7 ms·

Because Puerto Rico is filled with American citizens who also deserve those things, and it's a vibrant island filled with scrappy, resilient people?

hedora 4y ago
So, they should build something state-of-the-art there instead of what will effectively be a museum. (This would probably be a lot easier to get funded if Puerto Rico were a state...)
MichaelZuo 4y ago
More deserving then all 50 other states and D.C.?
- kelseyfrog 4y ago
  But you could ask this question of any state(+DC). Therefore we should not do anything.
  - renewiltord 4y ago
    Untrue. We'd simply spend federal funds into the best bang for the buck not accounting for population scrappiness.
    - kelseyfrog 4y ago
      Pick one and I'd be happy to ask if it's more deserving than all the rest.
      - renewiltord 4y ago
        JWST.
        kelseyfrog 4y ago
        I'm not familiar with this US state. I'll remind you that we were taking about Puerto Rico being more or less deserving than other states(&DC).
        renewiltord 4y ago
        No. You were talking about that. I was specifically saying that we aim for the best bang for the buck on scientific projects with local scrappiness not of relevance.
        deleted 4y ago
        [deleted]
        kelseyfrog 4y ago
        Correction: MichaelZuo set the topic and I followed. You seem to be wanting to discuss a different topic which can be done elsewhere.
        mcguire 4y ago
        So, Maryland.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
haneefmubarak 4y ago
Sure, but the other 50 states are also filled with American citizens who deserve things, many of whom are scrappy and resilient. OTOH, the money being spent is also ultimately that of the American citizens', so the government should strive to accomplish the most it can for any given mission and budget. In this case, the calculus may simply be that the mission can be more comprehensively and efficiently achieved via investments elsewhere that will similarly benefit Americans near those areas as a reinvestment would have benefitted in Puerto Rico.
- authpor 4y ago
- shadowgovt 4y ago
  The major difference, of course, is that those states have federal representatives with voting power to advocate for their needs and Puerto Rico does not. The story of the death of Arecibo is a stain on the way the United States treats its colonial territories.
  - whatshisface 4y ago
    That's a little over the top, if you want there to be a radio observatory in PR it would still be better to build a new one.
    - carbocation 4y ago
      > (Also, the question of whether or not to make PR a state comes up periodically, and PR sides against it.) All 3 referenda in PR since 2010 have favored statehood.
      - whatshisface 4y ago
        Interesting, I guess my information was out of date.
      - colatkinson 4y ago
trasz 4y ago
Puertoricans are American citizens by name only - they can’t vote, for example. It’s a colony, and US treats it as such - it doesn’t enjoy the privileges of actual US territory. If you want to help, becoming a proper, independent country could be a good start. The majority of citizens opposes the current colonial status, as evidenced by several referendums, but, well, it’s not theirs to decide - because they are just a colony and aren’t allowed to vote.
- Art9681 4y ago
  Puertoricans wear the same uniform and fight in the same wars as all Americans so that folks can continue to say ignorant stuff like the comment above. My great grandfather did it. My grandfather. I did it. And I’m sure the tradition will continue. From Title 8-ALIENS AND NATIONALITY CHAPTER 12-IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY SUBCHAPTER III-NATIONALITY AND NATURALIZATION Part I-Nationality at Birth and Collective Naturalization All persons born in Puerto Rico on or after April 11, 1899, and prior to January 13, 1941, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, residing on January 13, 1941, in Puerto Rico or other territory over which the United States exercises rights of sovereignty and not citizens of the United States under any other Act, are declared to be citizens of the United States as of January 13, 1941. All persons born in Puerto Rico on or after January 13, 1941, and subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, are citizens of the United States at birth.
  - sophacles 4y ago
    Yes, they get to die for the USA. But they don't get a say like real citizens - no congressmen, no electoral votes, no senators. They do get to pay taxes though. Before you rant about how that's not important, I'd like to remind you of a certain group of English citizens who didn't have representation but were allowed to die and pay taxes for England.
    - whimsicalism 4y ago
      Was I not a citizen until I was first able to vote for federal representation at the age of 25 after moving out of my hometown of DC?
avazhi 4y ago
Who deserve what, a gigantic concrete telescope from the 80s? Maybe look past your sentimentality and notice that if money in Puerto Rico goes to anything it should be the electrical grid itself that manages to go down for weeks anytime something as mild as a tropical depression looks in the island's direction.

hedora 4y ago

So, they should build something state-of-the-art there instead of what will effectively be a museum. (This would probably be a lot easier to get funded if Puerto Rico were a state...)

