Ethnic politics pushes and passes Puerto Rican Statehood
April 30, 2010 6 Comments
US Congress pushes and passes Puerto Rican Statehood today?
Locust: This will allow a democrat super majority, when will the rest of you wake up, the core problem is not the illegals, its the western core, the ethos of universal equality, not all men are created equal, and we must defend our peoples right to exist.
by Molly Posted 6 hours ago
Apparently there is to be a vote later today on a bill regarding Puerto Rican statehood. They are calling it “non-binding” but it is not non-binding! It is a trap. The bill makes eventual Puerto Rican statehood a virtual certainty. This is despite the fact that statehood has been voted down repeatedly. The Puerto Rican people don’t want it!
Sidebox-Puerto-Rico-C
But since when has that stopped the Left from ramming what they want down people’s throats? And why do they want this? The same reason they want everything, to further entrench their power. Statehood would mean two new senators, six or seven new representatives, a whole slew of new voters and tons of opportunities to spend more of your money. As Examiner.com’s Robert Moon points out:
Due to its dense population of poverty-stricken minorities, Puerto Rico can be counted on to vote overwhelmingly for Democrats and all their handouts, and their representation will also consequently outnumber that of 25 other existing U.S. states.
Meanwhile, with Puerto Ricans having an average income of less than half that of our poorest state, they will instantly become eligible for dozens of our welfare programs. Truckloads of taxpayer dollars will also have to be perpetually dumped into the territory, by federal law, to bring it up to American infrastructure and environmental standards.
Oh, and never mind us. We don’t get a say in this either. Puerto Rico, which doesn’t want statehood, is being forced to vote, while we American citizens, who have a vested interest in the outcome, will not be given the opportunity to vote! Simply incredible!
HR 2499, titled “A Bill, to provide for a federally sanctioned self-determination process for the people of Puerto Rico” follows a very devious, underhanded multi-step path to essentially force Puerto Rican voters to eventually adopt statehood. Here’s how.
The bill first authorizes Puerto Rico to hold a vote where they are given the following two choices only:
1. Puerto Rico should maintain its current political status.
2. Puerto Rico should have a different political status (Different political status. These vague words are exactly as in the bill.)
So citizens get to choose 1 or 2. Period, no ifs, ands or buts. Then the bill stipulates what comes next:
If the people pick option 1 – which they have chosen multiple times already – then the Puerto Rican government is directed to conduct more plebiscites every eight years for the foreseeable future. So in other words, Mr. Puerto Rican citizen, we are going to keep cramming this down your throat until a majority of you choose option 2.
Once the people choose option 2, then there will be a second vote with the following three options:
1. Full independence.
2. Sovereignty “in association with the United States…” not subject to the Constitution’s Territorial Clause.
3. Statehood.
For the record, the first two options will not get much support. So the entire structure of the bill is designed to funnel Puerto Rican voters into a predetermined outcome: Statehood. This despite the fact that Puerto Ricans have voted against statehood over and over again!
Rep. Luis Gutierrez, a senior Democrat Congressman no less, just posted his views on this bill at Huffington Post. Here is what he has to say about it:
I am a senior Democratic Member of Congress, whose parents were born in Puerto Rico, and for whom Puerto Rico self-determination has been – and remains – a central issue of my congressional career. This statehood bill is the opposite of self-determination.
It is designed to craft an artificial majority for statehood where none exists now. Every time the people of Puerto Rico have been consulted on this issue through a plebiscite they’ve said NO to Statehood. NO to Statehood in 1967. NO to Statehood in 1993. NO to Statehood in 1998. This should be called the “Don’t you dare say NO to Statehood Bill”.
But he is just getting going. Listen to this:
When a similar Puerto Rico bill came up under Speaker Newt Gingrich’s Republican controlled Congress a decade ago, it was the product of lengthy and thorough hearings and an open and fair process. Then, I was given time to offer seven amendments. Then I was able to clarify the bill for the Puerto Rican people. Then, each of my seven amendments got 30 minutes of floor time for debate.
Flash forward to now. Now a Democratic Majority Congress is only allowing me two of the 16 amendments I offered in the Rules Committee on Wednesday. Now I only have 10 minutes to debate each one.
Now, under Democratic Leadership, we get one hearing, no forewarning, no companion Senate bill, and a debate only a few seconds longer than a NASCAR pit-stop…I get more time to debate renaming a Post Office than I will get to debate a bill that could make Puerto Rico the fifty-first state.
In my opinion, this bill is the political equivalent of a shady Goldman Sachs derivative: It’s secretive. It lacks transparency. It’s likely to blow up down the road and cause systemic risk to out democracy. And those who put this political derivative together don’t really tell you what this is really about and will play dumb when it explodes.
We all know now from the outrageous experience of Obamacare that leftists could care less what the will of the people is. For those of you who traditionally vote Democrat this should serve as a warning: that includes you! Even if it’s those poor, downtrodden Puerto Ricans the Left claims to want to help so much. Ram Obamacare down Americas’ throat; ram statehood down Puerto Rico’s throat.
