Lafayette Panelists Talk Financial Stability Oversight Council & More

On today’s edition of “Winging It Wednesday” each of the three panelists speaking during “Mornings With Ken and Bernie” had a variety of different things to say about today’s topics.  Mike Stagg, Raymond Lalonde and Carol Ross were giving their opinions on healthcare, the Treasury Department’s FSOC program and a court’s view of state sponsored affirmative action.  The first topic had to do with President Barack Obama’s assertion this week that several key parts of the healthcare reform law are unconstitutional, the Financial Stability Oversight Council’s role in the financial world, and the challenge to California’s voter passed ban on state-supported affirmative action programs been rejected.

On the topic of the President saying he believes the Supreme Court will uphold the healthcare reform bill, each panelists was divided on what will happen.  Raymond Lalonde, former legislator, says the court will make up its mind on its own, and he thinks it is “premature” for the President to assume that it will be upheld.  Mike Stagg, local democratic member, says he believes the court will uphold the law while Carol Ross, local republican member, says we will have to wait and see what the court does.  She added that many aspects could be struck down.

On the issue of the Treasury departments growing program to possibly include more non-banking firms being pulled into the Financial Stability Oversight Council, Mike Stagg says, “it is a fact that they need to do what they are doing & that (we) must know what is going on in (some) industries.” Raymond Lalonde quipped that if they want to look into major corporations, businesses, etc they should “look at the Federal Reserve….no one knows how they operate, but they have that control our financial system”.  Carol Ross quickly agreed with that sentiment.

When each of the panelists were talking about the state supported ban on state-sponsored affirmative action, Mike Stagg says “they should be able to decline participation in the university system”.  He adds, “if you focus on the real differences…income and poverty then the system will be fair”.  Carol Ross says, the “9^th (is a) circus…nobody is deprived of getting an education”, and that “nobody is deprived of getting an education…fundamental problems are related to poverty and mostly on family support and structure. The 9^th circuit got it right”.  Raymond Lalonde agreed with Carol. He says, “cultural groups have been deprived from many things but it doesn’t keep you from doing things….although many grow up in poor families and households that still succeed and get an education…against affirmative action”.

Tell us who you agree with by taking our poll on today’s three issues.

To hear what each of them has to say on the issues, click below: