We’ve shared the Top 10 Stories of 2014 at PUERTO RICO REPORT, but we were also interested to see the most widely read reports of our entire four years of bringing you the full story on Puerto Rico issues.
Here are the articles that have been read the most:
#10: The Origin of the Commonwealth Label
“Commonwealth” is a word in the official name of the local government of Puerto Rico just as it is in the cases of four States and another territory. It is not a political status. From where did the term come?
#9: Justice Dept: Constitutional Citizenship Requires Statehood
Do individuals born in Puerto Rico have citizenship by virtue of the Constitution of the United States, as claimed by the “commonwealth” party? Can they? The U.S. Department of Justice says “No” to both.
#8: Bill Gates Says the Way the U.S. Treats Puerto Rico Is Just Wrong
The world’s wealthiest man, Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates, sees that the problem with Puerto Rico’s status is the lack of democracy at the national government level and the lack of equality.
#7: Letterman Suggests It’s Time for Puerto Rican Statehood
Bill Gates was not the only celebrity to speak up for Puerto Rico. David Letterman did, too.
#6: Federal Income Taxes Puerto Ricans Pay
The differences between Federal taxation in Puerto Rico and Federal taxation in the States is often used as an excuse for the lower level of support that Puerto Rico — and individual Puerto Ricans — receive from the U.S. Government. Think again. Puerto Ricans do pay taxes — often more than they would if they lived in a State.
#5: Puerto Rico Losing Billions by Not Being a State
Individual residents of Puerto Rico might pay more or less in taxes if Puerto Rico became a State, but it is certain that the State of Puerto Rico — and individual Puerto Ricans — would receive billions more from the U.S. Government than the Commonwealth government and individual Puerto Ricans do today.
#4: US Rejects Secret Commonwealth Bid to Deny Insurance to the Sick
Puerto Rico’s “commonwealth” party administration’s says it supports the 2010 Federal healthcare reform known as ‘Obamacare’ — even though it created a new area of the unequal treatment of the territory and its residents. Party leaders criticized those who have called for amendments. In fact, the insular administration secretly sought exemptions that would have denied healthcare to Puerto Ricans.
#3: Justice Sotomayor’s Position on Statehood
Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s position on statehood for Puerto Rico has evolved over time. Read an analysis of her writings that reveals her position.
#2: Columbia Law School Expert Analyzes Puerto Rico Plebiscite
As President Obama’s spokesman said, the results of Puerto Rico’s status plebiscite in 2012 were clear: 54% of voters rejected continuing territory status and 61.2% chose statehood from among the possible alternatives with any support in the territory. Columbia Law School Professor Christina Duffy Ponsa explains the results fully.
#1. The Meaning of Commonwealth
The most-read article of all time clarifies a confusing question: just what does “commonwealth” mean in the Puerto Rico context?
