Puerto Rico is the largest US territory in the Caribbean and had the strongest economy of all US territories.|||Fine with me|||But who would support them? Since the 1970s Puerto Rico's economy has steadily deteriorated, culminating in poverty levels twice those of Mississippi. Unemployment, although officially reported between 12 and 14 percent, is more likely to be between 40 and 50 percent because of the island's low labor participation rate. Only 46 percent of the population has a formal job, and to make the situation worse, nearly half of the island's salaried employees work directly or indirectly for the government. The Commonwealth's government expenditures are now over $9.6 billion, leaving the tiny nation with a steadily-rising deficit of $3 billion. Puerto Rico, with a population nearly 400,000 less than Colorado, outspends Colorado by 28%. Puerto Rico's paternalistic bureaucratic and political policies have turned the island into a no-growth, debt-ridden economy. http://www.i2i.org/main/article.php?arti鈥?/a>|||I would be open to either option. If they choose independence good for them, If they choose to be our 51st state than also good for them|||Before you get all high and mighty about how the US is keeping PR afloat I would look into what brought the states into PR in the first place and how violent that was. Examine that relationship first before you think you're just handing off big american dollars to the tiny island to keep it alive. Half of the island votes for it and half votes against it, year after year. I for one (as a Puerto Rican actually from the island) am all for it. The military bases are closing because US soldiers bombed a civilian during "training" on the beach in Vieques & there were a lot of cases of cancer around that base due to their training. It doesn't really matter what any of you think, you're not the ones voting on it. I cast my vote, but like I said its always 50/50 and nothing ever happens. Our democratic party wins for a few times in a row, then our republican party wins a few times. Good luck with that.|||Fine by me and never heard one American say they should not EXCEPT a college buddy who came from Puerto Rico who said generally they do NOT want to be a state. which is fine by me too Freedom means they should be free to decide their own path to stay as is, leave US or become a full state|||Puerto Rico independence has never received more than 4.5% of the vote of the populace so it is not going to happen. Between 95%-99% of the vote has always split between Commonwealth status and full statehood.|||I wouldn't have a problem with it. You'll have to do some work to convince some people that it's even a US territory. There are some who believe it already is an independent nation.|||I have no problem with it. The Puerto Ricans cannot decide. Their is a passionate 3 way split; status quo, independence, and statehood. maybe once they make up their minds what they want I'll think about it more.|||That's not going to happen, Puerto Ricans don't want and America does not want it. Don't tell me any different sparky, it is a FACT. I know all about.|||Please, if they want to go, let them go. Puerto Rico might survive to become the last free country in the Western hemisphere. I'm going to start building my raft right now.|||Since hostile interests have already succeeded in shutting down Vieques, I say break open the champagne!!!|||And most citizens of the 50 states would welcome Puerto Rican independence.|||Very much so... I would prefer it if we sold the territory back to Spain, though|||i would be strongly in favor of it, if that is what puerto ricans want for their beautiful country.|||I thought they'd been begging for years to be admitted as a full state. I'd be in favor of that.|||do you cook or eat independece raw? Is it a new french dish?|||im for it we need less forighn cuntries|||they dont wanna be a state, but they want to keep the u.s. dollars we send, sweet deal

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