welcome, Puerto Rico

[Goober McTuber]

'Puerto Rico has to be a state. There is no other option,' said 25-year-old Jerome Lefebre, who picked up his grandfather before driving to the polls. 'We're doing OK, but we could do better. We would receive more benefits, a lot more financial help.'

Nice addition to the 47%.

[Sirfindafold]

Puerto Rico - the 58th state.

wonderful.

[Truman]

Marvelous.

Puerto Rico has to be a state. There is no other option,' said 25-year-old Jerome Lefebre, who picked up his grandfather before driving to the polls. 'We're doing OK, but we could do better. We would receive more benefits, a lot more financial help.

[smackaholic]

Marvelous.

Puerto Rico has to be a state. There is no other option,' said 25-year-old Jerome Lefebre, who picked up his grandfather before driving to the polls. 'We're doing OK, but we could do better. We would receive more benefits, a lot more financial help.

You'll have to pry them from the cold dead fingers of your illegal cousins from meheeeeco. Good luck with that.

[Shoalzie]

So, does that mean we can add the PRs to Team USA for the World Baseball Classic? Welcome aboard, Carlos Beltran and Yadier Molina!

[Derron]

We went to San Juan for vacation last year, we stayed at a really nice resort right on San Juan Beach. first thing we noticed after we had gotten unpacked was the gates out to the beach were locked at 8:00 PM. The workers at the resorts told us it was because of the "tide".

when we went out onto the street, in the heart of the tourist district, we noticed cops in full tac gear every block or two. This was with minimal people out and about. We found a restaurant - ate, went back to the room.

Next AM wee're having breakfast in the concierge lounge and I struck up a conversation with a couple next to us. Turned out they were DOJ down there working with PRPD. Told us the reason the hotel closed the beach was all the crime against tourists. A couple had been robbed / stabbed / killed 200' from our hotel a couple weeks earlier. They also told us for an island with a pop of 3.5 mil, there were just over 40K cops. Supposedly 2nd largest force behind NYPD. They also told us the murder rate was at an all time high due to the drug traffic moving through the island.

We drove a few places during the vacation - did some really cool stuff. The poverty level is absolutely 3rd world though. It makes East St. Louis look like times Square. I guess with some significant investment they could turn it into a real tourist destination, but we wouldn't go back.

I am thinking a little bit of internet research prior to booking the trip might have revealed some of this slightly important information.

[Left Seater]

Have been to PR twice inside of 13 months. Prolly stayed at the same place as KCScott as the wife and I paid for the hotel with Marriott points. First trip was PR only and we did feel like we were in a third world country. However we never felt unsafe. Just used the same precautions as in other large cities.

Crap ton to do in PR if you enjoy the out of doors and humidity. We spent almost a full day there while connecting to BVI in sept of this year. Again no issues and would return.

PR would for sure be a blue state and looking for more handouts. Plenty of people there now looking for handouts as it is.

[Mikey]

Yeah, no freeloaders in the red states that's for sure.

[Goober McTuber]

Been to a number of islands in the Caribbean, but never Puerto Rico. Never heard much to recommend it other than the fishing. It would be pretty far down on my list.

[smackaholic]

Been to a number of islands in the Caribbean, but never Puerto Rico. Never heard much to recommend it other than the fishing. It would be pretty far down on my list.

No need to visit PR. Hartford, New Britain, Willimantic are all less than half hour drives. Pretty much the same thing without the palm trees.

[Screw_Michigan]

Why the fuck should Puerto Rico have statehood before the District? They're not even on the fucking mainland! That is a fucking outrage and if anything DC needs to make statehood happen NOW!

Or at least have DC stop paying federal taxes.

[Screw_Michigan]

So, does that mean we can add the PRs to Team USA for the World Baseball Classic? Welcome aboard, Carlos Beltran and Yadier Molina!

[Screw_Michigan]

Hello? Did you forget the election results, already?

Just face it, 88. Self-representation is a human right and artificially drawn political boundaries shouldn't deny people of their inalienable human rights.

They are due statehood, which means a rep and a senator, but I'll settle for no federal taxes. That's my point.

