Wingin’ It Wednesday: Minimum Wage, ISIS, And The Meaning Of Christmas

This week's edition of Wingin' It Wednesday was exciting, with topics ranging from minimum wage to ISIS and the meaning of Christmas, as well as some interesting listener calls.

The panelists were in agreement that something should be done about minimum wage, if not what.

Carol Ross

It hurts entry level, low skilled workers. When businesses have to pay that much more, they're going to go for a more skilled person. It creates pressure on other employees as well. It has a negative effect on small businesses. The large corporations can support it. Small businesses and restaurants will have to raise their prices. The American Enterprise Institute said that raising the minimum wage will do more harm than good.

Warren Caudle

I really think we need to take a comprehensive approach to what can we do to stimulate job growth an higher wages in this state and elsewhere. I’m not opposed to raising the minimum wage. Most places I know of don’t come close to paying the minimum wage. If we would just do some sensible things like tax reform for corporate taxes and the oil processing fee and get rid of corporate and personal income tax in Louisiana, it would help the workers at the bottom as well as the consumers. If we would do overall tax reform as the same time that we raise minimum wage, it would be a win win for everybody.

Mike Stagg

The minimum wage needs to be raised. This has played out across the country, when states and cities have raised the min wage, the economy has grown. People at the low end of the economic spectrum make more money, they spend it, which benefits all businesses.

Opinions were also divided on the news of a surge in US Special Forces operations in the fight against ISIS.

Stagg

I think this is a dangerous move. I don’t know what putting troops on the ground is going to do. I read that they’re going to operate independently, they won’t be working for any government except our own. I don’t see how this works out. You cut off ISIS money supply and you can cut off what they’re doing. There’s a lot of bad actors on all sides of the table and I don’t know that putting US troops is going to improve the situation.

Ross

Watching Carter testify to Congress and then watching Obama’s remarks makes you wonder if they’re in the same administration. Obama never talks about winning. If you’re not committed to winning, don’t do it. Having said that, there’s no other way to get the actionable intelligence we need to fight this war. If we don’t take it to them they’ll take it to us. The status of forces agreement that was not agreed to at the end of the Iraq incursion has led to this. We have abdicated our leadership in the world and when we do that it makes the world a dangerous place. They will be able to conduct cross border raids and get intelligence.

Caudle

There are so many parallels to Vietnam. Carol has mentioned that we have a Commander In Chief that doesn’t want to win. That has been the philosophy since the 1960s and it goes on to today. We got into this mess in Iraq illegitimately. We are the ones who caused ISIS to form with our money, our weapons, people we trained, and they formed with military that used to be our friends. There is a great video that shows the 8 or so groups that are opposed to each other in the Middle East and which country is backing which. We invaded Iraq, no one asked 'then what?' What’s our game plan?' You have to define the mission and the goal and victory. If we’re going to do anything, we have to have a full blown plan and include the Russians and those who have the same enemies we share.

Stagg

Western intervention in the ME is what got this mess started. It’s Britain, France, the US, Russia. We need to get out of there and let them settle their affairs, there is no way we are going to settle it for them.

Finally, the panelists shared their thoughts on whether or not most people have lost the meaning of Christmas.

Caudle

Christmas is a Christian holiday and tradition. Most of the Christians I know still believe it, but it’s become so commercialized. I have a good friend who’s Jewish in NY and they found a Chinese restaurant to go to last year like in the movie. [A Christmas Story] There are a lot of people in the world who are not Christian but still celebrate the holiday.

Stagg

I think commercialism is still part of the problem. I think you still see glimpses that people know what it’s about, fund drives and evidence that people get it. I think it’s sometimes buried in the scheme of thing but it’s still there.

Ross

I love Christmas, the religious aspect, the celebratory aspect, the giving aspect. Ben Stein said Christmas is a wonderful reminder of the spirit of giving. We had 'Giving Tuesday' yesterday and everyone was getting in on the act of giving. Giving is a good thing, let’s hope that stays forever.

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