Do I detect a pattern here?
This information needs to go viral. Congress needs to be shut down with phone calls and faxes starting first thing in the morning. That is today, April 29, 2010.
All this is going on while everyone is distracted by the monstrous financial bailout bill coming out of the Senate. The timing was deliberate! And we now hear that despite losing support from lone RINO Republican Lindsey Graham, the Democrats are going to go ahead with illegal immigrant amnesty.
So now we see a pretty comprehensive electoral strategy mapped out:
1. Naturalize 12 million illegal aliens to vote Democrat
2. Universal voter registration
3. Do away with Electoral College using state-by-state approach
4. Force Puerto Rican statehood
5. Soros-funded Secretary of State project to help steal close elections
6. Stimulus monies as political slush fund
If you’re not sufficiently angry and alarmed now, there is no hope for you. These people are demonstrating right to our faces their willingness to trample our rights and defy our will. If they are willing to do this now, what will they do if they get the permanent majorities they want?
Puerto Rico – 51st State? Congress Scrambling to Make it So
by Kristinn Taylor and Andrea Shea King
Last night (Tuesday) on his TV show, Glenn Beck dropped another bombshell — on Thursday, Congress will take up a bill to make Puerto Rico a state. Why is our Congress doing this now? Secretly? Quickly? If it hadn’t been for one of Beck’s “Refounders” (a Congressional insider), would we even know about this? Why is this important to you and me?
Well, the word is out, and my local 9-12/Tea party organization sent this out this morning. First thing to hit my mailbox, in fact…
There is a bill to make Puerto Rico a state. Again, they are trying to pull one over on us and on Puerto Ricans, who have consistently said they do not want to become a state. Read below for more information (from Eagle Forum). This was also discussed by Rep Tom Price on a conference call yesterday.
Please consider this:
* The U.S. would transform, overnight, into a bilingual nation. At least half of Puerto Ricans do not speak English, the language of our U.S. Constitution and founding documents. The Washington Times article, “Puerto Rican statehood,” analyzes all the implications of adding a foreign language-speaking state to the Union.
* It would bring immediate demands for massive federal spending. The average income of Puerto Ricans is less than half that of our poorest state, and infrastructure and the environment are far below American standards. Puerto Rico has a population with a median national income of $17,741, nearly a third of that for the U.S.
* Puerto Rico is already a democracy. Despite the bill’s deceptive title, Puerto Rico already has an elected government and exists as a self-governed commonwealth of the U.S.
* Statehood would give Puerto Rico more congressional representation than 25 of our 50 states! It would inevitably give Democrats two additional U.S. Senators and 6 to 8 additional Members of the House.
H.R. 2499 is stealth legislation designed to lead to the admission of Spanish-speaking Puerto Rico as the 51st state, thereby making us a de facto bilingual nation, like Canada. The U.S. Congress should not be forcing Puerto Ricans to vote on statehood, especially since the Puerto Rican people have rejected statehood three times since 1991!
No Member of Congress who describes himself as a limited government, fiscal conservative should be casting a YEA vote for H.R. 2499, as Puerto Rican statehood would cause an immediate increase in federal expenditures, particularly for taxpayer-funded welfare state services.
Sponsored by Puerto Rican delegate Pedro Pierluisi (D), the Puerto Rico Democracy Act (H.R. 2499) – which has reared its ugly head a number of times over the past few congresses but has yet to have any success – would require Puerto Ricans to hold a national referendum to decide if they want Puerto Rico to remain a self-governing U.S. commonwealth, or become the 51st state.
The referendum would be set up as two plebiscites which would effectively deceive Puerto Ricans into voting for statehood. In the first round of votes, the Puerto Rican people would be given the choice between remaining a U.S. territory and “pursuing a different political status.” If the majority votes to maintain the status quo, this bill would require that Puerto Rico vote on this same issue every eight years.
If the majority votes for “different status,” a second round of votes would be held where Puerto Ricans would choose either statehood or independence-the status quo of “U.S. territory” would not even be an option! In other words, the two ballots would be rigged to favor the outcome of statehood, overriding the wishes of Americans and Puerto Ricans who want to maintain the current commonwealth status.
* Contact your US congressmen AND
* Take quick action here: http://www.capwiz.com/eagleforum/issues/alert/?alertid=14966151&type=CO
Why the Rush on the Puerto Rico Statehood Bill? Something Doesn’t Add Up
So, what is up with this Puerto Rico statehood bill?
In my opinion, this bill is the political equivalent of a shady Goldman Sachs derivative: It’s secretive. It lacks transparency. It’s likely to blow up down the road and cause systemic risk to our democracy. And those who put this political derivative together don’t really tell you what this is really about and will play dumb when it explodes.
I get more time to debate renaming a Post Office than I will get to debate a bill that could make Puerto Rico the fifty-first state.
Two Puerto Rican U.S. Senators? Six or seven new Puerto Rican House Members? Really? I can understand why some people would like that idea…but shouldn’t we discuss it first?