The feds can have the federal enclave, the rest we'll call New Columbia if they insist on having an autonomous federal district.

We'll take the commuter tax, too.

[Dinsdale]

Screwy -- you didn't read the Constitution before you moved to DC?

So, an oversight on you part (and a bunch of other idiots) means we need to amend the Constitution to accomodate your stupidity?


"Fuck off" doesn't even scratch the surface.

Don't like the 225 year old rules?

Move.

[Truman]

Technically, Maryland still holds claim to the land it ceded to DC. You want representatives and senators? Rejoin Maryland. You get to pay federal tax there, too.

[Screw_Michigan]

Technically, Maryland still holds claim to the land it ceded to DC. You want representatives and senators? Rejoin Maryland. You get to pay federal tax there, too.

You think Baltimore politicians will allow 200k registered DC Dems onto the MD voter rolls? You are obviously clueless. Stick to topics you know about: Getting your ass kicked in elections, high school football and meth.

[Screw_Michigan]

Screwy -- you didn't read the Constitution before you moved to DC?

Oh, yes. The same document that said black Americans were only worth 2/3s a white person.

Get your shit scraper back out, tard. You missed a spot.

[Smackie Chan]

The same document that said black Americans were only worth 2/3s a white person.

It's 3/5, but I'm sure you were lied to before reading the Constitution about there being no math.

[Truman]

You think Baltimore politicians will allow 200k registered DC Dems onto the MD voter rolls? You are obviously clueless. Stick to topics you know about: Getting your ass kicked in elections, high school football and meth.

I dunno. Do YOU think the House of Representatives will allow 200k registered DC Dems to have their own Congressional representation? You are obviously clueless. Stick to topics you know about: Getting your ass kicked in laundry rooms, jizz mopping, and having balls dropped in your mouth.

[Screw_Michigan]

I dunno. Do YOU think the House of Representatives will allow 200k registered DC Dems to have their own Congressional representation? You are obviously clueless. Stick to topics you know about: Getting your ass kicked in laundry rooms, jizz mopping, and having balls dropped in your mouth.

They had a deal in 2006, I believe, to trade a vote in the house for DC for two in Utah (or something like that), and they fucked it up. So yes, they will. Although you are partially correct. It's only politics keeping DC from its inalienable right to self-representation.

The IKYABWAI is strong in KC tard.

[Smackie Chan]

It's only politics keeping DC from its inalienable right to self-representation.

You really should heed 88's advice & stick to using words of which you know the definition.

inalienable - adjective - not alienable; not transferable to another or capable of being repudiated: inalienable rights.

If it's "only politics keeping DC from its...right to self-representation," would you agree that right has been repudiated? (Might wanna look that one up, too.) If so, it fails to meet a necessary condition of being inalienable - not capable of being repudiated. 88 explained it quite clearly as well. But I'm sure you won't let trifling matters such as facts and definitions get in the way of your continued misuse of that word and others.

Carry on.

[Screw_Michigan]

It's 3/5, but I'm sure you were lied to before reading the Constitution about there being no math.

That's correct. 3/5, 1/3, who cares when you're trafficking in oppression?

Sin,

GOPtard

[Wolfman]

Nest step, as long as they have a constitution based on ours?
"The U.S. Congress - both House and Senate - pass, by a simple majority vote, a joint resolution accepting the territory as a state."
Anyone wish to contemplate the odds of this? 100%? I have no problem with this. My only contact with Puerto Ricans was serving with some in the Army. They were pretty good soldiers. One of the funny things I noticed was their staunch sense of community that transcended race. One guy I knew was as black could be, another red haired pasty white guy (can you think Irish pirates?), and both would say they were Puerto Ricans, never white or black. At least that is my perspective.

Oh, and before I forget. Screwy must know that the 3/5 thing was a compromise to (let me see, what political party did not want to count blacks as people at all?) the other party not wanting to count blacks as people at all. The GOP wanted blacks to be 5/5. I keep being told that compromise is a good thing.

