PuertoRico... Commonwealth status by US Govt. and US currency.

[abc]

Does US benefit or PR benefit more.

I'm talking about American People/businesses, not govt US benefit, and i'm talking about PR people/businesses, not govts.

 

[themusgrat]

Probably Puerto Rico. Everything about them is so protected, and they get their own government, which means their own business laws, no over regulation, etc. It is way hard to totally separate gov. from business, because each depends so heavily from each other. Then again, much of the world's medical research is done there, so we all benefit from it in that way.

 

[EagleKeeper]

PR has the maximum benifit.

If they were to go to statehood, they would have to live with much more red tape and loss of status/benifits that they currently have.

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
PR has the maximum benifit.

If they were to go to statehood, they would have to live with much more red tape and loss of status/benifits that they currently have.

Yeah, it's a sweetheart deal.

 

[abc]

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
PR has the maximum benifit.

If they were to go to statehood, they would have to live with much more red tape and loss of status/benifits that they currently have.

right, so they're smiling happily as they are...

but why make them part of USA.

Wouldn't we be better off letting it be its own country in the first place?

 

[ntdz]

Originally posted by: abc

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
PR has the maximum benifit.

If they were to go to statehood, they would have to live with much more red tape and loss of status/benifits that they currently have.

right, so they're smiling happily as they are...

but why make them part of USA.

Wouldn't we be better off letting it be its own country in the first place?

And give up control of our territory? I don't think so...

 

[Beige]

I know the question asked for no government but i couldnt resist.
Puerto Rico's current political status benefits them both. In one hand the Island chooses the government. They have their own representation in sports and the miss universe pageant to mention just a few. Why would a country give up the right to have the best of both worlds. On the down side puertoricans don't vote for the president of the United States and whatever is decided in the states affects Puerto Rico directly. For instance social secutiry changes, medicare and others. On the other hand Puerto Rico belongs to the United States, they are US territory. Puerto Rico has the biggest satellite in the world and it was put there by the US. The United States used Vieques (near by island belonging to Puerto Rico) for its military (bombs) training for more than 50 years exposing puertoricans in that small island to much health hazards (Cancer, lung disease). It took many years of struggle to finally get the US to leave the Island and stop using it. Puerto Rico actively participates in the armed forces defending the US. Puerto Rico is also located in a very strategic area in the caribbean. So the Us is not holding on to Puerto Rico for nothing.
BTW I am puertorican and proud of it. (Ive actually lived on the island (7 years) unlike those losers born and raised on the US who claim to know alot about what actually goes on in Puerto Rico) But unless you have actually experienced living on both places like i have you really have no say.

 

[Wnh5001]

Originally posted by: Beige
I know the question asked for no government but i couldnt resist.
Puerto Rico's current political status benefits them both. In one hand the Island chooses the government. They have their own representation in sports and the miss universe pageant to mention just a few. Why would a country give up the right to have the best of both worlds. On the down side puertoricans don't vote for the president of the United States and whatever is decided in the states affects Puerto Rico directly. For instance social secutiry changes, medicare and others. On the other hand Puerto Rico belongs to the United States, they are US territory. Puerto Rico has the biggest satellite in the world and it was put there by the US. The United States used Vieques (near by island belonging to Puerto Rico) for its military (bombs) training for more than 50 years exposing puertoricans in that small island to much health hazards (Cancer, lung disease). It took many years of struggle to finally get the US to leave the Island and stop using it. Puerto Rico actively participates in the armed forces defending the US. Puerto Rico is also located in a very strategic area in the caribbean. So the Us is not holding on to Puerto Rico for nothing.
BTW I am puertorican and proud of it. (Ive actually lived on the island (7 years) unlike those losers born and raised on the US who claim to know alot about what actually goes on in Puerto Rico) But unless you have actually experienced living on both places like i have you really have no say.

U GO GIRL, tell them how it is.
Im suprised about all that, i never knew any of that, good point in bringing up the strategic bonuses in puerto rico.

 

[abc]

Originally posted by: Beige
On the down side puertoricans don't vote for the president of the United States and whatever is decided in the states affects Puerto Rico directly. For instance social secutiry changes, medicare and others. .

Do PRs pay taxes to feed the system while getting these services which bleed the system?

 

[Beige]

Originally posted by: abc

Originally posted by: Beige
On the down side puertoricans don't vote for the president of the United States and whatever is decided in the states affects Puerto Rico directly. For instance social secutiry changes, medicare and others. .

Do PRs pay taxes to feed the system while getting these services which bleed the system?

No there is no annual tax. Thats one benefit for not getting to vote. Its either vote so you can have a say in what happens but pay taxes or Dont pay taxes but you dont get to vote. Im not sure how the majority or puertoricans feel on this issue but i know id be a tough choice...pay taxes or get to vote...which would you choose if you were in situation...>< hard choice for me. But id probrably prefer the choice to vote.

 

[ntdz]

Originally posted by: Beige

Originally posted by: abc

Originally posted by: Beige
On the down side puertoricans don't vote for the president of the United States and whatever is decided in the states affects Puerto Rico directly. For instance social secutiry changes, medicare and others. .

