Puerto Rican Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi (D/Statehood) has released a statement commending President Obama for including a $2.5 million appropriations request to fund the first… Read More »Pierluisi Praises White House Budget Proposal to Resolve Puerto Rico’s Future Political Status
Merengue music icon Olga Tanon has endorsed statehood for Puerto Rico. See her Univision interview on Al Punto with Jorge Ramos below. Tanon called for… Read More »Olga Tanon Endorses Statehood
A major Federal study released today that examines the application of the primary Federal ocean freight law to Puerto Rico — and exempting the territory from it, as some in the islands have advocated — raises as many questions as it answers.
The law, known as the Jones Act, requires that shipping between U.S. ports be on vessels that are U.S. built, owned, and registered, and primarily crewed by U.S. citizens.Read More »New Study of U.S. Ocean Freight Law and Puerto Rico Inconclusive
From 1921 until 2006, Puerto Rico had specific Federal tax advantages over the States and foreign countries as a location for manufacturing by companies in the States. The advantages, first an exemption from Federal income taxes and, then, tax credits that substantially lowered taxes due, were phased out beginning in 1996.
There were several reasons for the repeal but a chief one was so that companies that manufactured in the territory would not have an advantage over companies that kept their manufacturing in the States.Read More »Budget Could End Dream of Puerto Rico Tax Advantage Over Foreign Countries
The Fiscal Year 2014 budget proposed by U.S. House of Representatives Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) would cut Federal healthcare funding for low and middle income individuals living in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories while just eliminating increases for healthcare assistance in the States and the District of Columbia.Read More »Puerto Rico, Not States, Losing Healthcare Funds
An extensive New York Times analysis yesterday found that the political power of States with small populations was growing relative to States with large populations.
States with small populations have always had a relatively greater share in Federal decision-making but the article pointed out that the relative influence has been expanding due to population shifts.Read More »Smaller States See Power Grow, But All States Have More Clout Than Puerto Rico
Last night, the Daily Show with Jon Stewart took on the issue of statehood for Puerto Rico. The mock report featured “journalist” Al Madrigal attempting to convince demonstrators pushing for Puerto Rican statehood in a rally on Saturday, March 2nd that they would be better off without it.
Madrigal’s efforts – while humorous – were not successful. The people who attended the rally in front of the White House were committed to pushing for Puerto Rico’s entry as a new state of the United States.Read More »Puerto Rico Statehood Featured on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart
During a recent visit to Washington, DC, Puerto Rico’s new governor challenged the results of last November’s plebiscite, which was held along with his and other local elections.
Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla said that the plebiscite was unfair because the ballot defined Puerto Rico’s current status as “territorial.”Read More »Governor’s Arguments Against Plebiscite Results Fail
Puerto Rico could lose more in Federal spending over the next nine and a half years than 40 States, the District of Columbia, and the other four territories of the United States under reductions in funding for most Federal programs that took effect March 1st.
The potential loss would be disproportionate in comparison to the U.S. territory’s population: Puerto Rico has more people than all but 21 States.Read More »Puerto Rico Could Lose More Funding than 40 States in Budget Cuts
