Ricardo

The following information is to ALERT all hard working American Taxpayers on how Congress uses their hard earned money to maintain a colonial system in Puerto Rico. While many banks in the U.S. are foreclosing many homes because many Americans can't pay their mortgages, Congress sends 22 BILLION dollars every year to maintain a colonial system in Puerto Rico, because the colonialists here pay off many Congressmen (not all) for them to help maintain a colonial system here. Please access my Web Page (usacolony.com) and find out for yourself why in 2008, 110 years later, Puerto Rico is still a colony of the U.S. The Bush administration is offering a solution to the problem by celebrating a plebiscite in which it includes the actual colonial system. This is like offering the African-American population an option to become slaves again. This is an unfair choice because the United States invaded Puerto Rico in 1898, not Puerto Rico the United States, therefore it is the responsibility of the United States to put an end to the colony. You may ask yourself why we have voted for the colony all these years and I tell you, if you access my Web Page you will find out why this is so and I am sure that you will feel annoyed with your congressmen. I favor Statehood for Puerto Rico, because I am proud to be an American Citizen and Statehooders believe in paying Federal Taxes just like you do. In the actual colonial system we do not pay taxes, because the Congress does it for us, but by sending us your money. I feel very sad about this situation, but the American Taxpayer is the only one that can change this by contacting your Congressmen. Hillary and Obama want change for you. Let's see if they do in this case. I am asking Hillary and Obama through this forum, not to make any deals with the colonialists in Puerto Rico, who are squandering your hard earned money while many Mainland Americans are losing their homes to the banks. As long as Congress continues to maintain the colony alive, the American Taxpayer will continue to suffer hardship for Congress' irresponsibility with their money. This is a disgrace. America, wake up!

God Bless America!

Ricardo Colon-Aviles
Rio Grande, Puerto rico

Zack

Ricardo

The Democratic Party would like nothing more than for Puerto Rico to become a state because Puerto Rico would vote Democratic. For that same reason the Republican Party would not encourage statehood because of the loss of political support.

I live near Aguadilla for almost eighteen years now and I'm a main-lander of Anglo origin. I'm not politically involved in PR politics but can easily see why most Puerto Ricans support the status quo. Most Puerto Ricans live in poverty level as determined by stateside standards and as a result they would pay no federal taxes but they would still have to pay PR tax. There would actually be little advantage to statehood since we already get the full support plus some form the federal government that a state would get in federal services.

I don't think we pay federal highway taxes now on our gas so if we were to become a state we would pay more for gas. We receive special tax breaks on industry that employees many of the citizens in the pharmaceuticals and technology industries that would probably disappear. What advantages do you see for becoming a state outside of voting in federal elections?

Ricardo

I believe in StateHood because I am proud to be an American Citizen and I believe that we should have the same rights as mainland Americans do even if we have to pay taxes. I don't believe in handouts and I am sure that the leaders of ELA (the commonwealth) don't mind the handouts. They live off of U.S. taxpayers and they only care that the U.S. protects us militarily and sends us plenty of U.S. funds. We have over 300 miles of beautiful beaches that could make Puerto Rico one of the first and best tourist areas of the world, but they prefer the handouts. Puerto Rico will continue to be a colony because we are a goldmine for many U.S. politicians when it comes to campaign funds for their personal campaigns. All they have to do is to derail any status solution in congress and they get their campaign funds to do it. I guess we will continue as a colony as long as U.S. taxpayers don't mind paying 22 Billions every year to maintain a colony. This could continue for 50 or 100 more years, who knows. Meanwhile hundreds and maybe thousands of U.S. taxpayers will lose their homes to foreclosure. I think I'll leave this to first class Americans to figure out if they want to continue this relation. I give up, it's not my money they are wasting. But, thanks anyway.

Ricardo

Zack

Well I agree that it would be nice to have full citizenship rights but it is a hard sell. I, nor the federal government have anything to do with those homeowners that lost or are losing their homes to foreclosure. For tourism, Marriot is building a rather large casino on Base Ramey near Aguadilla. As fuel prices increase for airlines more and more US mainlanders will choose the Caribbean and Puerto Rico for an alternative to Hawaii. I think the islands future is pretty bright either way the statehood is decided if we can maintain a good fuel supply. You must keep in mind that if PR were to become a state it would have to end its almost 7% import tax of American goods and the replacement tax would be taken out of our pay.