Puerto Rico
The main argument against Puerto Rican statehood is taxation. Except for DC, it has been the policy of the federal government that there be no taxation without representation, so Puerto Ricans don't pay income tax.
If Puerto Rico becomes a state it would add 2 senators and 7 representatives to Congress; we can expect these members to come from the conservatives that hold office in the "state" legislature.
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson acknowledged the need to clean up the island of Vieques last week at the national convention of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
H.R. 2499, the Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2009, would make Puerto Rico the 51st state.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
In the government's twisted logic, warning people about the impending bombing that will contaminate their air, water, soil and bodies could harm these citizens more.
President Obama should instruct all relevant federal agencies to live up to his stated commitment to address the health crisis in Vieques immediately, pursue an "environmentally acceptable" clean-up for Vieques, and work toward a fair and complete resolution to the ongoing litigation.
Maybe having Sotomayor on the Supreme Court will cause the US and Puerto Rico finally to resolve the nutty relationship they have had since 1898. I'd say give the island a star and make it a state.
What President Obama has done for men of color, Sonia Sotomayor will do for Puerto Rican women. She will forever and profoundly change the image of what a "Puerto Rican girl" really is.
The people of Vieques -- U.S. citizens -- have suffered greatly at the hands of their government. Their claims for compensation deserve, at the very least, a fair hearing in court.
Sotomayor describes herself as a “Newyorican,” which is someone who has been born in New York City from parents hailing from