[Screw_Michigan]

Oh, and before I forget. Screwy must know that the 3/5 thing was a compromise to (let me see, what political party did not want to count blacks as people at all?) the other party not wanting to count blacks as people at all. The GOP wanted blacks to be 5/5. I keep being told that compromise is a good thing.

The point is, dong huffer, this idyllic (look it up, Smackie) Constitution you guys keep bringing up devalued the rights of black citizens and also prevented women from voting for years. But I guess that's OK because it's the Constitution and all.

[Smackie Chan]

idyllic (look it up, Smackie)

Not the adjective I would've gone with, and probably not the most appropriate one, but if it blows your skirt up, feel free to run with it.

I guess that's OK because it's the Constitution and all.

Here's where you & I are actually sort of in agreement. As Americans, we're conditioned to accept the Constitution as unassailable. Sure, it's not perfect and can be amended, but generally speaking, those who believe it's an ideal framework around which to build & sustain a nation take criticism of it about as cheerfully as Christers take criticism of the New Testament. The Founding Fathers are revered at near-Jesus levels, and to question their superior wisdom is considered heresy. I contend that after >200 years, lessons of experience could be applied, and if the most unlikely scenario unfolded in which the Federal gov't, by whatever means, were to undertake an effort outside the established amendment process to modify, revise, update, improve, enhance - pick whatever verb you like - the resulting document, while still adhering to most of what's currently in it, would look considerably different than it currently does. I don't accept that the FFs were any smarter than some of the most brilliant minds of today, and that a Constitution could now be written that would be an improvement on the current version. For stating this, I'm sure there are those here who wish this to be my fate...

[Wolfman]

A repeal of the 17th Amendment (which will never happen of course) would go a long way to returning the states to an actual voice in Washington. Talk about mistakes.

Funniest recent moment: Bill Clinton orating about how terrible it is that politicians would lie to the people.

[mvscal]

devalued the rights of black citizens

They weren't citizens and DC isn't and never will be a state. The two situations aren't even remotely comparable.

Good job putting your jaw-dropping stupidity on parade, though. No wonder so many balls are being dunked in your mouth.

[Truman]

Personally, I don't believe that the "Founding Fathers" had any sort of divine inspiration in drafting the Constitution. Truth be told, it was mostly a product of them being afraid of just about everything, including most of the people in the room who negotiated the thing. But they weren't stupid either. They recognized that when power is centralized, it naturally becomes tyrannical. So they agreed to form a nation that had a small central government with specific limited powers, which could solve differences arising among and between sovereign "states" that agreed to become federated with each other. What little power was granted by them to the central government was clearly reserved to the states and to the people.

Did the founding fathers make mistakes? Absolutely. The failure to address and prohibit slavery was but one of them. But they were smart enough to devise a framework whereby the people and the states could make amendments to the Constitution to address such mistakes.

The way this country functions today is not at all consistent with the Constitution and the intent of those who drafted, negotiated and ratified it. We presently have a massive central government, weak states and substantially powerless people.

If the majority of the people really want the Constitution to be rewritten to affirmatively permit the expansion and exercise of central authority, then we ought to have a Constitutional Convention and agree to rewrite the damn thing. But the notion that what is going on now is somehow consistent with its current terms makes the entire federal government a complete sham.

Why even have states if the states cannot exercise any power, and if the people living there have no say about what goes on there? We should just have a prime minister, a house of lords and a house of commons and get our massive centralized government moving forward with greater beaurocratic efficiency. Get rid of all state governments. What they hell do we need them for? Just let the feds handle it.

One of the best 88 posts in a long line of "best 88 posts." Rack.

[Truman]

They had a deal in 2006, I believe, to trade a vote in the house for DC for two in Utah (or something like that), and they fucked it up. So yes, they will.

I don’t suppose there was any mention of a Constitutional Amendment to change shit up anywhere in that discussion was there, Sparky?

So WHO fucked up? Congress... Or the dumbasses who actually believed that the House could magically wave a wand and bestow statehood on a crime-ridden, lib-driven Utopia that has proven time-and-again that its electorate is too fucking stupid to govern itself?

