Puerto Rico will vote on November 6, 2012, on what its future political status should be. The first question will ask the voters if they are satisfied with the status quo. The second question will ask voters to either support or oppose three alternatives: (1) statehood; (2) independence; (3) free association with the United States as an independent country. The third alternative is somewhat like the relationship between the United States and three former possessions, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau. Although those three countries are independent, they have a special relationship with the United States. The U.S. handles their postal system, and post offices in each of them have U.S. zip codes. Also, their citizens may freely travel between the United States and their home countries. See this article for more details.
The previous votes in Puerto Rico were in 1967, 1993, and 1998. In each of these elections, the status quo always won, although there was always a strong minority in favor of statehood.
I work as Director of the Committee on Federal Relations and Veterans’ Affairs of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives, and as such I helped write part of the “Statement of Motives,” or background information on the bill. You can read the entire law, in English, on this website http://www.oslpr.org/download/en/2011/A-0283-2011.pdf
I will write some additional comments later.
Uniform definition of Elector in ALL of the U.S.A.
P.R. and nonpartisan App.V.
Abolish the Senate and the Electoral College.
For the DEFENSE of Democracy south of the U.S.A. (and taking note of the Panama Canal), Puerto Rico should be another State or merged with Florida.
The WORLD crisis of Democracy is N-O-W — much more dangerous now than in 1914 or 1939.
See the Victory at Sea episode about the liberation of Guam.
After the War of 1812 the navies of the U.S.A, the U.K. and France wiped out the pirate gangs south of the U.S.A.
1815 stateless pirates on the high seas (the enemies of ALL people-kind) = 2012 stateless terrorists on land.
Folks in Puerto Rico were made U.S.A. Citizens by the Act of Congress Mar. 2, 1917 (just before World War I for the U.S.A.) — a group naturalization law — with an option out clause. See 1926 U.S. Code, Title 8, Sec. 5.
This is great news! I’ve supported such a plebiscite for years – and even made it part of my platform as a write-in candidate for US Senate in 2008.
TO: Demo Rep
You should also know that the process was known as collective naturalization. The Garfield Act of 1877
did a collective naturalization for certain people
born in what is now British Columbia (formerly the
Washington Islands of Michigan Territory).
Sincerely, Mark Seidenberg, Chairman, American Independent Party
# 5 Group naturalizations in ALL of the areas added on to the U.S.A. after the 1783 U.S.A.-Brit Peace Treaty — generally with an option out provision.
Louisiana Territory – from France
Florida – from Spain
Mexican-American War — Peace Treaty – from Mexico
Alaska – from Russia
etc.
Be informed that the special election has been challenged in court on constitutional grounds. the law is fraught with errors of information and law.
Mr Winger, please go back an re-edit your non sensical news paragraph. THERE IS NO SUCH AN OPTION AS THE “STATUS QUO” option in Puerto Rico. The option you are referring to is called the FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH STATUS, not the continuation of the “nothingness” that currently rules Puerto Rico (aimed to see if Puerto Ricans can change their minds for the first time an vote for statehood).
In every historical plebiscite, Puerto Ricans have always chosen NOT the current screwed-up “status quo” where nothing gets done, BUT THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT of the 1952 Commonwealth status. A commonwealth status is a political solution that has to be revised and upgraded every so often as part of a continuing development; in Puerto Rico, it has never been revised since 1952. Why? Because statehooders have never respected the democratic mandate of the majority of Puerto Ricans to develop it once and for all. Therefore, for the past 44 years, rather than working towards that mandate, they have set out to destroy the democratic institutions of the Commonwealth and its constitution with the hope of changing hearts and minds of Puerto Ricans towards stateood. If instead of asking in the November 2012 plebiscite the question “CURRENT-UNREVISED-AND-SCREWED-UP-STATUS-YES-OR-NO” they asked STATEHOOD-YES-OR-NO, statehood would lose. But of course, statehooders will ask the former question so the people of Puerto Rico give the perception they no longer want the Commonwealth status, or like statehooders would love to say: “Puerto Ricans don’t want the status quo”. That way, they think they will choose statehood in the second question.
Mr. Fotuño’s 2012 plebiscite is designed to create a ficticious advantage towards statehood. What the majority of Puerto Ricans REALLY want is an upgrade to the 60-year-old Commonwealth status — not statehood, not independence, and certainly NOT the continuation of the Status Quo, which is nothing less than the destruction of our Commonwealth institutions by statehooders.
Upgrade to what ???
Who makes the LAWS, who enforces the LAWS, who judges the LAWS — majority rule democracy or minority rule monarchy/oligarchy regimes.
Nothing new in 6,000 plus years.
Hmmm. What is the lowest population NATION-State at the moment on Mother Earth ???
LOTS more nation-states needed ??? — due to the circa 7 Billion human folks making their demands about whatever ???
#8 Shouldn’t all States have the opportunity to upgrade to Commonwealth status then?
Or is commonwealth status inferior to statehood status, but superior to territory status, and PR is seeking a somewhat less inferior status.
Why aren’t all persons who would have presumptive Puerto Rican citizenship in the case of independence permitted to vote in the plebiscite?
Independence. Puerto Rico doesn’t consider itself to be part of the United States in the first place.
Im really scared about the elections that willl be taking place in Puerto rico on november 6 2012. I dont want Puerto Rico to become a state im very against statehood. I support Independence, and i hope my people are not stupid to the point were they sell our island to the U.S “democratic empire”. But now that i read this article on the top im kinda thinking the best thing for Puerto rico is “free association with the United States as an independent country” but im still supporting independence.