When a similar Puerto Rico bill came up under Speaker Newt Gingrich’s Republican controlled Congress a decade ago, it was the product of lengthy and thorough hearings and an open and fair process. Now, under Democratic Leadership, we get one hearing, no forewarning, no companion Senate bill, and a debate only a few seconds longer than a NASCAR pit-stop.
Then, I was given time to offer seven amendments. Then I was able to clarify the bill for the Puerto Rican people. Then, each of my seven amendments got 30 minutes of floor time for debate. Flash forward to now. Now a Democratic Majority Congress is only allowing me two of the 16 amendments I offered in the Rules Committee on Wednesday. Now I only have 10 minutes to debate each one.
Then was then this is now.
This means Speaker Gingrich, not a Speaker I voted for, not MY Speaker, allowed me 210 minutes of debate on my amendments alone, and under Democratic Leadership I get two amendments at ten-minutes each.
What’s the rush? Something is wrong with this picture. It just does not add up.
I am a senior Democratic Member of Congress, whose parents were born in Puerto Rico, and for whom Puerto Rico self-determination has been – and remains – a central issue of my congressional career. This statehood bill is the opposite of self-determination.
It is designed to craft an artificial majority for statehood where none exists now. Every time the people of Puerto Rico have been consulted on this issue through a plebiscite they’ve said NO to Statehood. NO to Statehood in 1967. NO to Statehood in 1993. NO to Statehood in 1998. This should be called the “Don’t you dare say NO to Statehood Bill”.
Why is it that the when the people of the District of Columbia repeatedly and overwhelmingly ask for Statehood, Congress ignores them, and when the people of Puerto Rico, who have never asked for statehood and who have actually said ‘no’ to statehood three times get this statehood bill pushed on them in a rush…with little or no debate?
For the first time I can remember, I am planning to vote against the rule crafted by my party to govern the floor debate of this bill (H.R. 2499). It is a vote I did not expect to have to cast and is a deep disappointment. But I’m left with no choice.
Follow Rep. Luis Gutierrez on Twitter: www.twitter.com/RepGutierrez
Puerto Rico’s “Nuclear Option” Statehood Strategy
By Robert DePosada
Next week Congress will vote on a bill to invite Puerto Rico to become our 51st State. The Democratic leadership in Congress is using their usual playbook of deceptive rhetoric and stealth tactics to push their agenda, but the misleadingly-named Puerto Rico Democracy Act (H.R. 2499) is a new low.
Under the banner of a non-binding self-determination bill, Congress will likely put their stamp of approval on a flawed election process in Puerto Rico that will guarantee the addition of Puerto Rico as our 51st state. In addition to costing U.S. taxpayers more than $30 billion a year, we will be adopting a state where only 20 percent of its residents speak English, the per capita income is half of Mississippi’s (our poorest state) and the gun control laws are more stringent than any state in the U.S.
Here is how it will work: Congress passes a non-binding self-determination bill which calls for a federally sanctioned self-determination process for Puerto Rico. Statehood leaders in Puerto Rico, who control all branches of government, will design – by not offering the continuation of Puerto Rico’s current status as a commonwealth – an election that guarantees a significant statehood victory. Then, after statehood wins a landslide majority, they will elect a congressional delegation to send to Washington, D.C. and demand they be seated. With its current population of about four million, Puerto Rico could add six or seven liberal members to the House of Representatives and two to the U.S. Senate.
Because Puerto Ricans have repeatedly rejected statehood and voted to remain a U.S. Commonwealth in all three elections in which they have voted on the issue, the New Progressive Party (PNP) are exerting their one-party control of Puerto Rico’s government to implement their own version of the “nuclear option.” In fact, the PNP’s 2008 platform says that Puerto Rico will follow the same strategy Tennessee used to gain admission to the Union in 1796: to dispatch its newly elected congressmen to Washington to demand their seats in Congress.
But the Puerto Ricans will have one weapon the Tennesseans lacked. As PNP leader and former Governor Carlos Romero Barceló, told local newspapers, “They [congressional leaders] will have to support [statehood] in order to avoid being accused of bigotry against Hispanics.”In other words the Puerto Ricans won’t hesitate to denounce anyone who resists their demand as “racists.” Anyone who thinks such a public relations strategy is far-fetched should recall the battle over seating Roland Burris, Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s pick to be U.S. Senator from Illinois.
One has to wonder why Puerto Rican statehood leaders would use such strong-arm tactics to force their way into the Union. The main reason is that Puerto Rico’s economy is in shambles and it needs a bailout from the U.S. Treasury that it could not hope to get as a commonwealth.
Next week’s vote should be a wake-up call to all Americans and their Congressional representatives who remain committed to government transparency and our nation’s economic security. Rather than conduct an honest and open debate about the potential costs and benefits of Puerto Rican statehood, Congressional leaders are preparing to use the suspension calendar – which would limit debate and amendments for quick passage – to produce a larger Democratic majority. If Congressional leaders are committed to further stripping away our economic security and cultural identity, they should know that they will need to do it by force and not by stealth.
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