Thursday, April 29, 2010

FEDERALLY SANCTIONED PROCESS FOR PUERTO RICO'S SELF-DETERMINATION

FEDERALLY SANCTIONED PROCESS FOR PUERTO RICO'S SELF-DETERMINATION: "(a) First Plebiscite- The Government of Puerto Rico is authorized to conduct a plebiscite in Puerto Rico. The 2 options set forth on the ballot shall be preceded by the following statement: `Instructions: Mark one of the following 2 options:
`(1) Puerto Rico should continue to have its present form of political status. If you agree, mark here XX.
`(2) Puerto Rico should have a different political status. If you agree, mark here XX.'.
(b) Procedure if Majority in First Plebiscite Favors Option 1- If a majority of the ballots in the plebiscite are cast in favor of Option 1, the Government of Puerto Rico is authorized to conduct additional plebiscites under subsection (a) at intervals of every 8 years from the date that the results of the prior plebiscite are certified under section 3(d).
(c) Procedure if Majority in First Plebiscite Favors Option 2- If a majority of the ballots in a plebiscite conducted pursuant to subsection (a) or (b) are cast in favor of Option 2, the Government of Puerto Rico is authorized to conduct a plebiscite on the following 3 options:
(1) Independence: Puerto Rico should become fully independent from the United States. If you agree, mark here XX.
(2) Sovereignty in Association with the United States: Puerto Rico and the United States should form a political association between sovereign nations that will not be subject to the Territorial Clause of the United States Constitution. If you agree, mark here XX.
(3) Statehood: Puerto Rico should be admitted as a State of the Union. If you agree, mark here XX."

Why does the government want to force the people to choose between just those 3 choices? And they want them to keep voting until they make a choice that is acceptable. Also why can anyone born in Puerto Rico vote their with an absentee ballot even if they don't live there right now? This doesn't sound very democratic -- it sounds like they want them to "vote until they get it right".

The Coming Entitlement Tsunami | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary

The Coming Entitlement Tsunami | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary: "If we really wanted to pay for the amount of spending to come, we would have to raise both the corporate tax rate and top income tax rate from their current 35 percent to 88 percent, the current 25 percent tax rate for middle-income workers to 63 percent, and the 10 percent tax bracket for low-income workers to 25 percent."

That is amazing! But who wants to take the hit of cutting spending when it can be left for the next guy?