US set to have 51 states

[Bill_in_Bethlehem]

[Sazari]

Well Bill is clearly lost when it comes to Obamacare here, and on a quick glance it also appears he is doing basic math incorrectly. Fortunatley, just because he argument is stupid does not mean that he does not have a valuable point. The fact remains Puerto Rico would be a multi-billion dollar liability for at least a decade after it is made a state.

Puerto Rico has had a shrinking economy for the last 4 years, 33% of the labor force employed by the government, a median income of 16k-18k (this 25k number is absurd and not correct), and even if it was it still is only 2/3 of the poorest state, Mississippi, which we all know is a budgetary drain. Puerto Rico currently runs a budget deficit and the main industry is tourism from the united states, and has an unemployment rate of 14%-16%. If Puerto Rico were a state it would already find itself 16th in terms of the number of individuals on the disability rolls. Right now congress statutorily limits the amount of "welfare" dollars that gets sent to puerto rico.

Puerto Rico will be a liability for literally no gain. I realize they are already citizens, but there is simply no reason to closer tie our economies together when they are doing so poorly at the moment. Plus, 50 is a nice round number, 51 would throw that all off.

[Bill_in_Bethlehem]

[Sazari]

[eric]

[Bill_in_Bethlehem]

[Clarino]

I've yet to see any arguement that this will fail, just statements that it will.

Is there any proof supporting the assertion that Puerto Rico will not be admitted to full statehood? All I've seen so far is statements that it won't and arguements for why it shouldn't.

Not a very strong case, considering Puerto Ricans are already US citizens.

At the very least they should be incorporated into one of the lower 48.

[eric]

[OGPhilly]

[The Comrade]

no territory has ever been denied statehood in a vote.

now your turn.