California set to raise minimum wage to $10

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Obviously not enough, but at least a step in the right direction. 

Good on you, California. 

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

good jobs are being lost.

What's wrong with you?

This is the kind of strange logic that made Charles Murray marvel that low-skilled men are working fewer hours and more likely to be unemployed today than they were 40 years ago. Sure their real wages have fallen, he said, but surely they'd rather go to work for minimum wage than stay home and not work at all.

The marvel is that they don't rise up and guillotine the likes of Charles Murray.

In before opebo drops by to say it should be double that.

I'm gratified to note I'm no longer unique in that respect, GG, though I will admit to being on the cutting edge.  In fact nowadays most reasonable people believe a $20 minimum wage is needed.

Well unfortunately, most Americans are not reasonable and don't give diddly-poo about what is needed. 

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

The only complaint I have here is that it won't take full effect for over two years from now. I'd prefer $9 be set six months from now and $10 in one year.

Yes, this is also very unfortunate.  In an ideal world the Federal minimum would be bumped up to around $12.25 before this even takes effects.  Even with my position of minimum wage being adjusted by a state's cost of living (higher in NJ than SC, for example), there's no place in the country where I can justify the wage being below $12. 

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

In an ideal world the Federal minimum would be bumped up to around $12.25 before this even takes effects.

c'mon man, you can think of a world more ideal than that!

I could.  Let's consider this an ideal, realistic outcome. 

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

In an ideal world the Federal minimum would be bumped up to around $12.25 before this even takes effects.

c'mon man, you can think of a world more ideal than that!

I could.  Let's consider this an ideal, realistic outcome. 

ideal/realistic are antonyms in common usage.

Not here.  Of all realistic outcomes... isn't one the most ideal?  I'm not arguing vocab here.  Mine is spectacular and you can not take that away from me, sir.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

The federal minimum wage in 1968 was $10.74 an hour in today's dollars. Enough said.

http://www.nationofchange.org/40-percent-americans-now-make-less-1968-minimum-wage-1361362370

How about this little blurb!

“If the minimum wage had risen in step with productivity growth [since 1968], it would be over $16.50 an hour today. That is higher than the hourly wages earned by 40 percent of men and half of women.”

Ah yes!  Such a mystery to why it is we have this absurd income gap.  I think this little image is completely relevant to the subject at hand.