MichaelZuo 4y ago

More deserving then all 50 other states and D.C.?

kelseyfrog 4y ago
But you could ask this question of any state(+DC). Therefore we should not do anything.
- renewiltord 4y ago
  Untrue. We'd simply spend federal funds into the best bang for the buck not accounting for population scrappiness.
  - kelseyfrog 4y ago
    Pick one and I'd be happy to ask if it's more deserving than all the rest.
    - renewiltord 4y ago
      JWST.
      - kelseyfrog 4y ago
        I'm not familiar with this US state. I'll remind you that we were taking about Puerto Rico being more or less deserving than other states(&DC).
        renewiltord 4y ago
        No. You were talking about that. I was specifically saying that we aim for the best bang for the buck on scientific projects with local scrappiness not of relevance.
        deleted 4y ago
        [deleted]
        kelseyfrog 4y ago
        Correction: MichaelZuo set the topic and I followed. You seem to be wanting to discuss a different topic which can be done elsewhere.
      - mcguire 4y ago
        So, Maryland.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]

haneefmubarak 4y ago

Sure, but the other 50 states are also filled with American citizens who deserve things, many of whom are scrappy and resilient. OTOH, the money being spent is also ultimately that of the American citizens', so the government should strive to accomplish the most it can for any given mission and budget. In this case, the calculus may simply be that the mission can be more comprehensively and efficiently achieved via investments elsewhere that will similarly benefit Americans near those areas as a reinvestment would have benefitted in Puerto Rico.

authpor 4y ago
shadowgovt 4y ago
The major difference, of course, is that those states have federal representatives with voting power to advocate for their needs and Puerto Rico does not. The story of the death of Arecibo is a stain on the way the United States treats its colonial territories.
- whatshisface 4y ago
  That's a little over the top, if you want there to be a radio observatory in PR it would still be better to build a new one.
  - carbocation 4y ago
    > (Also, the question of whether or not to make PR a state comes up periodically, and PR sides against it.) All 3 referenda in PR since 2010 have favored statehood.
    - whatshisface 4y ago
      Interesting, I guess my information was out of date.
    - colatkinson 4y ago

trasz 4y ago

Puertoricans are American citizens by name only - they can’t vote, for example. It’s a colony, and US treats it as such - it doesn’t enjoy the privileges of actual US territory. If you want to help, becoming a proper, independent country could be a good start. The majority of citizens opposes the current colonial status, as evidenced by several referendums, but, well, it’s not theirs to decide - because they are just a colony and aren’t allowed to vote.

Art9681 4y ago
Puertoricans wear the same uniform and fight in the same wars as all Americans so that folks can continue to say ignorant stuff like the comment above. My great grandfather did it. My grandfather. I did it. And I’m sure the tradition will continue. From Title 8-ALIENS AND NATIONALITY CHAPTER 12-IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY SUBCHAPTER III-NATIONALITY AND NATURALIZATION Part I-Nationality at Birth and Collective Naturalization All persons born in Puerto Rico on or after April 11, 1899, and prior to January 13, 1941, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, residing on January 13, 1941, in Puerto Rico or other territory over which the United States exercises rights of sovereignty and not citizens of the United States under any other Act, are declared to be citizens of the United States as of January 13, 1941. All persons born in Puerto Rico on or after January 13, 1941, and subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, are citizens of the United States at birth.
- sophacles 4y ago
  Yes, they get to die for the USA. But they don't get a say like real citizens - no congressmen, no electoral votes, no senators. They do get to pay taxes though. Before you rant about how that's not important, I'd like to remind you of a certain group of English citizens who didn't have representation but were allowed to die and pay taxes for England.
  - whimsicalism 4y ago
    Was I not a citizen until I was first able to vote for federal representation at the age of 25 after moving out of my hometown of DC?

avazhi 4y ago

Who deserve what, a gigantic concrete telescope from the 80s? Maybe look past your sentimentality and notice that if money in Puerto Rico goes to anything it should be the electrical grid itself that manages to go down for weeks anytime something as mild as a tropical depression looks in the island's direction.