The myth that statehood is not good for the nation, created and supported by the usual suspects in the island and in Washington, has been dealt a devastating blow.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has published the findings on how statehood for Puerto Rico would affect selected federal programs and revenue sources. The report clearly reveals that the state of Puerto Rico will not have a negative economic fiscal implication on the Federal Treasury. The bottom line is that in only five federal programs the island will see an increase of $5,465 million and individuals and corporations will contribute $7,200 million ($2.2 billion by individuals and $5 billion by corporations) to the nation’s treasury annually.

It is important to note that 7 out of 10 households in Puerto Rico will not pay taxes, and 70 percent of that amount will be paid by corporations. On the other hand, GAO also indicates that various federal programs – like Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act – were not considered in their analysis. The fact is that the state of Puerto Rico will receive over $4,400 million in those programs annually. The report validates what has been proposed by the majority of the residents of the island; statehood is not only beneficial for Puerto Rico but also for the nation.

Statehood, as stated in the report, will definitively raise Puerto Rico visibility as a place for United States producers to locate and would eliminate any risk associated with the island’s uncertain political status and any related deterrent to business investment, thus creating new and multiple job opportunities for the people of Puerto Rico. It is a historic fact that the economic activity, in both Alaska and Hawaii, flourished and grew exponentially after they became states.

On November 2012, the people of Puerto Rico decided to reject the actual territorial/colonial status in a very clear fashion (54 percent of cast ballots). On the other question posed in the ballot, they selected statehood as their preferred permanent status solution (64 percent of valid ballots).

The GAO report dramatically supports the decision taken by the majority of Puerto Ricans on November 2012. The figures show it is the right decision. Statehood not only recognizes the fundamental civil rights of the American citizens that live in the island, as they will vote for the Commander in Chief, two Senators and six members of Congress, but also gives them the opportunity to enjoy the economic prosperity and quality of life that their fellow citizens enjoy in the states. Prosperity and quality of life that more than 4.6 million Puerto Ricans are enjoying after being forced to relocate to the states.

GAO facts and figures confirm that the median household income in Puerto Rico, after more than 100 years of the actual territorial/colonial status, is $18,160, compared to $36,919 for the lowest of the states, as opposed to $50,502 which is the median of the 50 states. Statehood will definitively give the island’s residents the opportunity to strive for economic growth.

Notwithstanding the clear and unquestionable facts and figures revealed and confirmed by the GAO report, facts further prove the irreparable damages inflicted to the residents of the island by the actual territorial/colonial status. By sabotaging the free and democratic decision of the electorate, the enemies of statehood in the island and in Washington have unilaterally decided to condemn the people of Puerto Rico to dire economic disadvantages and lack of opportunities.

Puerto Ricans spoke firmly in November 2012. GAO has spoken in March 2014. Now, it is Congress turn to speak by enabling the passage of H.R. 2000, the “Puerto Rico Status Resolution Act.”

Statehood is the moral, democratic, and economic solution to redress the damages inflicted by the centenary territorial/colonial status to the people of Puerto Rico.

Larry Seilhamer is the Senate Minority Leader of the New Progressive Party in Puerto Rico.

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14 de abril de 2014

Comunicado de Prensa

Racciona el Dr. Hernán Padilla al informe de la Mesa Redonda de Fortaleza:

“parece ser una declaración de reclamo de soberanía fuera del marco constitucional americano”

San Juan – “Igualdad, rechaza la estrategia separatista oculta detrás del Informe de la Mesa de Acción para la Competitividad y el Crecimiento de Puerto Rico nombrada por el Administrador de la Colonia”, expresó Padilla al comienzo de sus expresiones sobre los argumentos presentados en dicho informe.

Al analizar el contenido del informe, el Presidente de Igualdad, Futuro Seguro indicó que; “No cabe duda que sus principales recomendaciones proponen que Washington le dé a Puerto Rico un trato de república independiente para acordar tratados comerciales y de otras naturalezas cuando propone que se exima a Puerto Rico de la clausula del Comercio Interestatal.

La pretensión de que se exima a Puerto Rico de las cláusulas constitucionales como la de Comercio es algo irreal y sólo responde a la ignorancia y a la ideología separatista que anima a una administración que en una agrupación llamada Mesa de 24 personas NO nombraron una sola persona que represente el sentir de la mayoría de los puertorriqueños que atesora la unión permanente y la estadidad para Puerto Rico”.

“Revisar la aplicabilidad de la “Clausula de Comercio Interestatal “para suscribir acuerdos comerciales y tratados internacionales”, no se puede llamar de otra manera que no sea una movida separatista, sentenció el también Ex Alcalde de San Juan.

“Ese grupo, que excluye la representación a los ciudadanos americanos que luchan por la igualdad de derechos, oportunidad y progreso dentro de nuestra nación americana, ignoran de plano resolver el status político para rescatar a Puerto Rico del colapso político, social y económico del experimento fracasado del  ELA colonial. Ignoran que Casa Blanca sostiene q la economía está relacionada al status y que el status arrastra la economía de una manera negativa, reclamó Padilla.

“Nuestra organización no entrará a discutir las otras propuestas, buenas o malas, que sirven de marco a la estrategia para reclamar un trato de ELA-soberano o mejorado  (que ha sido rechazado como inconstitucional por el gobierno federal) y del status actual al cual el pueblo le revocó el consentimiento de los gobernados derrotado.

En efecto, las recomendaciones de este este organismo están enviando un claro mensaje de “separación” al Congreso de los Estados Unidos y a la Casa Blanca. Más que un proyecto para el crecimiento de Puerto Rico, parece ser una declaración de reclamo de soberanía fuera del marco constitucional americano.

Este informe contiene propuestas para establecer políticas públicas que van de la mano con el Nuevo País propuesto por el PPD y que claramente chocan con los resultados del plebiscito del 2012. Todavía sueñan con una de las estrategias centrales de aquel “nuevo país”: pedir fondos federales en bloque y flexibles” para ellos disponer de los mismos a su antojo” concluyó.

Concurrimos con la declaración del Comisionado Residente, que “las recomendaciones  encaminarían a PR a la separación”, en vez de integrarnos en condición de igualdad como ciudadanos de los Estados Unidos.