Can The State Of The Union Handle Another State In The Union?
pO157.
Posted to Etcetera on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 02:48:21 AM EST (promoted by 1fastdog). RSS.
Puerto Rico, an area with more residents than at least 25 other states in the Union is still labeled a "Commonwealth" -- a designation that periodically spurs debate about its future across the country.
It is happening yet again, with the introduction and likely passage in the House of the Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2007 (pdf). This bill would allow the residents of Puerto Rico to call a constitutional convention to determine their future status, whether it be continuation of the status quo (in this case repeated ballots would be taken every 8 years until a permanent decision is made) or their choice of statehood, or some sort of independence.
Already, the idea of a permanent change to the status of Puerto Rico has generated controversy. One group points out that statehood has never reached a full majority and objects that Spanish is still the official language in Puerto Rico - with English having been added officially only 14 years ago - and thus could be the only US state where another language is the official language for transaction of
government business.
Also, Puerto Rico is extremely poor, with its inhabitants receiving income of less than half per month of the average resident of the poorest US state, Mississippi, and there are concerns about the rest of the nation needing to support a new impoverished state with government services.
Of course, the idea of statehood for Puerto Rico has its supporters who point out that Puerto Rico already is exempt from paying federal income tax yet get services and citizenship. Thus they argue it would be in the best interest of the mainland to accept a new state. In any event, they also point out it is physically closer than Alaska and Hawaii, about the size of Connecticut, and has other putative state-like characteristics.
This may be a decision "mainlanders" should get involved in: since the number of seats in the House of Representatives is capped at 435 the estimated six seats taken by PR will likely be stripped from other states. Of course, this will not address the "Taxation without Representation" claims brought forth by denizens of other historically significant places in the union.
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