For the last few weeks, the minimum-wage debate has turned to a simple question: Can the people behind the counter earn a living flipping burgers and helping customers? …
Politically, the living-wage debate follows the lines one would expect. House Republicans have generally been against increasing the minimum wage. President Barack Obama and Democrats want to increase it from $7.25 an hour to $9. But the differences behind the debate run deeper than simple partisanship; they are based, in part, on different economic realities. [cont.]
Dante Chinni, Wall Street Journal