One More Year!

From the Department of "Chicago: What the fuck?" comes Richard Daley's latest proposal: a fifth year of high school. Now, why might that be a good idea? Because the public school system is a smashing success? Because 17-year-olds can't vote and their parents can? No, Daley explains, we need more high school because we need more babies:

Unless something is done to loosen the college tuition collar, Daley warned that the "birth rate will go down in the United States and our knowledge-based economy will not grow."

Apparently, a fifth year of high school will lower college tuition costs, leading to more pregnancies. Just like in Western Europe, where tuition is lower and birth rates are… oh, wait. Not that Daley is one to sweat the small stuff. The Sun Times adds:

The mayor offered no details on how he would pay for a fifth year of high school.