by Miriam Ramirez de Ferrer, MD
President, Puerto Ricans in Civic Action
Make no mistake about it, the prospect
of federal taxation for Puerto Rico's elite, not the voter's
preference for the status quo tipped the scales against an outright
statehood triumph on December 13th. Paying little or no taxes
under the porous Hacienda collection apparatus, the wealthy five
percent among us feared the efficiency of the Internal Revenue
Service more than they fancied commonwealth.
For having artfully raised the
specter of federal taxation as the curse of statehood, commonwealth
advocates have rubbed the noses of American taxpayers in the
more than $10 billion yearly Puerto Rican subsidy, inviting re-evaluation
of the "something for nothing" philosophy that has
served as the PDP's underpinning over these past 45 plus years.
Washington will take away our "free
lunch" as Young and his congressional colleagues investigate
the implications and causes of the 'None of the Above' results.
Spurred on by their stateside constituents legislation will almost
certainly be introduced and passed to make us carry our own weight
fiscally.
Once having achieved the dubious
distinction of first class US citizenship tax-wise -- thanks
to the PDP, full and equal American citizenship as residents
of the fifty-first state will almost certainly soon follow thereafter
as sure as night follows day.
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The Vote Leaves Puerto Rico Without a Voter-Mandated
Course
The recent referendum in Puerto Rico was supposed to set the
course for the island's political future. Instead, the vote left
the outlook for the Caribbean island as cloudy as a stormy sky.
[T]he ballot was so crowded with options and the various parties
ran such negative campaigns, it should not be surprising that
disgusted citizens lodged a protest vote in a contest they recognized
would be meaningless.
Congress should approve another referendum , this one binding
and including only viable options. "None of the above"
does nothing to resolve the island's future. -The Tampa Tribune,
Editorial
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Washington -- Nothing in the current US-Puerto
Rico relationship would prevent Congress from levying federal
taxes in Puerto Rico under commonwealth, the Congressional Research
Service's constitutional expert said.
"Congress has full powers to tax the
US territories and there is nothing special under commonwealth
relationship to stop it," said John Killian, who often writes
opinions for Congress on Puerto Rico. "Taxation without
representation is just a slogan. There is nothing in the Constitution
about it," Killian said.
[A] "trend" may be building here
to get Puerto Rico to contribute to the federal treasury... [as]
federal officials here ask why the island is receiving some $10
billion yearly in federal funds without contributing to the federal
treasury. -Robert Friedman, The San Juan Star
After four centuries of colonialism under
Spain, and a century and three days after the signing of the
Treaty of Paris of Dec. 10, 1898, we expected a decision in favor
of decolonization.
Each of the options on the plebiscite ballot
was to confer dignity, liberty and pride on all Puerto Ricans.
But each of the three status formulas implied the assumption
of certain duties and responsibilities.
Unfortunately, 50% of the voters decided
not to decide. Puerto Rico decided not to decide. The decision
is now up to Washington. -Neftali Fuster
The
Current Commonwealth Status Cannot Be Maintained
"Ultimately,
Puerto Ricans will be faced with two choices: independent status
or statehood." -Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN)
Statehood Issue Not Dead, Puerto Rico Has to
Change
"The days
of the virtual one-way flow of U.S. federal dollars flowing into
Puerto Rico as a commonwealth are ending", Rep. Don Young
(R-AK)
Federal
Taxation Could Be Imposed On Commonwealth Under Legislation Introduced
In Congress. Fiscal Equity and Responsibility for Puerto Rico,
H.R. 4769
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Confusion
Over the Puerto Rican Vote
The only clear message from the recent
plebiscite in Puerto Rico is that the question of the island's
political future remains deeply divisive. Congress's failure
to sponsor orderly balloting that would give the island's 3.8
million voters a meaningful say about their political status
has not helped.
Congress can reduce the confusion by crafting a referendum with
input from Puerto Rican leaders on all sides that accurately
reflects the options available. "None of the above"
does not move Puerto Ricans any closer to defining their future.
-New York Times, Editorial
Congress must select and fairly define
the Puerto Rican status choices it would be prepared to accept.
These would include a version of commonwealth that enabled Puerto
Rico to be governed in a fully democratic manner, statehood,
and nationhood of one sort or another -- independence or "free
association." It would then be up to Puerto Ricans to make
an informed and realistic decision among them. The decision and
the resulting transition may take years. But nothing less will
satisfy the obligation to convert an imperial property into a
place of dignity for American citizens who are equal in rights
to all others. -Washington Post, Editorial
UNDERSTANDING
THE PUERTO RICO STATUS VOTE
Voter rejection of the present territorial
commonwealth status, rejection of independence in any form, combined
with voter reluctance to make a choice among known options, reflects
a need for federal territorial policy reform which Congress can
no longer ignore. For only Congress has the authority and responsibility
under the U.S. Constitution to define the terms for resolution
of Puerto Rico's status.
The historical vote favoring statehood
over all available options sets the stage for further integration
of Puerto Rico into the political, economic and fiscal system
of the nation. Ultimately, Congress must exercise its exclusive
power to define terms for Puerto Rico to remain under U.S. sovereignty
or achieve separate sovereignty. Only then can the U.S. citizens
in Puerto Rico make an informed choice in a Congressionally sponsored
self-determination process to resolve the status of the territory
permanently. -Citizens Educational Foundation
"I am confident that once Congress
has assumed its responsibilities under the Constitution's Territorial
Clause and defined the real status options available to the people
of Puerto Rico, they will choose statehood.
"Born in 1904, a citizen of the US
by law in1917, I look forward to celebrating my own centennial
under a fifty-one star flag." -Luis A. Ferré
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