Do PRs pay taxes to feed the system while getting these services which bleed the system?

No there is no annual tax. Thats one benefit for not getting to vote. Its either vote so you can have a say in what happens but pay taxes or Dont pay taxes but you dont get to vote. Im not sure how the majority or puertoricans feel on this issue but i know id be a tough choice...pay taxes or get to vote...which would you choose if you were in situation...>< hard choice for me. But id probrably prefer the choice to vote.

I'd gladly give up my right to vote to pay less taxes.

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: Beige

Originally posted by: abc

Originally posted by: Beige
On the down side puertoricans don't vote for the president of the United States and whatever is decided in the states affects Puerto Rico directly. For instance social secutiry changes, medicare and others. .

Do PRs pay taxes to feed the system while getting these services which bleed the system?

No there is no annual tax. Thats one benefit for not getting to vote. Its either vote so you can have a say in what happens but pay taxes or Dont pay taxes but you dont get to vote. Im not sure how the majority or puertoricans feel on this issue but i know id be a tough choice...pay taxes or get to vote...which would you choose if you were in situation...>< hard choice for me. But id probrably prefer the choice to vote.

No taxes are you sure? United Van Lines got boats?

 

[EatSpam]

Originally posted by: ntdz

Originally posted by: Beige

Originally posted by: abc

Originally posted by: Beige
On the down side puertoricans don't vote for the president of the United States and whatever is decided in the states affects Puerto Rico directly. For instance social secutiry changes, medicare and others. .

Do PRs pay taxes to feed the system while getting these services which bleed the system?

No there is no annual tax. Thats one benefit for not getting to vote. Its either vote so you can have a say in what happens but pay taxes or Dont pay taxes but you dont get to vote. Im not sure how the majority or puertoricans feel on this issue but i know id be a tough choice...pay taxes or get to vote...which would you choose if you were in situation...>< hard choice for me. But id probrably prefer the choice to vote.

I'd gladly give up my right to vote to pay less taxes.

Same here... its not like my vote counts anyway... **cough** Diebold **cough** Plus, I'd have the satisfaction of knowing that less of my money was funding American corporatism abroad.

 

[NumbersGuy]

The US estimated it would benefit more, else they wouldn't have come up w this deal.

It has its roots in the Spanish-American war, where to help the Cubans the US took over Puerto Rico and the Phillipines as colonies (long story, but many similarities betw the latter then & Iraq now, specially civilian toll-wise) Cuba was independent four years later, eventually leading to grief big time.

IIRC the status of PR was determined in the 1910s. Phillipines independence late 1940s.

As we have seen repeatedly, if the US wanted to change the situation a number of reasons would be developed in a matter of hours.

As a state, Puerto Rico would be the poorest; as an independent Latin nation it would be the richest. Except, of course, for Miami

 

[abc]

isn't miami not the same as it was in the 80s. yes perhaps more developed... but more crime and corruption?

 

[NumbersGuy]

Originally posted by: abc
isn't miami not the same as it was in the 80s. yes perhaps more developed... but more crime and corruption?

Of course not, and in fact never was. We do however have the only paper in the nation, if not the world, that knows only how to throw mud and push for subsidizing special interests. Add the natural laziness and incestuosness of the media and the perception is created that you, as many, have.

Check crime statistics here 32p pdf. 90+ murders for 2.5M people beats most metro areas (roughly would require max 400/yr in NYC & LA, they'd love to dream about that)

As to corruption, a major recount in the city revealed that one dead person had voted and about 100-200 voted twice or w the wrong address, plus absentee irregularities in the same ballpark. This is of course an embarrassment when compared to typical fountains of purity as NYC, NJ, Chicago, Philly, etc. Heck, now the machines fix the vote!

Off the top of my head, a state senator took 250K under the table and a media-beloved chief of police 2-300K from a police program for kids. And, the head of the teacher's union for 40+ years took 1-2M. Compared with say Enron, AIG and the US Congress, this is again shameful in its pettiness.

Hardly Miami Vice or CSI Miami. Probably Dave Barry is more representative.

True, traffic is 4-5th worst in the nation and summers could be brutal w/o a/c. And this new hurricanes cycle doesn't look good, in spite of one of the toughest building codes in the country.

We also have great beaches, boating, museums, theater, symphony, opera (!), ballet, a couple of dozen universities, several sports teams, 8-9000 restaurants (including of course McD and BK (headquartered here)), busiest cruise port, top ten airport that is also first in cargo. Of course South Beach, hottest spot in the known universe (I'm told).

Personally I've met people from 94 countries, Presidents Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Bush Sr. and Madonna (very nice) and Will Smith (great guy). People and food from all over and great fall, winter (65F now, due to cold wave) and spring. Major trade center between the US and Latin America, second in banks to NYC.

The overall negative perception must also be changing, since about 70,000 condo units in 50-70 story towers are in process for the next four years. Look here

Not what you read or see in TV, at all. People that work hard, enjoy life and move forward; the American Dream is reborn here every day.

Come down, get some warm sun, spend some money, look at beautiful girls. I'll buy lunch.

 

[MegaWorks]

For Queen of Country Bush! :laugh: