Puerto Rico

What is Congress thinking about by voting to allow Puerto Rico to hold a referendum on statehood (“House Narrowly OKs Statehood Vote in Puerto Rico,” March 5)? What would Puerto Rico have to offer as a member state?

While I sympathize with their nonvoting status, Puerto Ricans have several advantages in their commonwealth status, such as not paying federal income tax. If the right to vote is what they want, then give them their independence. Otherwise statehood for Puerto Rico would mean further balkanization of our nation. Their official language is Spanish, and their culture is different from the American version. With a per-capita income of $7,662 a year, its economy is light-years behind the U.S. Statehood would give true meaning to the term “welfare state.”

JEFF PATTERSON

Orange

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The people of Puerto Rico are going to be allowed to vote to see if they want to become the next state in the union? Shouldn’t the American people be allowed to vote to see if they want Puerto Rico as the first Spanish-speaking state?

JOSEPH LEA

Anaheim