If I say it it is done

What is it with politicians that they seem to think that wherever there is a problem all that is required is some legislation, or indeed their signature on a piece of paper and the world will be saved (or at least that part of the world that has temporarily grabbed their attention)?

Today's egregious exemplar of this absurd approach is Mary Lou MacDonald, the Sinn Fein MEP from Dublin.

"55 MORE SIGNATURES NEEDED TO END STREET HOMELESSNESS"

She breathlessly announces in an email which has just winged its way into my inbox,

Earlier today it was,

"87 MORE SIGNATURES NEEDED TO END STREET HOMELESSNESS"

No they won't you blithering ninny. No amount of MEPs queuing up to salve their well fed consciences will 'end street homelessness'. Indeed from the text of Written Declaration 111 it is immediately apparent how utter pointless the declaration really is.

"the European Parliament called twice for urgent action to tackle homelessness this year"

So the Parliament has made this call twice in the last three months, and bugger me there are still homeless people on the street. How damned ungrateful they are not to have cleared off.

But wait, if the 55 more MEPs do indeed sign up, what then will happen that will 'end street homelessness'. The declaration,

"1. Calls on the Council to agree on an EU-wide commitment to end street homelessness by 2015;
2. Calls on the Commission to develop a European framework definition of homelessness, gather comparable and reliable statistical data, and provide annual updates on action taken and progress made in EU Member States towards ending homelessness;"

Oh for pities sake, try cutting taxes and regulation to allow for greater ease and lower costs in employment. Then try to cut the levels of unsustainable migration from both within and without the European Union.

These actions might mitigate homelessness, even street homelessness, but it will never put an end to it. This commitment that she mentions, could it be that it could be made illegal to live on the street?

For a short while many years ago and for no fault of anybody but myself, I was "street homeless". I was lucky and got out of the predicament, but it was that experience that radicalised me never to trust state solutions to intractable social problems. In my case it became apparent that it was easier for the powers that be that I remained a supplicant than for me to get back out there on my own two feet.

Oh and another mail has just arrived. Hurry, hurry it's the, "Last chance!!!".