Minimum wage increase from $7.25 to $9.00 per hour

[Ebowed]

I work more than 50 hours a week just above the minimum wage just to afford rent and an alcohol dependency, so the idea of paying for college tuition or a family is laughable.

[Ebowed]

Why in God's name would you pay someone $15 or $20/hour to flip burgers?

I earned $18/hr to do that (US equ. $18.10/hr).

If you don't think that it's worth paying someone a sustainable, living wage to work for your business, why in 'God's' name would you have employees?  Get real, big fella.

[Ebowed]

Why in God's name would you pay someone $15 or $20/hour to flip burgers?

I earned $18/hr to do that (US equ. $18.10/hr).

If you don't think that it's worth paying someone a sustainable, living wage to work for your business, why in 'God's' name would you have employees?  Get real, big fella.

But aren't prices in Australia equally as high?

If you can show me any people flipping burgers with similarity of location and lifestyle in the US, I'd be happy to move back

In all seriousness, no.  While the cost of living is higher here (especially in my particular instance, with my preference towards alcohol and tobacco, which are taxed according to their public health effects), $18 is above the legal minimum wage and less than what you will get as an adult working for McDonald's.