Why not instead of demanding a higher minimum wage for the lowest income earners just credit a tax credit for the difference of what the wage is now to what is being proposed? It's 7.25 right now, they want it 15, so give them a credit for 14 thousand dollars? That would roughly equal an increase of 7.75 an hour for a 2080 hour year of full time employment.
They won't waste the money during the year, local businesses will enjoy the revenue and everyones life would improve.
What could possibiliy go wrong?
Heh...