Most texts don't emphasize the point, but every price floor - like the minimum wage - can be exactly duplicated with a tax. The trick is that the revenue collected has to be completely transferred to suppliers (who, in this case, are the workers).

So, they are really talking about taxes ... they just prefer not to use that word.

You guys are exactly what the Republican Party loves; you keep on smiling while you’re bending over. Don’t forget to grab your ankles, it makes it easier.

First, after 20yrs working you’re at 22k/yr. That makes you about 35-40 years old making $10/hr. My daughter is a junior in high school and makes that much! You are either incredibly unskilled or unmotivated. I can recall making 1.65/hr, I now make over 50/hr. I guess liberals just have it better eh?

Yeah, I know it’s hard. I’ve been on food stamps, I’ve had no heat for months at a time, and guess what, and I’ve gotten through it too. That doesn’t mean that all is well. You should keep a few things in mind; in an agrarian economy, a banker is worthless. In an industrial economy, a banker is king. What’s the difference, perceived value to the system? Are the farmers and laborers then not worth anything? If so, lets kill them all so we don’t have to keep supporting them. A society that doesn’t address the needs of outplaced is doomed to failure.

Second, you erroneously imply that you pay 25% taxes. People in your income bracket pay > 30-35% in total tax burden. Just add it up, Federal, state, real estate(even if you don’t own you still pay through your landlord), sales tax, excise tax, social security, Medicare plus the employer contributions and on and on. For some reason, people in your situation believe they don’t pay a heavy tax burden compared with the wealthy. You’re wrong! People like Trump pay about 15-20% total burden! How does that make you feel? Sure they pay more in dollars but not more in percent, and not more in effective pain of taxation. You know, Trump doesn’t pay any SS or Medicare because it’s a wage tax. Guess what, he doesn’t have any wages, so he starts off with a 15% advantage over you poor suckers. Wouldn’t that be nice to have 15% more money? You say the liberals are a bunch of leeches but you don’t in fact realize that the ones who are leeches sucking the blood from us all are the extremely well off. They have all the tax and income advantages and you got nothin’! You’re a fool not to see it.

I am not promoting socialism but more egalitarianism. A fair and just society should provide for all. That means if you have no skills and can only do menial labor, you should at least be able to live and eat. And you know what, if that means Paris Hilton can’t inherit 100’s of millions from her dad, so be it. What do I really care about that?

I’m not talking about welfare, redistribution of wealth or anything like that. I’m talking about fairness and reality. I know you think I’m just another liberal ass fool, but just imagine what your life would be like if there weren’t us liberal ass fools looking out for you.

You people don’t seem to get it! Not everyone in this country is in the upper income brackets and doin’ just fine.

You want we should run around in circles screaming bloody murder because of this earth-shattering revelation of yours?

I think Steve would agree with that much of the point. As I see it, the real issue isn't the minimum wage folks, but the middle class. The middle class keeps the engine running by spending discretionary income.

Anything that sucks the discretionary income out of the middle class (think $3 per gallon gasoline for an extended period or the loss of a huge chunk of middle-income jobs) would impact the economy enormously.

I too am among the very fortunate. Not sure I have more money than a big horse could shit but I'm well into the top 2-3%. I also realize that a sustainable society cannot exist on the backs of the many for the benefit of the few. Don't talk to me about screed! Things are only better for a select group of citizens - worse for the many. You want to pray? Pray that this bunch of self rightous, self serving bunch of assholes is voted the "F" out of office. You should really ask yourself a serious question, as the winners take all, what is left for the losers to do but come for you?

I didn’t realize that Henry Ford held views that are “somewhat pervasive on the left.”

An employer voluntarily paying his employees more than the market wage is not the samething as a mandantory minimum wage. Any other questions with obvious answers you need me to help you with?

Yeah, and there was a time when doctors used leeches to suck bad blood out of people to make them well. Same thing, let's move on.

I didn’t realize that Henry Ford held views that are “somewhat pervasive on the left.”

Well, he was also reputedly anti-Semitic, which is also something we've been seeing a lot on the left of late.