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It feeds inflation, other than that no. So in reality with the inflation you put the onus squarely on the old people who are living on fixed incomes. If their fixed income is solely by social security, and you raise that as well, then you have to raise taxes too. If your desire is to turn the U.S. into Venezuela then by all means let's play the game that got Venezuela into the extremely hard straits now . Look at California as to what happens when government takes over the responsibilities of citizens. Am America Shite hole, in their major cities run by Democrats promising free stuff, for sure and getting worse every day.

As for severe shortages of of unskilled labor, unfortunately it will never happen. What you may accomplish with reducing incentives is creating even more unskilled adults. Even if the minimum wage was raised to 50.00 per hour, they will never gain ground. Because the ground will alter making their gains non-existent.

The only ones who can change their station in life are those who wish to change it. False propping up does not work.

You cannot change someone's IQ by raising the lowest IQ number, nor can you create a living wage by raising the minimum wage. Propped up minimums only shift the scale, but not the realities.

Can't you see the flaw in your logic? It sounds good on paper, as well as, the spoken word. Reality is reality and reality takes over, while good intentions fail. You create an endless cycle that ends with increased misery, not less.

I do not know why you are discussing “free stuff.” Being paid a minimal amount to WORK, is not “free stuff.” As far as inflation, that is one thing (among several) that has helped make the current minimum wage ridiculous. Check this out:

” The light blue line starts with 1968 — the year the current value of the federal minimum wage peaked at $9.90, adjusted to 2017 dollars — and shows what minimum wage would be had it kept up with the average wage growth. Had the minimum been adjusted for average growth, today’s minimum wage would be $11.62.

And the dark blue line shows the federal minimum wage had it grown at the same rate as American productivity, reaching $19.33 this year, more than double what it actually is. “

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-higher-the-federal-minimum-wage-should-be-2017-12

But then consider that some costs have risen FASTER and more than the rate of inflation. For example medical cost, home prices and rents. That is why $16 hr is probably closer to the minimal amount it would take to get by.

As far as Venezuela, I think you are overdoing the whole inflation argument. I doubt we will be eating zoo animals and hunting down cows with clubs and rocks if folks who are flipping burgers get paid a livable wage.

And, another thing, how come nobody worries about inflation when their stock portfolio is going up??? As far as old folks on Social Security - you should have done some more thinking on that one. What do you figure those low wages do to a person who turns full retirement age after having earned low wages for a life time? People who never made enough extra money to invest, or whose companies were too cheap to provide pensions. Or benefits?