I might not have expirienced that kind of haardshipp myself, but I live by example. My mom grew up dirt port where my grandparents could not aford food some days. She managed to get into the cheapest college available in my country and had to work in the cafetiria to help pay it and to get something to eat. This was just before my brother was bourned or after I'm not 100% sure. But it did not go well for her, bad grades due to missing school alot cus sometimes she could not even get to school by lack of funds, or my brother got sick. It took her  awhile since she studied medicine with a kid and half way she had me to make things worst. My mom never gave up even thou it was very hard for her. I still remember as akid, how bad we used to live when my mon finished and had to do 4 years of residency where she got paid almost nothing cuz that still studying and my father also dint make much but he still suported us. But dad worked his ass of in construction and learned new things like soldering and carpintary to earn more and eventually he got a decent job and my mom started to work with her two specialtys.  My brother is 6 years older than me, so by the time things got good for our family he was almost on his own cuz he had a kid early, so he dint really had as good an oportunity as me or my sisters since he had to work real hard. He might not have gone to college, but he did a few couses to improve his salary, He made tough decicions like moving out of new jersey to pensylvania where the cost of living is much lower and was able to get his own house. So it I agrre with you that people if they work hard they can achive many things. 

I myself, worked as a customer service representative untill I fiished college and it was awfull. All I did was get yelled at fo no reason and smiling at them cuz I had to. It was deminig, but it was in no way hard. And I knew that its not a job to suport a family and that I had to quit to find something better unlike many others who thought that was fine and covered their bills and some luxuries. Sometimes people think thats all they amount to and dont even try to improove themselfs. They do not deserve to be given hadouts for not trying althou some do try and fail, thats a minority and we have to think about the greater good.

While I do agree with some here though. Minimun wage is sometimes borderline abusive. Its the poor and uneducated who get taken advantage the most. I highly doubt that if mccdonals raised its wage to 10/hr they would stop making billions a year. Like it was said before the gap in welth is to hig in the US with 10% of the people controling 90% of the money. Worst thing is that those rich people dont spend enough to get the econmy rolling. If MW was increased most likely money will go right back in their pockets cuz is on them that they spend it on and help the economy while making them richer. Althou it would help more to disperse some of that wealth.

Another is that people keep mentioning the 50's. The problem with times now is the disprortional amount of people in theese types of jobs. Before there where not many positions where you do not need skills, before one family member provided for a family. Now with all theese imigrants who flooded that specific market and people who dont get educated and are unable to do anything else, they had to increase the amount of jobs of that level, but also had to cut the salary for them.

Has anyone considered the possibility of developing a workforce based on domesticated gorillas and chimps? Then no one would ever have to work again. I think these delightful creatures would be more than up to the task, and could probably handle most management and accounting work as well.

1. This isn't Bush's era. What does that have to do with it? Obama has done everything he can to make taxes go up and wanted special taxes on fast food.

2. If you had an ounce a genius you would know that nobody refers to military pay by any means by the hour. You should have accepted you were wrong. You want to win every argument? I will add that a lot of these people can join the military. If they want a better living, get a better job. It is stupid to assume that fast food is the best they can ever do. A lot of those working fast food are more fit than people I know who struggled doing PT and you don't need to be a genius to join.

3 Your talking out your ass. I knew someone from Canada that took his wife here to the States and he wasn't rich.

4. More? How would you get more when it will cause inflation. Prices will rise.

Screw it. Give them that 15 dollar raise to everyone. That will change the whole system of pay for everyone and then you can see how things are screwed over and then I can tell you I told you so rather than just all this speculation what possibly could happen.

What business is that of yours, let them try for better conditions like we all do at times, it's their right to at least have a go

Your not this guy are you? : p

I can't understand you. Sorry to be rude, but your life sucked and you claim it to be good and the damn way to go. You would be born in France, your minimun wage would have been higher, and your university about free of charge... no, not free, in fact you would have been paid because you are poor. How is that an horrible thing ? People bought ferrari out of your misery.

Life is about power balance. Power of money, power of union, power of politics, etc. Why should anyone abdicate the little power he has to people that are so happy to use theirs for their own benefit ? The Irak war direct cost is a freaking 1.100 billions dollars. How fucked up is the power balance for that spending 1.1 trillions is a priority compared to better wages for people that don't have the skill, will or opportunity to go to the university. And what if anyone had it, every single people in USA went to university ? There would still be the same number of people selling burger for 7.5$ an hour, have hard life, that would definitely not change.

This mindset is just so flawed. They're not going to make less money. If there's a change that's going to hurt their bottomline, CEO is going to cut costs or raise prices to make up for it. To think that people are just going to be ok with making less money because they already have enough is just naive.

No one is even discussing how it'll effect other industries. All the current jobs that pay $13-20/hour are also going to have to increase the wages of their employees, because why would a trained and educated person make the same as the dropout making french fries?

This is what causes inflation. Cuz if they win, then by default the more skilled workes will also win, since if they strike, the econmy will collapse in a matter of weeks or even less. If the burguer flipers strike and loose their jobs, only they loose cuz someone else is going to be happy with a job that pays that little so the position will be filled instanly.

I fully sympathize with people working and struggling to make ends meet. The one question I have is when they say they have a child or even multiple children in their 20s. I am closing in on 30 and am in a position where having a child would be manageable financially. Thus far have elected not as want to as want to be in a position can provide for a child. 10 years ago would have been a disaster for me and any professional aspirations I had. Even 5 years ago would have been a major challenge. Is it cold to say most people should put off having kids until they get into their 30s?

It's tricky because the side of the aisle that adamantly opposes minimum wage hikes is also the side that howls about family planning being a sin.