fifth such plebiscite since 1967, showed 97 percent supported statehood. Only 23 percent of the 2.2 million eligible voters participated in the vote.

 

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello campaigned for statehood as the best avenue to boost future growth for the island, which has $70 billion in debt, a 45 percent poverty rate, woefully underperforming schools and near-insolvent pension and health systems.

 

"From today going forward, the Federal government will no longer be able to ignore the voice of the majority of the American citizens inPuerto Rico," Rossello said in a statement.

 

"It would be highly contradictory for Washington to demand democracy in other parts of the world, and NOT respond to the legitimate right to self-determination that was exercised today in the American territory ofPuerto Rico," he added.

 

Puerto Rico's hazy political status, dating back to its 1898 acquisition by the United States from Spain, has contributed to the economic crisis that pushed it last month into the biggest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.

 

"I voted for statehood," Armando Abreu, a 74-year-old retiree, said after voting. "Even if it's still a long way off in the distance, it's our only hope."

 

Those in favor of statehood for the mainly Spanish-speaking Caribbean island hope the new status would put the territory on equal standing with the 50 U.S. states, giving them more access to federal funds and the right to vote for U.S. president.

 

Under the current system, Puerto Rico's 3.5 million American citizens do not pay federal taxes, vote in presidential elections or receive proportionate federal funding on programs like the Medicaid health insurance system for the poor. The U.S. government oversees policy and financial areas such as infrastructure, defense and trade.

 

Rossello will ask Congress to respect the result, but Puerto Rico is seen as a low priority in Washington.

 

'BOGUS PLEBISCITE'

 

The island's two main opposition parties boycotted the vote, which gave Puerto Ricans three options: becoming a U.S. state; remaining a territory; or becoming an independent nation, with or without some continuing political association with the United States.

 

Puerto Rico's former governor, Rafael Hernandez Colon, said in a statement: "A contrived plebiscite fabricated an artificial majority for statehood by disenfranchising hundreds of thousands of Commonwealth supporters."

 

Rather than heading to the polls, some 500 Puerto Ricans marched on the streets of San Juan, waving Puerto Rico's flag and burning the American flag while chanting in support of independence.

 

"This is a bogus plebiscite. Our future is independence. We need to be able to decide our own fate," said Liliana Laboy, one of the organizers of the protest.

 

Boycotters were also angry about the costly referendum at a time when over 400 schools have closed and many Puerto Ricans are struggling to make ends meet. Schools where voting took place were in poor condition, with cracked paint and bare-bones playgrounds.

 

Puerto Rico spent an estimated $8 million on the campaign and election process, according to a government spokesman.

 

(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski; Editing by Grant McCool and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-06-12

[Jingthing]

This is really interesting.

As an American, I warmly welcome Puerto Rico into U.S. statehood, even if it would mess up the clean number 50 state thing.

The ruling republican party (which basically controls almost everything now) has in their PLATFORM that they support statehood for P.R.

However, it won't happen now, because if P.R. was made a state they would get several congressmen and TWO senators. 

Especially the senators, that's a big deal, because they would all be DEMOCRATS.

So when push comes to shove, it will turn out the republicans didn't really mean it. 

So forget about P.R. becoming a state until the democrats control things again and depending on how long that takes, there would likely need to be a new referendum.

Oh well!

Edited June 12, 2017 by Jingthing

[rickb]

While the majority of those that voted said they wanted statehood, with only 23% voter turnout, it's hard to believe this is truly the desire of the Puerto Rican people.  Seems to me the boycott of the vote spoke louder than the actual vote results.  So who really knows what the Puerto Rican people want? 

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, rickb said:

While the majority of those that voted said they wanted statehood, with only 23% voter turnout, it's hard to believe this is truly the desire of the Puerto Rican people.  Seems to me the boycott of the vote spoke louder than the actual vote results.  So who really knows what the Puerto Rican people want? 

Sorry, but democracy doesn't work that way.

The vote results are the best measure of what the people think. 

I can understand that republicans will also use the excuse of low turnout for the reasons that they won't act on this result.

But the real reason will be about POWER. 

 

 

Edited June 12, 2017 by Jingthing

[Luckysilk]

I hope it happens so all the newlyweds and nearly deads that make Florida the dive it really is have somewhere to go.

 

Viva 51st State.

[rickb]

Jingthing, I don't disagree with you and I wasn't saying this was not a democratic vote.  My only point was that the vote results may not represent the true feelings of all Puerto Ricans.  

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, Luckysilk said:

I hope it happens so all the newlyweds and nearly deads that make Florida the dive it really is have somewhere to go.

 

Viva 51st State.

They can go there already if they choose. It's not an independent nation. It's U.S. territory. It's people are U.S. citizens. 

Edited June 12, 2017 by Jingthing

[landtrout]

58 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

This is really interesting.

As an American, I warmly welcome Puerto Rico into U.S. statehood, even if it would mess up the clean number 50 state thing.

The ruling republican party (which basically controls almost everything now) has in their PLATFORM that they support statehood for P.R.

However, it won't happen now, because if P.R. was made a state they would get several congressmen and TWO senators. 

