Puerto Rico State Or Not Essay, Research Paper

Careful analysis, serious treatment, and possibly even a national consensus should predate a determination every bit momentous as the admittance of a new province into the Union. Although Puerto Rico has been a commonwealth of the United States since the Spanish -American War, they merely late became United States citizens after a jurisprudence passed in 1917. They will shortly hold the chance to vote on whether or non they will go the fifty-first province of the Union. There is presently a measure ( H.R. 859 ) , passed to the Senate that calls for a true referendum which for the first clip in history, would let Puerto Ricans to take their ain fate.

Puerto Rico is a little island 90 stat mis long and 30 stat mis broad. It is located about 1000 stat mis south-east of Miami between the U.S. Virgin Islands and Hispaniola. Its capital metropolis of San Juan, and the environing urban country is one of the most dumbly populated countries in the universe.

In the past 33 old ages at that place have been three ballots to find the position of Puerto Rico. In 1967, 1981, and 1993 the citizens of the island voted whether Puerto Rico should stay a commonwealth, go a province, or go an independent state. None of these ballots were adhering but were used for sentiment intents merely. All three times, Puerto Ricans voted to stay, as they

are, a commonwealth of the United States.

Why so is the Congress of the United States prosecuting a new measure to alter Puerto Rico & # 8217 ; s position from a commonwealth to a province?

Glynn Cudrow, co-author of Proposition 209 and Professor of Anthropology at CalState Hayward writes that & # 8220 ; there is a misguided belief that support for Puerto Rican statehood will interpret into mainland Latino support for Republicans & # 8221 ; .

Many Senators and Representatives in Congress are leaping excessively rapidly into a state of affairs that they are non good plenty informed approximately. There are many negatives of Puerto Rico going a province of the Union.

Harmonizing the Louisiana Republican Robert Livingston, 60 % of the population of Puerto Rico is on public assistance. This means that Puerto Rican statehood would necessitate the transportation of public assistance money, from provinces with their ain economic jobs, to the new province of Puerto Rico. It is estimated that public assistance cheques would increase by a lower limit of $ 4 Billion a twelvemonth.

In The House of Representatives, Puerto Rico would derive six congressional seats. These seats would be reassigned from Mississippi, Florida, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Washington, and Wisconsin.

In financial footings, Puerto Rico would rank last in parts to the Federal Reserve, but on the contrary, they would rank foremost on the list of donees for that money. Thymine

his is a serious mismatch that would necessitate the careful consideration of people such as Alan Greenspan, Chairman of the Federal Reserve.

The mainland would besides inherit many societal jobs. Harmonizing to the National Crime Prevention Center, the slaying rate of the island of Puerto Rico

is two and a half times greater than on the mainland. Robert Livingston besides stated that the illicit birth rate for the island is 30 per centum, which is an index of the poorness degree.

Harmonizing to Carlos Romero-Barcelo, the Puerto Rican delegate to Congress, & # 8221 ; Puerto Rico wants statehood, but neither our linguistic communication or civilization is negotiable & # 8221 ; . Because of this, many political critics believe that the United States, by doing Puerto Rico a province of the Union, would in fact be inheriting our ain Northern Ireland, or our ain Bosnia. Recently, the repute of Puerto Ricans has been associated with force as there were public violences and the kind after President Clinton released members of a group called FALN.

Many people say that Puerto Rico going a province of the Union will be a good thing. In footings of helping the island, we would be able to offer public assistance on a

broader degree. The United States would besides be able to offer catastrophe alleviation to the island, which is yearly hit by hurricanes coming off the seashore of Africa.

All these things would be good for the island of Puerto Rico, but we that is merely 3 million people. We have to believe about the about 300 million people in the current 50 province of the United States.

Right now there is a delicate spread of financess that has eventually started to equilibrate out because of new economic processs. The coming of a new province will throw all of that off and we would be back to abrasion.

There is no demand for another province to be entered into the Union right now. The island is merely about 3400 square stat mis with really small agribusiness or anything of value. Many companies have their concerns on the island because it is cheaper for them to be located at that place. The lone major economic impact on the island would be that these companies would hold to get down paying revenue enhancements on everything they make. The mainland would so see an addition in the monetary value of these merchandises to antagonize the revenue enhancements.

The people of Congress must recognize that go oning this campaign is a frivolous attempt to add popular support for their parties. They need to set away their candidacy attitudes and, alternatively of talking to the populace, need to talk for the populace. Many do non desire this to go a world and the facts are really converting against the island going a province. How can Congress so blatantly ignore the wants of the general populace?

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