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New Study of U.S. Ocean Freight Law and Puerto Rico Inconclusive

A major Federal study released today that examines the application of the primary Federal ocean freight law to Puerto Rico — and exempting the territory from it, as some in the islands have advocated — raises as many questions as it answers.

The law, known as the Jones Act, requires that shipping between U.S. ports be on vessels that are U.S. built, owned, and registered, and primarily crewed by U.S. citizens.Read More »New Study of U.S. Ocean Freight Law and Puerto Rico Inconclusive

Go to Puerto Rico to Avoid Tax on Stock Profits

Puerto Rico has long been a U.S. tax avoidance haven for companies based in the States.  The territory also recently became a tax haven for people who make a lot of money from sales of their of stocks and bonds.

The Commonwealth government is attracting these big financial market players to the islands with the lure of paying no Federal or territorial taxes on the profits. High-income individuals who have not lived in Puerto Rico for 15 years and move there will avoid the Federal capital gains tax of 23.8% of the profits and, under a new insular law, will not be liable for the 10% territorial capital gains tax on stocks and bonds that they buy and sell while residents.Read More »Go to Puerto Rico to Avoid Tax on Stock Profits

Smaller States See Power Grow, But All States Have More Clout Than Puerto Rico

An extensive New York Times analysis yesterday found that the political power of States with small populations was growing relative to States with large populations.

States with small populations have always had a relatively greater share in Federal decision-making but the article pointed out that the relative influence has been expanding due to population shifts.Read More »Smaller States See Power Grow, But All States Have More Clout Than Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico Could Lose More Funding than 40 States in Budget Cuts

Puerto Rico could lose more in Federal spending over the next nine and a half years than 40 States, the District of Columbia, and the other four territories of the United States under reductions in funding for most Federal programs that took effect March 1st.

The potential loss would be disproportionate in comparison to the U.S. territory’s population: Puerto Rico has more people than all but 21 States.Read More »Puerto Rico Could Lose More Funding than 40 States in Budget Cuts

Puerto Rico Initially Left Out of White House Budget Reports

The White House Sunday released reports on the impacts of budget cuts to take effect Friday on each State and on the District of Columbia — but failed to do a report on Puerto Rico.  The territory was left out even though Puerto Rico has 1.2% of the national population and would be affected almost exactly like the States and the Nation’s capital.

When the omission was pointed out, aides in President Obama’s office rushed to issue a report on the impacts on Puerto Rico. But the first report issued Monday did not cover most of the reductions in assistance to the islands that were calculated for the States and DC.Read More »Puerto Rico Initially Left Out of White House Budget Reports

Conservatives Press for Puerto Rican Statehood

Some people have claimed that Puerto Rico’s desire for statehood will be ignored by Republicans in Congress because they believe that statehood is a liberal cause or that new Puerto Rican voters will be too liberal for Republicans.  Current thinking in the Latino conservative network, however, is to the contrary.

The Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles held a press conference last week  to educate people about why statehood is a conservative issue.  The roster of Latino and conservative leaders was impressive:Read More »Conservatives Press for Puerto Rican Statehood

Immigration Reform and Puerto Rico Self-Determination: What it Means to be a U.S. Citizen

As immigration reform moves forward, what will happen to the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico?

By Howard L. Hills*

I.   Redeeming the promise of equality in America

As our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico enter the twelfth decade of a quest for self-determination, a new potential setback has emerged, the irony of which would be almost as cruel as Puerto Rican soldiers fighting overseas for democratic rights that they are denied back home as residents of a U.S. possession.

It could be regarded as profoundly unfair and demoralizing if 11 million people who entered the U.S. unlawfully are given a path to full enfranchisement and equal citizenship rights, while the 4 million U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico remain disenfranchised in a less than equal citizenship status. How would Puerto Ricans explain that to their children?  How would any other American do the same?Read More »Immigration Reform and Puerto Rico Self-Determination: What it Means to be a U.S. Citizen