Especially the senators, that's a big deal, because they would all be DEMOCRATS.

So when push comes to shove, it will turn out the republicans didn't really mean it. 

So forget about P.R. becoming a state until the democrats control things again and depending on how long that takes, there would likely need to be a new referendum.

Oh well!

 

   I would also extend a warm welcome to the Great State of Puerto Rico, and to the Great State (presently District...) of Columbia as well. Taxation in the absence of representation should never be tolerated in a nominal (for the moment, at least...) democracy.

 

 Fortunately, it probably wouldn't even be necessary to "mess up the clean number 50 state thing" in order to grant those worthies their well-deserved statehood. For starters, you could simply merge North Dakota and South Dakota to clear a star on the spangled banner. Heck, you could even throw in Minnesota and I doubt that anyone outside of the Twin Cities would even notice what had happened.

 

 If I were to spot you Fargo and Sioux Falls, could you name me one town in either of those Dakotas without resorting to Google?

 

  Thought not.

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

[Jingthing]

 
   I would also extend a warm welcome to the Great State of Puerto Rico, and to the Great State (presently District...) of Columbia as well. Taxation in the absence of representation should never be tolerated in a nominal (for the moment, at least...) democracy.
 
 Fortunately, it probably wouldn't even be necessary to "mess up the clean number 50 state thing" in order to grant those worthies their well-deserved statehood. For starters, you could simply merge North Dakota and South Dakota to clear a star on the spangled banner. Heck, you could even throw in Minnesota and I doubt that anyone outside of the Twin Cities would even notice what had happened.
 
 If I were to spot you Fargo and Sioux Falls, could you name me one town in either of those Dakotas without resorting to Google?
 
  Thought not.
 
    
 
 
 
 
 

The Dakotas would never agree. They would lose two senators.
There are other possible states. Such as splitting up California, Washington DC, and Guam.

[Luckysilk]

57 minutes ago, landtrout said:

 

   I would also extend a warm welcome to the Great State of Puerto Rico, and to the Great State (presently District...) of Columbia as well. Taxation in the absence of representation should never be tolerated in a nominal (for the moment, at least...) democracy.

 

 Fortunately, it probably wouldn't even be necessary to "mess up the clean number 50 state thing" in order to grant those worthies their well-deserved statehood. For starters, you could simply merge North Dakota and South Dakota to clear a star on the spangled banner. Heck, you could even throw in Minnesota and I doubt that anyone outside of the Twin Cities would even notice what had happened.

 

 If I were to spot you Fargo and Sioux Falls, could you name me one town in either of those Dakotas without resorting to Google?

 

  Thought not.

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

No I can't lol I've only flown over those states.

 

I'm all for California leaving the Union so there's the Star issue settled.

[YetAnother]

shocker; another impoverished nation/territory wants help

[Jingthing]

shocker; another impoverished nation/territory wants help

They are us.

[attrayant]

4 hours ago, rickb said:

Jingthing, I don't disagree with you and I wasn't saying this was not a democratic vote.  My only point was that the vote results may not represent the true feelings of all Puerto Ricans.  

 

It certainly indicates that a strong two-thirds (or more) are apathetic, and don't really care one way or another.  Therefore, we sort of DO know their feelings.

[landtrout]

1 hour ago, Luckysilk said:

No I can't lol I've only flown over those states.

 

I'm all for California leaving the Union so there's the Star issue settled.

 

    Sure, but.... losing California would be (to coin a phrase...) "unsurvivable".

 

 Possibly, the Dakotans (North and/or South) would be less than amenable to a merger. Maybe there's such a thing as North (and/or South...) Dakotan "Pride". I don't know why that might be, but.... it's at least conceivable.

 

  In that case, we might ask for volunteers for secession, yes?

 Given the current political climate, the entire West Coast of the USA would be the most likely target, given that in the last election, those states (California, Oregon and Washington...) voted by majorities of millions to deny the current administration access to power. The problem with that  is this: those states represent the very best of what the USA has to offer to the world. Together, they comprise the 5th largest economy in the world (with the USA as a whole included...), and losing them would certainly consign the former USA to the dustbin of history to which it seems to be willfully gravitating.

 

  Those states are also all net contributors (by enormous margins...) to the federal budget. Losing them would be an irrecoverable calamity.

 

  On the other hand.... what about Texas? Texans are a net drain on the federal budget, plus... they're on an international border! "Losing" Texas would not only free up a spangled star, but the "loss" wouldn't have any appreciable effect on national contiguity. Ninety percent of the Texans I've known have described themselves as "Texan first, American second" anyway. Once a republic, always a republic....

   Viva Terlingua!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        

[mamypoko]

Welcome Puerto Rico  welcome welcome welcome 

 

[JAG]

While the majority of those that voted said they wanted statehood, with only 23% voter turnout, it's hard to believe this is truly the desire of the Puerto Rican people.  Seems to me the boycott of the vote spoke louder than the actual vote results.  So who really knows what the Puerto Rican people want? 

