A possible 51st state?

[cakemakermom]

Puerto Rico voted this year to attempt to become a state instead of just a territory with all the rights that the states get. Googling it gave me a lot of American news stories saying why it probably wouldn't happen, but I decided to read the bbc news for a different perspective: www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20238272

Apparently it was a 2/3rd majority voting for becoming a state, they would get the voting rights and all the other rights that people in a state have now, including paying taxes, which they're exempt from at the moment, being only a territory.

They're just waiting for the president to sign them into statehood.

Thoughts?

[jrose]

And in the mean time Texas is petitioning to withdraw from the USA.....

usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/12/15117305-petition-for-texas-to-secede-from-us-reaches-threshold-for-white-house-response?lite

[irish]

I'm not opposed to it. If they're willing to pay taxes, I'm sure it would help out our economy somewhat! Texas on the other hand...that's just crazy!

[sarahisis]

Texas isn't the only one lol... I think it's freakin rediculous.

[sarahisis]

Do you need a passport to go there?

[cakemakermom]

No, because it's a territory, you don't need a passport. You can visit any U.S. territories with just the normal identification you would carry.

[sharon]

So is there a downside for us? If they want statehood what reason might the president have for saying no?

[cakemakermom]

It probably needs to go through the whole system before the president can sign it in. I have no idea what it would mean to have one more state, but if you go by Star Trek, we'll eventually have 53 states in our lifetime.

[sarahisis]

Sharon, that's what I was wondering too... I think I'll have to look more into it!

[cakemakermom]

For the people who want to secede, there is a counter movement with a little more snark: abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/11/union-forever-anti-secession-petitions-gaining-clicks-too/