Will Puerto Rico join the union?

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I've read that the commonwealth of Puerto Rico voted to join statehood and become the 51st state. Will this move forward, and what are the implications of this possible scenario, positives and negatives?

It was a pretty mixed result, their pro-statehood governor was voted out and more than quarter of the electorate left their ballot blank on question of what they should change their status too. A clear majority did not vote for statehood.

I'm not sure where they go from here but I doubt the GOP or Obama/Dems will take a particularly strong stand on the issue. It doesn't seem like this referendum has resolved the question in Puerto Rico.

I'd really love to see PR join statehood. It'd make us and them stronger I'd imagine, is there anything that's going to happen next? Or will it just be idled and not brought up in our house and senate ?

It's doubtful. The issue wasn't really resolved in Puerto Rico and the House/Senate would need to approve it and then send it back to Puerto Rico to approve. Puerto Rico elected a governor that favors staying a commonwealth.

PR has all of the benefits of being a State and non of the down-side.

ruveyn

If they do, it won't be for a few more years. For one, as already noted, the results are inconclusive. For another, I just can't see a Republican House warm up to the idea of admitting a state with five or six Democratic representatives (and they will vote Democrat). Plus, they'll likely be a blue state in the electoral college.

I know they are untaxed, but they are also very poor. PR per capita income is only two-thirds that of the poorest state, Mississippi.

They don't pay federal income taxes, I believe.

So why vote for statehood?

Because they would get seats in congress and a larger say in federal matters. In addition, they would get a larger share of federal money, a bigger military presence, and many other economic and social benefits.

Honestly, I'm not sure I'd want the US to take on Puerto Rico. They have a lot issues with crime, corruption, and are like $70 billion in debt. They'd be the poorest state in the union and would be at a major disadvantage if English isn't their main language. The US would be better if they become independent but that obviously isn't going to happen. It doesn't appear that the majority of the Puerto Rican people want statehood, it's still only about 45% of the electorate and has held steady at that percentage with every referendum they've had pretty much.

Politically it's also unlikely to gain steam too, if Puerto Rico was a state would mean they would be entitled to 6 representatives to congress and that would come at the expense of 6 reps in other states plus 2 more senators in a very divided country. Alaska and Hawaii joined the union around the same time for a reason.

I hope so. This would be such a cool flag.

If they become a state, how many people I wonder are going to show their true feelings about a whole state full of brown people.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

I've asked 4 Puerto Ricans I know about this, and they all want statehood. Alot of Puerto Ricans (75%) Identify as Mestizo white. I don't think what they look like matters.. I feel that it can open more opportunities if anything - Tourism for example. More corporations will be open, and the GDP should raise over time for them while we collect more taxes. Over half of Puerto Ricans live in the United States now, which is showing that the commonwealth there is failing. I look at it as a cheaper Hawaii.

Being European I have little to say about the subject matter itself, but the proposed flag shown above is excellent. The cluster of stars as a whole resembles a five-pointed star, yet it is circular as in the Betsy Ross flag.