Well if they've gone through this process 5 times already since the 1960s and nothing has happened no wonder 70% of the voters didn't bother...

[habanero]

13 hours ago, landtrout said:

 

   I would also extend a warm welcome to the Great State of Puerto Rico, and to the Great State (presently District...) of Columbia as well. Taxation in the absence of representation should never be tolerated in a nominal (for the moment, at least...) democracy.

 

 Fortunately, it probably wouldn't even be necessary to "mess up the clean number 50 state thing" in order to grant those worthies their well-deserved statehood. For starters, you could simply merge North Dakota and South Dakota to clear a star on the spangled banner. Heck, you could even throw in Minnesota and I doubt that anyone outside of the Twin Cities would even notice what had happened.

 

 If I were to spot you Fargo and Sioux Falls, could you name me one town in either of those Dakotas without resorting to Google?

 

  Thought not.

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

"Why Not" Minot

[gk10002000]

Puerto Rico just defaulted on billions of municipal bonds.  I hold a lot of municipal bonds and municipal bond funds so over the years I watched the PR bonds come up for sale at seemingly good prices and paying a seemingly decent yield.   No Tucar thank you

[gk10002000]

I believe they get Social Security but have their own tax code separate from the IRS.  Not sure it is greatly beneficial for them from their perspective to join.

[gk10002000]

13 hours ago, landtrout said:

 

   I would also extend a warm welcome to the Great State of Puerto Rico, and to the Great State (presently District...) of Columbia as well. Taxation in the absence of representation should never be tolerated in a nominal (for the moment, at least...) democracy.

 

 Fortunately, it probably wouldn't even be necessary to "mess up the clean number 50 state thing" in order to grant those worthies their well-deserved statehood. For starters, you could simply merge North Dakota and South Dakota to clear a star on the spangled banner. Heck, you could even throw in Minnesota and I doubt that anyone outside of the Twin Cities would even notice what had happened.

 

 If I were to spot you Fargo and Sioux Falls, could you name me one town in either of those Dakotas without resorting to Google?

 

  Thought not.

 

    

I can.  Grand Forks ND, Sturgiss( although less than sure it is an actual city in SD) Pierre, SD.  ND name I know because I was in the USAF and my current employer is looking for volunteers to go there.  SD, just old name the capital memory.  With a little more time I might remember or recall what city is near Mount Rushmore.

 

 

 

 

 

[me313]

IF the two PR newly created Senators were "Democrats", they would likely "vote Republican" while "keeping face" as "Dems". True to the US version of "Democracy" as is exists now and has for a long time. As many have stated, the Democrats have turned into "moderate Republicans" and the Republicans have gone far Right on issues.

[kamahele]

17 hours ago, rickb said:

Jingthing, I don't disagree with you and I wasn't saying this was not a democratic vote.  My only point was that the vote results may not represent the true feelings of all Puerto Ricans.  

I think the low turnout was voter apathy as you see all over the US and not the result of the boycott.

[Penicillin]

 Never happen, thank God.

PR is one of the most unsafe, violent, crime ridden places you can imagine. 

 

 

[HappyinNE]

The best idea put forward, in my opinion is for Washington, Oregon and California to succeed.  They can even take Hawaii with them.  Just think instead of Governor Moonbeams they can have President Moonbeams and this will give the people in Southern California to the chance to start on their great infrastructure project of transporting all the water that is wasted going to the Pacific ocean by the Columbia River and divert it to the south.

[Jingthing]

5 hours ago, me313 said:

IF the two PR newly created Senators were "Democrats", they would likely "vote Republican" while "keeping face" as "Dems". True to the US version of "Democracy" as is exists now and has for a long time. As many have stated, the Democrats have turned into "moderate Republicans" and the Republicans have gone far Right on issues.

That's absurd.

Take one big issue. 

Health care. 

Democrats are now in the majority in favor of single payer universal coverage.

Republicans in the congress majority just passed a regressive health care bill that trashes Medicaid and trashes Obamacare income based subsidies, etc.

People that say there is no difference between the parties are spreading totally false information. 

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, HappyinNE said:

The best idea put forward, in my opinion is for Washington, Oregon and California to succeed.  They can even take Hawaii with them.  Just think instead of Governor Moonbeams they can have President Moonbeams and this will give the people in Southern California to the chance to start on their great infrastructure project of transporting all the water that is wasted going to the Pacific ocean by the Columbia River and divert it to the south.

Jerry Brown could have been one of our greatest presidents but sadly the timing wasn't right. 

[Jingthing]

2 hours ago, Penicillin said:

 Never happen, thank God.

PR is one of the most unsafe, violent, crime ridden places you can imagine. 

 

 

Sounds a tad like fear mongering. 

I wonder if such fear mongering would be promoted if the island was mostly white people. Hmm.

Anyway, I'm sure there are many regions in the states with high crime rates. We don't kick them out for that. 

 

Edited June 13, 2017 by Jingthing

[Thaidream]

Secession will never happen. We already fought a civil war over that issue. Puerto Rico will eventually become a State.  I doubt Washington DC will- It is different than the other States as it is a Federal District that holds the  3 branches of Government.