What part of FEDERAL escapes your cognizance? Hell, Ft. Hood, Texas is only half-a-mil short of DC's population, and the White Sands Missile Range is five times your size. Maybe THEY should apply for statehood too.

You have Home Rule and three electoral votes. Get over yourself.

Although you are partially correct. It's only politics keeping DC from its inalienable right to self-representation.

The IKYABWAI is strong in KC tard.

No, I am WHOLLY correct.

Another bad take. Last I checked, it was that nattering Constitution that was hindering your “right” to self-representation. Might want to trouble yourself to actually read it someday, instead of relying on the Post to tell you what it really means.

As I suggested before: If Congressional representation is truly THAT important to you, you folks are welcome to rejoin Maryland. The District alone should be good for a couple of House reps – and their votes would actually count.

As for the IKYABWAI: Sorry you missed the word-play on your own knee-jerk, brain-dead take. “Clueless” is too kind an assignation. Let’s try this: "You’re dumber than whole haberdashery full of asshats". Better? Then die from an Ebola enema, bitterman.

[mvscal]

Did the founding fathers make mistakes? Absolutely. The failure to address and prohibit slavery was but one of them.

That wasn't a mistake. It was a necessary compromise to form a viable union.

[Screw_Michigan]

They weren't citizens and DC isn't and never will be a state. The two situations aren't even remotely comparable.

Look who's back, Mr. Irrelevant. Enjoy your temper tantrum?

[mcet]

pass on this for now, check back in 10 years.

[Wolfman]

Statehood for PR is still a ways off, but if it does happen, the US flag will need a redesign. Here are some ideas. Somehow I don't think a few of them will ever fly, although the Pac-Man one is funny.

http://www.dailydot.com/news/reddit-51- ... erto-rico/

[dingus]

devalued the rights of black citizens

No wonder so many balls are being dunked in your mouth.

Glad to see you're getting your form back.

[XXXL]

Been wanting to surf PR since forever...

War Green Rooms!

[mvscal]

Been wanting to surf PR since forever...

So go. What the fuck does that have to do with admitting PR as a state?

[Terry in Crapchester]

PR would for sure be a blue state and looking for more handouts. Plenty of people there now looking for handouts as it is.

But that's votes for us, and that's all we care about!

/s/
Democrats

Not nearly as big an impact in Presidential elections as you might think.

If admitted as a state, Puerto Rico would rank 29th among the states in population, between Oklahoma and Connecticut. Since each of those states has five seats in the House of Representatives, it stands to reason Puerto Rico would receive five seats in the House as well. That translates to seven Electoral Votes, of course.

In the EC, the two votes representing Puerto Rico's Senate seats would be new, of course, But House membership is set by statute at 435, so Puerto Rico's five House seats would come from other states. If my math, and the stats I culled from a Wikipedia site relative to national and statewide population, are correct, the following states would lose one seat apiece if Puerto Rico were to become a state: California, Texas, Florida, Missouri and Minnesota.

So let's assume that Puerto Rico had been a state this year, and had gone for Obama. In the EC, that would mean that Obama would get two additional electoral votes representing Puerto Rico's two Senate seats, plus two electoral votes swing from Romney to Obama, representing the lost House seats for Texas and Missouri. So instead of 332-206 Obama, the final tally becomes 336-204 Obama. Not a huge difference, in the greater scheme of things.

The biggest difference, at least potentially, would be in the House of Representatives. But even if you assume that each of the states in question would lose a Republican seat, and all of Puerto Rico's seats would be filled by Democrats, that's a net swing of only five seats to the Democrats -- not enough to give them the majority, at least not right now.

Statehood for PR is still a ways off, but if it does happen, the US flag will need a redesign.

The logical redesign is not that far off from the design when there were 48 stars: six rows of stars, alternating rows of nine and eight stars.

[Truman]

As long as we can give 'em Emmanuel Cleaver's seat, we're good. PR sure-as-hell couldn't do any worse with it.

[smackaholic]

Let's just give them their independence. Better yet, lease them to Cuba for about 10 years. When the lease is up and we get them back, they'll prolly be good republicans after 10 years of that bullshit.