5 Good Changes Statehood Will Make in Your Life

Statehood offers some real advantages for the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico:

1. You will have a voice. Right now, Puerto Rico has one representative in Congress, and he can vote only in committees. He cannot vote on laws. He speaks up for Puerto Rico, but he has no vote — and that you means that you don’t have as much of a voice as people in the States. Puerto Rico is subject to the laws of the United States, but has very little say in those laws. We would have 2 U.S. Senators and at least 5 Congressmen in the U.S. House of Representatives.
2. You will have a vote. Puerto Rico doesn’t participate in presidential elections now. As a State, Puerto Rico will be able to participate in these elections, and will therefore have more political power.
3. You might become eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, a tax credit designed to help working families. This tax credit doesn’t reduce federal income taxes to zero, but can also provide a refund even if you owe no taxes. Nearly half of all Americans do not owe any income taxes, and the EITC helps improve lives for millions of these people.
4. You would become eligible for equal benefits from a number of programs that currently are unevenly distributed. Americans living in States — including millions of Puerto Ricans — receive more in the way of healthcare and other benefits that the U.S. citizens living in Puerto Rico.
5. As a State, Puerto Rico will be able to compete for business effectively with other States. The infrastructure will be stonger, the economy will move forward, and Puerto Rico will — just as Hawaii and Alaska did — be able to overcome the economic problems that have plagued the islands. This means that you will have greater opportunities in your life.

The U.S. Government has committed to respect the will of Puerto Rico’s people. We need to let Congress know that it’s time for statehood. Write to your representative today — we make it easy!

This post was originally written in English and may be being auto-translated by Google.