Puerto Rico is a U.S. colony since 1898. We are American Citizens since 1917. We do not have the right to vote for the President of the U.S. Puerto Rico is located in the Caribbean and is the smallest of the Greater Antilles islands. Our climate year-round temperature is 70-85 degrees fahrenheit and we have more than 300 miles of beautiful beaches and a great rain forest (el Yunque). Puerto Rico is a wonderful tourist attraction. As proud American Citizens our soldiers have fought in the following wars: *WW I *WW II *The Korean War *The Vietnam War and other wars.

There are three political parties in Puerto Rico. The Popular Democratic Party (PPD-colony), which favors the Commonwealth (the actual status-colony). Party members are about 700,000 and 98 % of its members are willing to vote for Statehood. The Independence Party, which favors independence for Puerto Rico. Party members are about 50,000 or less. The New Progressive Party, which favors Statehood for Puerto Rico. Party members are about 1.2 Million.

The main purpose of this letter, is to expose the colonial situation in Puerto Rico, and of which the majority of Puerto Ricans are not proud of. As American Citizens, the colony of Puerto Rico receives 22 Billion dollars yearly in Federal Funds without paying federal taxes. Our local budget is 9.2 Billion dollars of which 6 Billion goes to paying government employees which number 260,000. In the past 60 years, Puerto Rico has received over 800 Billion dollars in Federal Funds and in spite these funds, Puerto Rico is a shambles. Pot holes fill our city streets and main highways; Scholar desertion is 40 % and English is not being taught as it should; We have a water crisis in which the department has a 400 Million dollar deficit and many of the 78 municipalities of Puerto Rico go without water for weeks and even months; An unemployment rate of 18 %; A health crisis in which the department has a 300 Million dollar deficit. The colony is bankrupt! Where has all your money gone? It has been said in the political arena, that the leaders of the actual Commonwealth have even used these funds to pay filibusters in Washington, D.C. for them to derail any status solution in Congress. Many U.S. politicians (Senators, House Representatives and other politicians) have come here to ask for money for their personal campaigns in the U.S. in exchange for helping the colonialists in their political campaigns here to maintain the colony as is and have even told voters here that if we became a State we would have to pay very high taxes and that we could even lose our homes to the IRS. This has helped the colonialists win elections and referendums on the status. This is the main reason why Puerto Ricans always vote against Statehood for Puerto Rico, because they believe what these U.S. politicians say in the political campaigns here. After they help the colonialists in their political campaigns, they leave with over $ 250,000 per visit for their campaigns in the U.S. This has been going on and on for years at the tone of Millions of dollars for these U.S. politicians. Once these U.S. politicians get paid, they will derail any status solution in Congress. This is corruption at its most and it has to be stopped. The American Taxpayer should protest this waste of their money by calling their Congress person about this waste of their money.

I don't want to say the names of these U.S. politicians so that this is not taken in a poltical sense. But, in the near future I will have to say their names so that this practice can be stopped at its roots. The P.R. politicians who favor the Commonwealth (the colony), have become rich and famous thanks to these Federal Funds and have even founded corporations and live a lavish life style. This is the only place in the world where teachers become Millionaires if they belong to the Commonwealth Party (PPD) as leaders. These leaders have maintained a high level of poverty so that Puerto Rico cannot become a State of the U.S. Congress should investigate how these funds are being used here, because these funds come from the Hard working American Taxpayers who are not aware that their tax dollars are being wasted here. We are planning on opening a WebSite showing the ghastly conditions Puerto Rico is in. I believe in Statehood for Puerto Rico because I believe in Equality and Justice for all, including paying federal taxes for the progress of the State and the USA.
God Bless America!
Ricardo - Puerto Rico

Do you think your island would have voted for Gore and Kerry over bush?
If so, I am with you!

So you're for keeping these people down just because they don't vote the the same way as you?

I would love to see PR become a state. The big question though, is would PR still receive the billions in federal aid after it became a state? 22 billion in aid and 9.2 billion in actual budget spending. So where does the other 12.8 billion go? The pockets of the local politicans?

I am not doing anything to "these people" give me a break, soldier.
I have been for PR statehood all my life, and I was just kidding, soldier.
I am sure PR would be a solid DEMOCRATIC vote, soldier.

Ricardo, thank you so much (muchas grácias) for your post. It was very informative, because I did not know most of that, which you presented very well.

I understood that there is much poverty in Puerto Rico. I notice you don't abbreviate it as "PR." Isn't San Juan one of the largest metro areas in the USA?

I did some NGO work in Mexico with a brilliant rich girl from Puerto Rico, who finished at an Ivy League college. If I recall correctly, she had some problem with being called "American." Did I get that right?

You are for statehood. That will enable you to vote for President; a right or privilege that many of us have serious doubts about its value. Your current U.S. congressman would then have a vote that counted, and you would have two voting senators - right? That's important, but with the shambles of the federal legislature, I don't know how important, really.

"Justice for all" is now an old cliche, and the title of a great album by Metallica. How would statehood making life in Puerto Rico more just?

Americans don't know about Puerto Rico. How many puertoricaños live in states such as New York?

Thank you for replying to my post. Yes, there is a lot of poverty in P.R; but it is because the colonialists (the PPD party-and the actual governor) want it to be this way because this will bring more Federal Funds which they use very well for their own benefit and for some U.S. politicians so that they can continue with this colony by derailing any status solution brought to Congress and to avoid Statehood. San Juan is probably one of the oldest metro areas of the USA. Well, that girl from Puerto Rico you mention was probably from the Popular Demacratic Party (which favors the colony) who like to be called Americans in Washington, D.C. and in the political arena here sometimes, some sort of "double play" but not in other places. The value of voting for the President is of great value, in my view to U.S. Citizens that don't have that right. An example of being left out, is that if the illigal immigrants become U.S. Citizens they have that right and we have been American Citizens since 1917 and we don't have that right. "Justice for all" we haven't had that since 1917, that is what I meant. Statehood would make Puerto Rico more just for the work force that is actually unemployed and living off of Federal Funds, and because we can use our natural resources, like our beaches and other tourists attractions that are not important for this colonial government because it will bring in much needed revenue and they don't want it because it will bring us closer to Statehood and they don't want that to be an option for decolonizing P.R. The reason for so many Puertorriqueños living in N.Y. is the poverty level here that makes them move there to get jobs because they could not fine any here. That was my case in 1949 and thanks that I went to New York to live I worked all my life, not one single day without a job since 1957 when I was 15 years old and until the day I retired in 2005. All of my family members found jobs in those days and are all retired now and living well thanks to the great Nation that America is. Thanks again for reading and replying to my post.

Ricardo, we have more things in common: my oldest patrilineal ancestor went to New York for economic reasons, founding a village on far eastern Long Island. We are the same age, and retired. We are both fluent in English and Spanish.

What has happened to the naval bombing range on Vieques? My friends and fellow NGO members did some protests and maybe some civil disobedience there, not as a publicity stunt, but as part of what they perceive as their Christian duty to speak out against injustice, risking their lives.

Thanks for reading my post. I believe that there is nothing much we could say about vieques anymore. The Navy was the news. The latest news I have is that the U.S. Defense Dept. had sent 40 Million to cover for some fishermen's jobs lost. There were about 60 o 70 fishermen on the original list and when it came time to collect the money the list had grown to 400 something fishermen. This is how things work here.