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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 in Puerto 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 of Puerto 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.

Desperation met stupidity on the corner of bad luck and despair, and the democratic party was born.

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Statehood will never happen.  Too many problems on the island.  Too much corruption. Gov't. incapable.  Lack of jobs--no industry.  Large percentage of Puerto Ricans are in U.S.--in NYC, all over Miami and Orlando--living with relatives working.

You also have the language problem--some speak only Spanish, some only English, some Spanglish.

Tthe weather there is greatest in the world, and they've got great beaches, etc.  Why are all the resorts being built at Dominican Republic and other places in the region?  Wouldn't it be better to have them in the U.S.?  They've really screwed up in promoting tourism.

Puerto Rico will look to the US for a Bail Out of its Debt Woes. Just like Greece looked to the EU to bail them out from their Debts, but Greece can't pay its way out and the interest keeps adding up & up. Never touching the principle of the loan. All good Socialist look to Who has the Money & then Demand it, in their socialist mentality way of governing control. In Venezuela's case, the Socialist just Confiscated Properties/Infrastructure from private companies operating there.  Power to the People!!! Bad Corporations!!! now Waller in it. Careful what you ask for....Socialist...You own it & made the mess. Who would want you as a 51st State. What are you bringing to the party of value or contribution?

River Runner posted:

Puerto Rico will look to the US for a Bail Out of its Debt Woes. Just like Greece looked to the EU to bail them out from their Debts, but Greece can't pay its way out and the interest keeps adding up & up. Never touching the principle of the loan. All good Socialist look to Who has the Money & then Demand it, in their socialist mentality way of governing control. In Venezuela's case, the Socialist just Confiscated Properties/Infrastructure from private companies operating there.  Power to the People!!! Bad Corporations!!! now Waller in it. Careful what you ask for....Socialist...You own it & made the mess. Who would want you as a 51st State. What are you bringing to the party of value or contribution? 

2 million+gimmethats.

Last edited by giftedamateur
giftedamateur posted:
River Runner posted:

Puerto Rico will look to the US for a Bail Out of its Debt Woes. Just like Greece looked to the EU to bail them out from their Debts, but Greece can't pay its way out and the interest keeps adding up & up. Never touching the principle of the loan. All good Socialist look to Who has the Money & then Demand it, in their socialist mentality way of governing control. In Venezuela's case, the Socialist just Confiscated Properties/Infrastructure from private companies operating there.  Power to the People!!! Bad Corporations!!! now Waller in it. Careful what you ask for....Socialist...You own it & made the mess. Who would want you as a 51st State. What are you bringing to the party of value or contribution? 

2 million+gimmethats.

Puerto Rician - 2 million+gimmethats. - A Society With this kind of Attitude? Somebody got to Pay & be Responsible.... USA got the Money - we don't have nothing but crime & falling down schools...

Pulling out of the Paris accord brings on new plans for spending
monies not coming from America. If anyone believed it was
earmarked for climate change in the first place, keep on believing.
 
The danger for this planet by ignoring the Paris scam is about as
damaging as Y2K. Oh yeah, that was bad azz. 
 
Kraven posted:
Pulling out of the Paris accord brings on new plans for spending
monies not coming from America. If anyone believed it was
earmarked for climate change in the first place, keep on believing.
 
The danger for this planet by ignoring the Paris scam is about as
damaging as Y2K. Oh yeah, that was bad azz. 
 

Anyone still thinks Man is causing all the climate change are the same ones wanting Global Wealth Re-Distribution. Eliminating Carbon fuel in more advanced countries while allowing poorer countries to ramp up their Coal burning usages to help provide their economies with cheap electricity... It's like killing the Goose that Lays the Golden Eggs...

All your Electric Bills have a TVA Fuel Cost Adjustment Fee, implemented back when coal & oil prices were on the Rise. Today both are so cheap, but you still have to pay the TVA Fuel Adjustment Fee which is approximately 23% of my Actual kiloWatt Electricity Usage Cost.

1 kWatt = $0.0916166

1000 kWatt = $91.6166 + 23% ($21.072) = Total Cost $112.68

If your Electric Dept. Lumps the TVA Fee into your Total Electric Bill, you don't even know what the Fee $$$'s amounts to. Some Municipalities lump in the TVA Fee cost so they don't have to deal with answering all the Questions people/public have with the added cost to the kWatts used by the household.

23% TVA Fee's perhaps may have been partially going to Fund Paris Accord Groups for Emerging nations. TVA's 23% Fee on Fuel Adjustment Costs needs to be Repealed. 

Even Uranium spot prices are down for the Last 5 years. ~$50 down to $21.36. Cheap Cheap Cheap...Fuel Cost...

 

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