Ann Fisher on Fire

I don't often have a lot to say about any of the Dispatch's columnists, but Ann Fisher kicks some major booty this morning. Yesterday, the Ohio State Senate voted on a resolution supporting and welcoming Iraqi refugees. The original version of the resolution called out Ted Strickland by name, and was nothing but cheap partisan politics. Progress Ohio brought this to many people's attention. Then, somehow, it was agreed that the anti-Strickland language would be dropped, and the pro-refugee resolution passed unanimously. I have to admit, that's where I would have left it. Not Ms. Fisher:

For $50, they could register 150 refugees to assess their needs and find their families.

For $80, they could provide a tent for a family of five.

A cool $100 would pay for blankets, a cookstove and other basic necessities for a refugee family.

Anyone can donate online through the U.N. High Commission for Refugees. Go to www.unhcr.org for more details.

Easy as pie.

Unfortunately, it’s even easier to introduce a pompous Senate Joint Resolution that means nothing and then pontificate about it for 20 minutes.

...

One of the chief sponsors said Senate Joint Resolution 1 still was needed, however, to repair damage to Ohio’s reputation after Strickland’s remarks.

How about our state senators do something to repair Ohio’s reputation as a rust-belt state, as a dead end for college graduates, as intolerant of gays, as a prime dumping ground for out-of-state construction waste?

As for our reputation with refugees, the numbers tell the story.

Ohio is 10 th among the 50 states in the number of refugees who have been placed in the U.S. Most likely, we’ll welcome many more in years to come.

Take a bow, Ann. That's a home-run ball.