A Foolish Plan

The European Union may accept up to 20,000 refugees a year and set up an automatic redistribution program for migrants overcrowding southern European states, under plans currently being developed in Brussels.

This doesn’t address the problem at all; it just encourages the current freshet to burgeon into a raging torrent.

True enough, as one anonymous EU official said,

We have to start somewhere. Agreeing on refugees outside the EU may be easier, because they are the most in need. Then, we may move on to relocation within the EU.

Indeed, the EU must start somewhere.

How about starting at the source of the refugee flow: here, the “unrest” in Syria and in northern Africa? Resolving the situations there on terms that leave the locals feeling safer and with some chance to prosper would take a lot of work, a lot of time, and a lot of resources in men and money, but it would yield far more permanent and moral results.

But there’s that work part. These EU persons would rather just take the easy way out, a way that gives short term feel-good and prompt personal political benefit. They don’t actually care a farthing about the refugees in their own right.

The Money Still Isn’t There

The Illinois Supreme Court struck down the state’s 2013 pension overhaul, unraveling an effort by lawmakers to rein in benefits for the consistently underfunded public-sector system.

The current pension shortfall is estimated at $111 billion, one of the largest nationally.

So now the citizens of Illinois must act. It is, after all, their Constitution, not the judges’. Assume that the judges of Illinois’ Supreme Court aren’t partisan hacks (they’re politician-lawyers who are elected to 10-year terms by the citizens of Illinois) and have correctly interpreted the state’s Constitution: they ruled correctly, ruling in accordance with the text of the state’s constitution.

Get to work, folks. Nobody else is going to bail you out, nobody else has an obligation to bear the expense of your own foolishness in repeatedly selecting politicians to represent you in Springfield like those who got you into this mess.

How Crass

Hillary Clinton has figured out a way to monetize Mother’s Day—inviting supporters to enter a contest where she’ll ring up Mom just in case you forget to send flowers.

Entering is free, but those who sign up get directed to a page where they get the chance to “increase your odds” by giving cash to Clinton’s presidential campaign. Contribution amounts are listed at amounts ranging from $5 to $2,700.

There is no second prize listed….

Of course there’s a second prize: a campaign seasonful of duns from Clinton for more money.

Amazing

In the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, a question of should be the top three concerns for the Federal government was asked. Those identifying as Democrats list climate change as one of their top three.

That would be laughable if it weren’t so sad. King Canute couldn’t stop the tides. Do Democrats really think they can stop the sun?