A new deal for Puerto Rico is on table

Source: McClatchy

WASHINGTON - For the first time in nearly a decade, the House of Representatives seems likely to pass a bill that would put Puerto Rico on a path to statehood or independence.


The latest of many efforts to settle the 4 million islanders' ambiguous relationship with the United States comes as Congress struggles with an immigration overhaul to deal with 12 million illegal migrants, most of them Hispanics.


Sponsored by Reps. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y., and Luis Fortuno, R-Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2007 faces tough scrutiny in the Senate. But its backers have President Bush's support and are optimistic that they can prevail, possibly securing a House floor vote as soon as next month.


"There's a good chance," said Fortuno, a statehood supporter and nonvoting member of Congress who's preparing a run at the governorship of Puerto Rico next year. "I've been talking to the leadership of both sides, and I truly believe that it is very doable."


The initiative, based on a White House task-force report on Puerto Rico's status issued in late 2005, establishes a two-stage plebiscite process. Islanders first would choose between maintaining their current status - officially a U.S. territory but broadly known as a commonwealth - or opting for a different and permanent arrangement.



Read more: http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/nation/17295823.htm

a row of 9 stars, then a row of 8 stars. Repeat three times, and ta-da! 51 stars!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:US_flag_51_stars.svg

...to the union, we'll end up using the traditional rows-of-stars design. *Yawn*

If the sovereignity movement wants to turn the clock back, it will be a monarchy, not the sort of radical state some seem to espouse. It annoys the so called kanaka maoli when that is pointed out to them. Then again, one could do a lot worse that Abigail Kawanakoa as a the reigning princess.

the governor and his part oppose the bill because there would is no option for their fictious scenario of what Puerto Rico should be. that Puerto Rico be a sovereign nation NOT subject to US law but receive all benefits, services, and protections of the US government. including retaining US citizenship.

for now the "Commonwealth Party" is satisfied with the status quo of Puerto Rico being a US territory provided no-one call it a territory. in fact they would be eternally satisfied with this arrangement.

Somebody won't take no for an answer.

defines "Commonwealth" as what they want Puerto Rico to be, and not what it is.

if it were just Statehoodd and independence, Statehood would win in a landslide. I would favor independence, but that is just the reality.

Then the US will put the fear of God in the Cubans :evilgrin: <just kidding>

the population voted no to statehood on several occasions.

The last time PR voted on the issue, pro-Commonwealth won with 50.2% of the vote. So the Island, for practical purposes, is about evenly divided, and any future vote may go one way or the other.

All the rights, less taxes

With or without Puerto Rico the US will survive.

If it becomes a state then the folks there have to start paying fed'l income tax. They don't like that.

If they become an independent nation then they lose out on US protection and US tax dollars. They don't like that.

I would prefer it become a state but who really cares? I don't.

It looks much cooler:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/US_51-star_alternate_flag.svg

From Wikipedia's article on Puerto Rico

"Three locally-authorized plebiscites have been held in recent decades to decide whether Puerto Rico should pursue independence, enhanced commonwealth status, or statehood. Narrow victories by commonwealth supporters over statehood advocates in the first two plebiscites and an unacceptable definition of Commonwealth by the pro statehood leadership on the ballots in the third has allowed the relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States government to remain unchanged. In the latest status referendum of 1998, the "none of the above" option won over Statehood, a rejection by Commonwealthers of the definition of their status on the ballots, with 50.2% of the votes. Support for the pro-statehood party (Partido Nuevo Progresista or PNP) and the pro-commonwealth party (Partido Popular Democrático or PPD) remains about equal. The only registered independence party on the island, the Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño or PIP, usually receives 3-5% of the electoral votes, though there are several smaller independence groups like the Partido Nacionalista de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rican Nationalist Party), el Movimiento Independentista Nacional Hostosiano (National Hostosian Independence Movement), and the Macheteros - Ejercito Popular Boricua (or Boricua Popular Army"

Commonwealth status is the best of both worlds and they realize it

they may want to be a separate nation in the cultural sense but are not willing to be independent in the political and economic sense. that is basically the position of the Commonwealth party. THEIR definition of Commonwealth is a sovereign nation that can enter into agreements with other nations just as any other indepedent country can. They would have the power to reject US laws' application to PR. all the while they would continue to receive funding from the US government for social programs and government services. AND retain US citizenship.

this is NOT what PR is, it is what one party would like the Commonwealth to be.

in 1998 the "none of the above" option won. PR law requires that this option be available so the supporters of Commonwealth voted for that option rather than vote for the option that accurately described the true PR-US relationship, as a US territory. as the Statehood party was in power at the time they did not include the fantasy option on the ballot.

Bush is trying to make Iraq #51.