On this edition of "Wingin' It Wednesday" panelist Carol Ross, Mike Stagg, and Warren Caudle joined "Mornings with Ken and Bernie" to discuss Bobby Jindal's recent decision to abandon his tax swap plan, as well as the economic impact of the late Margaret Thatcher.

Here's what the panel had to say:

1. Gov. Jindal deep-sixing his income tax repeal plan. What do you think happened?

Mike started us off:

The governor did a great Roberto Durand impression Monday saying "no mas, no mas". Nobody likes my plan.
This was a stunt front he beginning to divert attention to what he's doing to higher education and healthcare in this state. What we have to see now is whether the legislature will catch up with the people.
He then makes an absolutely irresponsible statement, saying he wants the legislature to do away with the income tax anyway. The problem with his tax plan to begin with was that he insisted it would be revenue neutral. How can you responsibly do that when you have a $1.3 billion shortfall in the budget, you're gutting hospitals, and you're putting more and more of the burden of higher education costs on families and students. How can you do that? I believe if there was a legislature with any backbone it would be an impeachable offense.

Warren Caudle added:

I would argue with Mike's idea that this was Jindal's plan. I don't think this was a bit more of Jindal's plan as my birth was. He's just an empty suit. Only thing this plan was, was something to get national attention. To show the "bold" moves he's making in Louisiana, and on and on and on.
I still think we need to get rid of the income tax on federal and state level. I think the income tax is one of the worst things we can do because it's driven so many jobs oversees. But anyway, go Bobby go!

Carol Ross countered:

Once upon a time in the Emerald City, 52 miles east of here, the curtain was drawn back and apparently there was no one there.
Unfortunately, we do need serious tax reform, but he puts out these things without really thinking about it. This time he got major push backs from all his major allies. We do need structural reform in our tax system, but what we also need is spending reform at the state level. This state is too top heavy.
It was a good thing to pull back, now let's get some real reform going on.

 

Warren Caudle, Carol Ross, Mike Stagg; KPEL 96.5

2. Your thoughts on the late Margaret Thatcher and some of her economic predictions?

Carol commented:

I don't know about her economic predictions, but she's my personal hero. Although her beginnings were humble, her impact on the country and the world were both lasting and profound.
Attended Oxford. Earned two degrees in chemistry and law. She worked her way up, and nobody thought she'd win, but she did. When she came to power in 79 Britain was infected w/ the "English Disease". Powerful trade unions comanded the largest party in the government and they controlled everything.  Rather than resist the government, she was elected on a promise to stop this. She reformed the tax code, she privatized a lot of unprofitable state owned industries. Her accomplishments at home were matched by her foreign policy accomplishments.
She was a great, great woman.

Warren responded:

She's one of those people that whether you agree with her or not, you have to admire the fact that she always stood her ground. That's something that's so rare, especially in this day and time. So many people in politics today will fight for whatever their consultants will want and bow out at any time.
Her best quote was when she told George Herbert Walker Bush, "now don't go wobbly George".

Mike surmised:

I think she'll be remember most in history for inventing soft serve ice cream.
When she took over as Prime Minister of England 1/7 children were living in poverty, when she left 1/3 were living in poverty. She accelerated the concentration of wealth in the financial sector to the detriment of people in her country, and fostered the whole polarization politics that Reagan adopted and others here.

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Now it’s your turn to tell us what you think about today’s Wingin’ It Wednesday topics. Who got it right, who got it wrong, and who was way off? Let us know in the comment section.

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