Should DC, PR and other Territories Get Statehood

Apology extended OEB, I may have simply included you as one of the "usual suspects". Too lazy to scroll up. Originally Posted by reddog1951

horsehockey!
That was a deliberate accusationof 'minority identity politics' on the part of non-DPST/ccp party posters.

Aside from the argument that it would add more democrats to congress are there other arguments for why they should not.

My suggestion for years was to make them all 1 state, call them the Territories or something. It’s never really made sense to be that Hawaii and Alaska were made states but the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and DC which are overall more populous aren’t.

My other suggestion was to add DC back to Maryland for the purpose of its “statehood” so there wouldn’t be additional senators but MD would likely get a couple more representatives. Then you can make the territories a single state.

Just doesn’t make much sense that US citizens would not have representation. Originally Posted by 1blackman1

DC should be put back into Maryland.

It would be a huge mistake to make DC a state.

You would never (I hope) give the Teamsters union 2 Senators to represent their interests. You would never give teachers unions two Senator to represent their interests.

That would essentially mean the every close piece of legislation would have to include some specific piece of pork for the Teamsters or the teachers unions. Their power and perks would become overwhelming.

So, why would you give two senators to government employee unions and the lobbyists who petition them? Because that's what DC statehood would result in. The population is overwhelmingly dominated by federal employees, their dependents, and lobbyists. The power of the federal employees would become overwhelming.

K - thank yuou
what you describe is precisely what the DPST/ccp marxists are planning
when fiden starts nominating radical marxists to pack the SC - America is officially DEAD!

the entire DPST/ccp party is doing its hateful best to start a Civil War ion America

well, after the leave 12th, they forget the english part and don't speak it too much if at all. thats the 80%. Originally Posted by dilbert firestorm

If you've grown up speaking and being taught English for all twelve years, it's difficult to forget. All my ex-wife's relatives that I spoke to could carry on a English conversation and they were in their 50s-60s.

This sounds like a Democratic Party ballot stuffing strategy. Yes if you give Puerto Ricans ONLY the choice of (a) statehood or (b) independence, a majority might pick "a." However historically the majority there has preferred the status quo, independence, or a free association over statehood. The Virgin Islands has a population of 106,000. Guam has a population of 167,000. Washington D.C. is a city, not a state, and historically has been treated as a distinct capitol district, like Mexico City, Canberra, and probably a lot of other places.

Respectfully, putting places with different cultures and different official languages, like the Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico, into a single state doesn't make sense. Rhetorical question: How far away is Guam from the Caribbean?

This is just part of the grand overarching strategy of the Democratic Party to maintain an advantage in the long term. Making all illegal immigrants citizens, and giving precedence in immigration to families of legal immigrants over almost everyone else, including engineers, scientists, doctors, etc., is another part. Originally Posted by Tiny

+1

When they had Plebescites in PR when I was there, they alway had the 3 choices: Independence, Statehood or status quo. There usually wasn't a 50%+ winner.

Also, corruption in massive in PR. As I've written before almost every externally facing door and window has burglar bars on them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico#Literacy

Languages

Main articles: Puerto Rican Spanish and English language in Puerto Rico
The official languages[184] of the executive branch of government of Puerto Rico[185] are Spanish and English, with Spanish being the primary language. Spanish is, and has been, the only official language of the entire Commonwealth judiciary system, despite a 1902 English-only language law.[186] However, all official business of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico is conducted in English. English is the primary language of less than 10% of the population. Spanish is the dominant language of business, education and daily life on the island, spoken by nearly 95% of the population.[187] Originally Posted by dilbert firestorm

If you've grown up speaking and being taught English for all twelve years, it's difficult to forget. All my ex-wife's relatives that I spoke to could carry on a English conversation and they were in their 50s-60s. Originally Posted by gnadfly

they were probably the 10% that could do it just fine.

in red, the other 90% - 95% is a different matter. they may know some english, but they're not fluent in it despite 12 years of english language education.

notice in the wiki entry that PR paid lip service to the english only language. PR courts (not federal district court) are in spanish, not english.

Actually from what I've been reading the constitution doesn't eliminate DC statehood. The size of the District of Columbia the district holding the United States Seat of Government would simply be shrunk down to a smaller size. Something that's already been done in the past.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distri...a_retrocession


HR51 would end this state of affairs by turning the vast majority of D.C. into the state of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth. The Constitution commands the creation of a “District” to serve as the “Seat of Government.” Today, that’s the entire city of D.C., but H.R. 51 would change that. The bill would shrink this federal district to a small enclave that encompasses the White House, Congress, the National Mall, and a number of federal buildings. All the remaining land within the district would become a state.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/...publicans.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stateh...ct_of_Columbia Originally Posted by txdot-guy

I would oppose that. the city is just too small. the land no longer needed should be returned to maryland.


that would be the right thing to do. it would prolly make amendment 23 moot.

they were probably the 10% that could do it just fine.

in red, the other 90% - 95% is a different matter. they may know some english, but they're not fluent in it despite 12 years of english language education.

notice in the wiki entry that PR paid lip service to the english only language. PR courts (not federal district court) are in spanish, not english. Originally Posted by dilbert firestorm

You need to go to PR. True, Spanish is predominate but nearly every native has a working understanding of the English language. TV channels in English. Signs in English/Spanish. Major newspaper in English (although it probably doesn't exist anymore).

I've already said the courts are based in Spanish law, not English law. It's not just a language difference.

DC absolutely should not because it's the seat of power. The people living there should be getting the voter representation from Virginia or Maryland, depending which part of DC they're in.

On the flip-side, if DC gets made into a state, it'll be the first City-State, and that can create precedent that cities like NYC, Chicago, LA, and SF/Oakland can be seperated from the core state, and would give republicans a huge swing.

For PR and the other territories - No, we just need to cut them loose, let them be their own countries again. Same for Hawaii Originally Posted by GastonGlock

Well put and I agree.

Hawaii is too strategic to let go. I am not in disagreement regarding the territories. I just think they are too baked in to no longer be part of the US. Maybe all the territories and DC can be added to the different states Guam to Hawaii, PR to Florida and DC to MD.

There would be difficulty in allocating their representatives due to districts being added by state legislatures so they would likely not have proper apportionment and wouldn’t have a seat in the drawing of the lines. I’m sure there would be issues there.

Legislation for DC statehood will eventually be taken up. I do agree that the City/State issue could grow in the future. LA and NY are larger by population and economy than over 35 states. Originally Posted by 1blackman1

Hawaii was once too strategic to let go, but I think it is no longer the case. We could just negotiate to keep Pearl and Hickam, give them a 100 billion dollar payment for the rental over the next 100 years, and let them be a free country again.

The Air Force, Navy and Space Force can pick up the slack over the rest of the Pacific. If we still have Midway - well that gives us sea rights..same goes for Puerto Rico, Guam, etc. Territiories are no longer needed. As for new states - too political to touch it.

I like your idea of the citizens of DC voting in Maryland.