I stopped writing last night and this morning, I have read all the responses, did some verification research. Now mainly because no one insulted my opinions, but rather, (TKS PATTI55) gave me other things to consider, I would like to amend my previous opinion to the following:

Minimum wage is not a living wage for a family, but maybe it was never intended to be so. If you find your self in a minimum wage job at that stage of your life, it may be time to rethink your path and change it. Self education, Work ethics and Honesty most likely will allow you to move up where you are or get a shinning recommendation from your minimum wage BOSS and help to find that better paying job. I am bullheaded and rarely change my opinion, but this thread has done just that when it comes to making minimum wage $15,00 per hour. I thank all for their calm considerate posts that made that happen.

Some "generally speaking" questions:

This is post #65 in a long thread about the minimum wage, and no one has given a moment of thought as to WHY there is a mandated minimum wage to begin with. Could it have something to do with an attempt to "legislate morality"?

Why is it that some of those who recognize themselves as "realistic" seem also to realize that they come across at the same time as "unfeeling," that somehow "realistic" sounds like a good thing whereas "unfeeling" does not?

I too owned an extraordinarily successful small business and was fortunate that when it disappeared virtually overnight to India (and let's leave "greed" out of the equation), I was of retirement age and so it was all right. Maybe that is a selfish thought on my part, but what of those younger hard-working American business owners and their hard-working American employees: Where does it leave them?

Golfingnut - I applaud your open mind and even more that you shared your change of heart with us.

You know it does not really matter what the minimum wage is. I am sure most of us remember when the minimum wage was $1.25 per hour and that is what we had our part time jobs on. Now, it is around $7.50 per hour.

A GS-18 in the Federal Government at that time made $36,000 per year and that is the highest civilian pay grade. Today, that employee (called SES) makes about $175,000. As the lower pay scales increase, so do all the levels above them.

If a hamburger flipper at McDonalds earned $15 per year or $31,300 per year, all the other salaries would double as well. We would see "paper inflation" where the salaries would look huge but then the cost of goods and services would also increase at the same rate.

Your $2.79 loaf of Italian 5 grain bread would cost around $5, gasoline would double to over $7 per gallon, houses would double to around $600,000 and cars might easily cost $45,000 for a basic model.

Conversly, if you took that back to the time when the minimum wage was $1.25 and other salaries were in line with that; prices seemed lower if we look back at them with today's prices - but all were in line with earnings. We all remember gasoline at .35 per gallon, McDonalds meal for 45 cents, houses at $25,000, and a new car at $2,500.

Golfingnut - Thanks for your honesty. Don't forget that your intended purpose is honorable and right. Kudo's to you!

I'm always puzzled by the point of view you express. If you support $15/hour .... why not $20? $30? etc? Economics does not work like that. It just doesn't.

How many customers would just stop going to fast food places if the prices doubled? Answer ... a lot. How many employees would then lose their job at the higher wage? Answer ... again, a lot. What's the net result of a good intentioned policy? Look at Detroit for an analogy.

Have you personally ever actually run a business? Do you have any experience at all in this regard? Would you double the wages of your employees overnight and then expect to rack up higher sales??

There is such a chasm between the good things people understandably "want" and what reality allows well intentioned people to actually do.

I agree. Most people that advocate these kind of things are genuinely trying to think of ways to improve the lives of the poorest among us. Unfortunately, you know what they say about good intentions. They often pave the road to ruin.

I think that is something that most of us have to realize. We all want the same things, It's just that we differ in opinion on what re the best methods of attaining them

It would be nice jet to see the MW keep up with its standing in previous years. If raising it 2 dollars per hour makes it equivalent with the MW in 1972 then let's do it and place it on a sliding scale to keep it equal with previous years.

If minimum wage doubled to $15, other salaries would go up in the same proportion and aso prices would go up in the same way to meet all those increased wages. It would just be hyperinflation and no one would benefit.

Do you think your Social Security retirement benefits would increase at the same rate to keep up with the hyperinflation?

Has anyone seen all the nauseating photos the employees of these fast food chains that have been put on the Internet, which the media has picked up?

A staggering $15.00 for that? No!

some where in the eqation there has to be a consideration for what some jobs are worth and especially not worth.

The driver cannot be the needs of the workforce. Used to be the single biggest advantage to meet the needs of the worker were hard work to get the next higher paying job. That seems to not even be a matter of fact or consideration in our "modern" era of expectations.

btk

This article has several crucial points to understand about this topic:

"Are national minimum wage protests at fast-food chains a spontaneous reaction to the slow-growing economy and sluggish labor market?

No, these protests are organized by a campaign called Fast Food Forward, led by the worker center New York Communities for Change, funded in part by unions, including the Services Employees International Union. Read about New York Communities for Change.

This was brought home to me when I was on National Public Radio’s show “On Point” with host Tom Ashbrook on Wednesday. Also on the show was Terrance Wise, 34, who has three daughters and has worked at fast-food restaurants for 18 years.

Terrance is not your typical minimum wage worker. Most minimum wage workers move on after a couple of years, because turnover in the fast-food industry is rapid. When I asked NPR how to get in touch with Terrance, I was given the name of his publicist. A minimum-wage worker with a publicist? That’s something.

Turns out Terrance’s publicist is strategic consulting firm BerlinRosen, which has an impressive list of union clients, including the SEIU. According to BerlinRosen’s web site: “We work with our union clients to develop hard-hitting campaigns that bring together eye-catching member-to-member mail, persuasive tv ads, phone programs, web campaigns and earned media to help deliver your message and win the day.”

No matter that raising the minimum wage to a “living wage” of $15 an hour, which is what protesters demand, would hurt young and unskilled workers, those employees whom protestors supposedly represent. Fewer people would be hired, and the young and low-skilled would lose job opportunities...."

Hiking minimum wage threatens U.S. jobs - Diana Furchtgott-Roth - MarketWatch

Minimum wage is a starting salary for untrained, unskilled people. They are expected to be promoted above minimum wage when they learn how to work and can get a better job, leaving the minimum wage job open to another person entering the workforce.

Somehow we have lost sight of this - probably because we keep hearing how stinking the economy is and there are no jobs so people think this is it for the rest of my life.:shrug:

Please expand a little on why you call them that.