[A CA Guy]

Out here in California I am friends with a fellow who is the owner of a large chain of independent restaurants.

He told me he has been operating near the red for a few years and was just about to see it turn around until this.

The last time the minimum wage went up a quarter he saw a three month loss to his business of $250,000.

The end result of an increased minimum wage is job loss, business closures and decreased revenue from taxes to the treasury.
From the market... If people are worth more the market place does afford them the opportunity to earn more. If they need big daddy to dictate they should get more, then it is a form of welfare that reduces income long term to the treasury and that is about it.

[george76]

We agree.

Government madated expenses do not work well.

The restaurants can not raise the menu prices forever. Many of us will eat at home, etc.

Then the restaurants have the unfortunate decision : do we close the doors and lay everyone off ?

[RobRoy]

Man, this really DOES remind me of thos ill-conceived laws passed to make things more "fair" in the book Atlas Shrugged. Every one of them just made things worse. As John Galt said to all the law making do-gooders: "GET OUT OF MY WAY!".

Who is John Galt?

[IrishRainy]

My 18-year-old daughter works as a waitress here in Arizona, and on January 1st her establishment promptly increased all their prices a minimum of 50 cents. They are also placing a freeze on hiring, so they all have to work a little harder now.

The owner told them exactly why he was doing it - because of the increase in the minimum wage that Arizonans had voted for - so these kids are learning firsthand about the impact of socialism.