CEO's and exec's have more demanding jobs than a fast food cook, and there are fewer qualified candidates for those positions. Thus, it makes sense that they are paid more. The difference between the two is, of course, up for debate, and one that is irrelevant here.

Why will they give up pay? If your answer is government, why not just make everyone's wages equal? If that is a bad idea, at what point is the difference between rich and poor acceptable?

Sure. The growth of the minimum wage hasn't matched inflation. The minimum wage was (according to constant 1996 dollars as represented here), $5.90. The minimum wage apparently comes out to $4.97 today. So, the minimum wage has not been stagnant, it has declined since 1980 (and fluctuated greatly in between). But we have certainly experienced economic growth since then (if GDP is acceptable to you, this is a graph that Google has provided me. I have not checked sources). I do not see the correlation between minimum wage and economic growth that you have asserted. Can you please provide data for it?

Please don't make comments about what I desire. I have not stated a desire to beat up on anyone. That is insulting and dishonest of you to make such assertions.

I did not mention tuition.

Do you have data for a decline in the salary of "good paying jobs," and how do you define what a good paying job is?

Also, I don't do talking points.

Heh, if you're not a fan of the politics threads, you won't know that I quite sympathize with your position. I'm just being an ass

Now this attitude is one that does bother me.  We do not respect work at all.  It is one thing to discuss market realities, but to condemn all low wage workers as lazy or stupid or drug addicts and the poor are all repsonsible for their lot in life is a rather simplistic view ignoring many nuances.

It is perfectly possible to work hard through school studying hard, get a high GPA, be an honor student, do well on your ACT, get a scholarship, go to univeristy, maintain high GPA, study and work the whole way through to avoid debt, study abroad, volunteer, do everything to pad resume, graduate and...you happen to do so in 2008 and the economy goes in the crapper and find yourself working 77 hours a week for minimum wage to  make ends meet.

What bothered me most?  This attitude where I obviously must be an idiot, a slacker or a fool because only "those people" work for minimum wage. I couldn't possibly have done all I was told, been on straight and narrow, and still none of it mattered.  It took me years to finally have a piece of my own company and start to earn a decent living off my income and my investments.  

Sorry if I got a bit hot under the collar, but I repeated got looked down upon because I worked various jobs to save money up as it was obvious no one was going to hire and pay me a decent living.

Almost everyone in America is in the 1%. We have electricity, smart phones, reliable transportation, free education, guaranteed help at emergency rooms, and we don't have an aids epidemic or extreme human rights problems like most of the world's population.

In other words... first world problems.

Because the good o' USA hasn't had enough inflation as it is.....

Good job quoting the Koch Brothers' latest blatherings.

Who buys the most fast food - the rich or the poor?

If prices go up due to higher wages, who will get hit the most with the price increases - the rich or the poor?

If you really want to increase wages at businesses, why not reduce government regulations and taxes on these workers? As it stands, every business has to pay 20-30% on top of their wages to pay for government requirements to exist and operate. Remove some of those, and force businesses to use the excess capital to pay better, and to train/hire better quality staff.

As others have said, the issue is inflation. When you increase minimum wages, or wages in a certain sector via manipulation (such as unions in this case), it will have consequences. People will eat out less. They will downsize, and some will be without work. If you're fine with those consequences - feel free to desire such things. I'll just take my Taco Bell dollar and cook at home, resulting in them not having a paycheck, and keep the cash for myself (like others will).

Raising the minimum wage is not a communist stance. MY GOD..... This is why I don't come in these threads. Great you labeled people getting paid better as a communist idea. WE are so far to the right  and you bring up communism. OK facist don't give raises and want to give all the power to big buisiness. Why is every mod so far to the right?

Not sure if your just kidding or not but I'm not coming in any political threads on this site. I used to read them in the past but found that it's just not my place. This site is all hating everyone, not helping everyone. I like helping...

That was a joke post in response to Mr. Khan. 

Pointless and irrelevant 
 
Increasing the cost of labor without an increase in productivity devalues the money used to purchase the labor, the effects on everyone through increase prices and reduced value of their savings.

It’s not rocket science but sadly it seems people in our country believe in fairy tale economics and false altruism rather than reason and logic.

It’s not McDonald’s responsibility to provide a living wage. It is the responsibility of the employee to take advantage of the opportunity working there provides and use that experience to move on from that restaurant.