petegossett wrote: In reply to Hal: Indiana had its own war between two small towns within the same county. The Attica/Covington war. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27785402
I was just in Covington at the Beefhouse.
petegossett wrote: In reply to Hal: Indiana had its own war between two small towns within the same county. The Attica/Covington war. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27785402
I was just in Covington at the Beefhouse.
Anti-stance wrote:yamaha wrote: they have a HARP array in PR as well.....just sayin...
that pic needs to be made into a "bobble head" gif..
Knurled wrote:alfadriver wrote: Even without the federal taxes, a lot of money is sent to Puerto Rico. Interestingly, I've read a study that once they start paying federal tax, they will get even more federal monies.On FARK, the issue of "benefits that come with statehood" came up and the Usual Suspects were thinking that only meant federal aid style money. I guess those FARKers don't think having more representation in the Federal government is a benefit. Again, there's a lot of interesting info on Wikipedia in the article on "51st State". Every President has basically said, hey guys, we're open to the idea of you becoming a state, but that's entirely up to you.
It's hard to say if I would belive the old study anymore.
But I do think that it would benefit the island more if they do became a state, even if my wife is strongly against statehood- would rather them keep their identity. I always tell her that her opinion became moot once she moved away permanently. The ones whoes situation changes are the ones who still live on the island.
the one thing I'm very sure of- the corrution will come under much greater scrutiny once they become a state. Not that there isn't a lot of focus now, but I think a lot of stuff will be flushed out to sea....
I would not be surprised if it isn't the corruption that is "driving" them towards statehood. People can only put up with that for so long
Some opinions why I think statehood would be great....
Well, one- agriculture.
When I first visited the island back in '94, there were a lot of farms- this was just after the collapes of the sugar cane industry, but a lot of stuff had popped up- bananas, plantains, mangos, avacados, bunch of other root vegtables that are unique to the carribbean. 15 years later, even that has declined a massive amount.
What I have observed- you can't get anything imported from Puerto Rico. And you are scanned at the airport to not take anything out. This mystifies me. From what I understand, they have been pretty good at keeping stuff off the island (although that has changed a little)- so it SHOULD be possible to import food. Alas, they now import stuff from DR and central America. 
My naieve thinking- if they become a state, with real representation, the farming industry would find a way to be at least on par with Mexico and other Central American countries in tersm of being allowed to import goods- since you can get stuff from California and Florida- it's a state for Pete's sake.
Avacados there are incredible. Mangos totally rock. Coffee is some of the best in the world. It's amazing how much can be grown there, and the quality of it. Opening up the US market to those products would be a good thing. Being a state should be able to be actually represented enough to make it happen.
Coffee is on a plane even with Hawaii- the stuff you can get there is just amazing. Their excuse is labor costs/laws, but since you can get Hawaiian coffee, I don't buy that argument- Hawaii has the exact same labor requirements as Puerto Rico, and even does not have the ability to get cheap immagrent labor from an Island very close by (DR). Even PR coffee is actually ~40% imported. Here's a place of good intentions, but MASSIVE corruption (to the point of smuggled coffee bringing in parasites that were never there before....
)
Then there is sugar. Why it's not grown anymore is a mystery. There are some places than then turn it into rum. But if you get any rum that's sold here in the US, the molases comes from someplace else. Flip that to the desire to have eco-friendly fuel- like Brazil, Puerto Rico could easily be a producer of Ethanol. Making cheap alcohol is a long standing tradition.... 
There's a LOT of potential on that island. Let them keep their identity/culture, but let them be a state so that they can fully integrate their potential with/in the rest of the country.
Anyway, I'm not Boriquen- so my moot opinion is worth not much.
the sugar crop dried up when we went to that nasty High Fructose Corn syrup stuff
Anti-stance wrote:yamaha wrote: they have a HARP array in PR as well.....just sayin...FTFY
Anyone have any opinion on working/living in Puerto Rico for a few months/years just to say you did?
It's amazing that flying from PR to PA is less expensive than PA to CA.
PHeller wrote: Anyone have any opinion on working/living in Puerto Rico for a few months/years just to say you did? It's amazing that flying from PR to PA is less expensive than PA to CA.
Less distance isn't it?
PHeller wrote: Anyone have any opinion on working/living in Puerto Rico for a few months/years just to say you did? It's amazing that flying from PR to PA is less expensive than PA to CA.
It's warm.
No- let me re-state that- it's HOT.
Unless you work in the mountains.
PHeller wrote: Anyone have any opinion on working/living in Puerto Rico for a few months/years just to say you did? It's amazing that flying from PR to PA is less expensive than PA to CA.
If the ladies from the parade in NYC are representative of the average - a few months will ruin you.
Actually - I spent a week hiking on the west end of the island back in the 80s from a rental "shack" on the beach and it was spectacularly beautiful, the people were very friendly and things were cheap. Other than that - I remember poverty and mange dogs and stink around small towns.
Both Puerto Rican.
PHeller wrote:
Given that I can see only one pic, I assume you are speaking of both her left one and her right one?
Haha the other was Jennifer Lopez.
A girl I dated lived on the beach there for 2 years way back when, she said it was great. We are talking thatched lean to, eat fruit off the trees kind of thing. My only visit to PR was maybe 4 hours as a layover on a cruise, I remember there were huge 'projects' like public housing here on the mainland visible from the highway to the airport that looked downright scary in the daytime, dunno if I'd want to venture there after dark.
PHeller wrote: Haha the other was Jennifer Lopez.
Then I assume you are referring to J Lo's, er, buns?
DeadSkunk wrote: Add Puerto Rico, split Texas into 4 reasonably sized states and add another row of 5 stars to the flag. No one would even notice.
How about 2, and splitting the coastline off California?
Best thing we could do for this country: saw California, New York and Florida loose, let 'em float out to sea. Then add PR back in, that's 48 states, easy to fix the flag. 
alfadriver wrote:PHeller wrote: Anyone have any opinion on working/living in Puerto Rico for a few months/years just to say you did? It's amazing that flying from PR to PA is less expensive than PA to CA.It's warm. No- let me re-state that- it's HOT. Unless you work in the mountains.
The temperatures I am seeing don't seem that hot. 92 as an average in July even with high humidity that isn't that bad.
93EXCivic wrote:alfadriver wrote:The temperatures I am seeing don't seem that hot. 92 as an average in July even with high humidity that isn't that bad.PHeller wrote: Anyone have any opinion on working/living in Puerto Rico for a few months/years just to say you did? It's amazing that flying from PR to PA is less expensive than PA to CA.It's warm. No- let me re-state that- it's HOT. Unless you work in the mountains.
I'm from Michigan, PHeller- Pennsylvania. 92 is hot, regardless.
BTDT.
I'd rather have 92 during the summer and 70's and 80's during the winter than 90's during the summer and 20's during the winter.
Curmudgeon wrote: Best thing we could do for this country: saw California, New York and Florida loose, let 'em float out to sea.
Probably not if you see how much the big blue states contribute to the Fed coffers that is then redistributed to the rest of the country.
Easy on the
there, z31.
I don't think California needs to be sawn off, just the ultra liberal eco terrorist population centers need to go. I would gladly move out there if they weren't at war with all of my favorite things.
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