Slow arrival of hurricane aid revives statehood debate

[struggle4progress]

Molly Hennessy-Fiske

... The island lacks voting representation in Congress or any power in presidential elections. Nearly everything costs more, including healthcare. And now, amid the devastation of Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico has another reminder of its status as a non-state: the slow arrival of federal assistance ...

"It is certainly the responsibility of all U.S. citizens to ask themselves if we believe in democracy, if we believe in rights and equality which are the pillars of our society, how can we still have a colonial territory with more than 3 million citizens that don’t have access to the same rights and the same political power?" Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello told reporters Monday.

... The most recent <referendum>, in June, offered voters three options: the current territorial status, statehood or independence in free association with the U.S.

Statehood won with 97% of the vote. But turnout was historically low at 23%, in part because of a boycott by the Popular Democratic Party, which favors the status quo ...

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-puerto-rico-statehood-20171002-story.html

[Bayard]

1. I've asked about this before

Word was that the people of Puerto Rico did not want to become a state. I bet if they were asked now, they'd jump on it.

[Hortensis]

2. I feel for all the Americans there who wish to remain American. They have to

be very concerned that the current administration may be happy to abandon them, or merely to use the noise from the separatists as yet another excuse to refuse to give the help they are fully entitled to.

I certainly am.