desperately to become America's 51st state. He said a lot of his friends didn't agree,

they wanted to be isolated, and not pay taxes. He kept explaining

that the influx of jobs, and people, would offset the taxes, and that the poverty was

just hurting so many there and they can't get out. But he said they wouldn't listen.

He was in the Air Force, and sent nearly all of every paycheck back home to his parents.

That was back in 73/74. I hope he's been having a wonderful life.

I remember we were on a cruise with a big bunch of friends...and toured there. Iron bars on the

doors and windows of buildings, poor living in ramshackle shacks, and selling fruit out front, that

they found in the rainforest. I'm surprised their crashing economically hasn't happened decades ago.

@oldbrownsfan said:

Thankfully everyone since their economies depend on ours.

@oldbrownsfan said:

18 plus trillion in debt and growing, $100 trillion in unfunded liabilities, government printing money, currently taking in a record amount of tax revenue with increased Obama taxes that has not stopped the national debt from climbing higher (proving we have out of control spending),....we are headed for financial trouble and who will bail the United States out?

No one. It will get ugly sooner rather than later.

@gftchris said:

I was under the impression Puerto Rico was part of the US?

It is a common wealth but they have regularly stared they don't want statehood due to taxation.