Statehood Wins: The Culmination of a Trend
Updated with annotation below on November 9, 2020 to reflect plebiscite votes in favor of statehood held in 2017 and 2020. Some analyses of the… Read More »Statehood Wins: The Culmination of a Trend
News
Statehood for Puerto Rico: The Numbers Add Up
Given the emotional intensity that tends to surround the issue of Puerto Rico’s political status, recent plebiscite results have been relatively straightforward and devoid of drama. The numbers are clear, and statehood won.Read More »Statehood for Puerto Rico: The Numbers Add Up
Deciphering Puerto Rico’s Election Results
Statehood won. Pro-statehood Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi kept his seat. On the other hand, anti-statehood Governor-elect Alejandro Garcia Padilla gained control of La Fortaleza , and anti-statehood legislators picked up enough seats in the Puerto Rican legislature to seize control from the pro-statehood party after eight years in the minority.Read More »Deciphering Puerto Rico’s Election Results
Serrano: Plebiscite an “Earthquake” in Puerto Rican Politics
Puerto Rican born U.S. Congressman José E. Serrano (D-NY), has issued a statement regarding the November 6th plebiscite in Puerto Rico. In comments analyzing the 2012 national election results generally, Rep. Serrano made special mention of the outcome of Puerto Rico’s forth plebiscite since becoming a territory of the United States in 1898:
“I was particularly impressed with the outcome of the ‘status’ referendum in Puerto Rico. A majority of those voting signaled the desire to change the current territorial status. In a second question an even larger majority asked to become a state. This is an earthquake in Puerto Rican politics. It will demand the attention of Congress, and a definitive answer to the Puerto Rican request for change. This is a history-making moment where voters asked to move forward.”Read More »Serrano: Plebiscite an “Earthquake” in Puerto Rican Politics
Puerto Ricans Vote for Statehood
A solid majority of Puerto Ricans have voted to end the island’s 114-year old relationship as a territory of the United States and become the nation’s 51st state. When asked whether Puerto Rico should “continue to have its present form of territorial status,” 54% of all voters (934,238 people) answered “no” while only 46% (796,007) responded “yes.” Read More »Puerto Ricans Vote for Statehood
Florida’s Puerto Ricans: A Swing Vote in a Swing State
Florida is a “must win” state for Romney, and polling in the final stretch of the presidential campaign shows him with an edge. Given the solid support for President Obama in the critical swing state in 2008, it is worth examining what is different this time. The state’s emerging Puerto Rico population may hold some clues.Read More »Florida’s Puerto Ricans: A Swing Vote in a Swing State
What Congress Really Thinks About Puerto Rico
Latino Decisions has published a thoughtful blog post about Puerto Rico’s treatment by the U.S. Congress. The Puerto Rico Report welcomes this addition to the longstanding debate on Puerto Rico’s status as a territory. Yet we also question some of its conclusions. Read More »What Congress Really Thinks About Puerto Rico
What’s Wrong with Free Association for Puerto Rico?
Free Association is once again being discussed as a possibility for Puerto Rico. Much of the discussion has centered around abstract ideas of rights and responsibilities.… Read More »What’s Wrong with Free Association for Puerto Rico?
New Market Tax Credits — Not in Puerto Rico
The New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program, part of the 2000 Community Renewal Tax Relief Act, was designed to encourage investment in Community Development Entities (CDE) in low-income areas. The thinking was that companies not normally interested in investing in depressed communities would do so with the tax credit, which covers 39% of the investments made. Not only do NMTC projects bring capital into poor neighborhoods, but they also create jobs for local residents.Read More »New Market Tax Credits — Not in Puerto Rico