Protests for $15 an hour minimum wage

Ridiculous IMO. I know lots of college grads that don't make $15 an hour around here. Heck the cushy government jobs around here start around $12.

Besides, it does no good to raise the min to $15. So a burger at McD's costs $1.50 today, raise the wage and it goes to $3.00 or more, that extra income is just going to go to increased prices. Raise the min for the Walmart workers and that $2 gallon of milk is now $5. 

I agree with your point on low skilled jobs. An entry level McD's job was never meant to provide for a family of 4. Heck my wife and I both make good money and we are putting away as much money as we can before we have kids because we know it will be much harder financially once we have them. That is called being responsible instead of breeding kids for the tax break or due to irresponsibility, and then complaining that you can't make more than $8 an hour at your high school drop out burger flipping job. 

Wow, there was a rant.

My initial thought is that would certainly factor in one's perception of opportunity cost.  Why rack up debt on a 2yr trade when you will end up making about the same amount flipping burgers?  More importantly, total compensation (salary, housing, food, medical) in the early years of military service would be around the equivalent of a fry cook.  I want someone to explain how that is "fair" in their world.  I suppose that a McDonalds drive-through worker in Detroit may face a similar risk in terms of safety but it wouldn't be close in terms of the responsibility.

Asking for $15 minimum wage is simply people wanting more money to do the same thing their doing now out of a pure sense of entitlement.  They haven't thought about the effects of raising the minimum wage, nor are they wanting to do anything to improve their position.  They just want more and don't care how they get it.

Over the summer while in Milwaukee for Nats, we went to a chili's and they had tablets that you could use to order food and drinks from your table.  People just brought your food out when it was ready.  And your kids could play games on the tablet while you waited.  

When I'm at the grocery store, if there's no line at the self-checkout registers then that's where I go.  But if there's a line, I'm going to a human cashier every single time.  That's the thing with the automated, self serving systems.  It's only as good as the person in front of you.  And inevitably, the person in front of me is a complete moron.  These things have been around for years,  all you have to do is swipe a barcode across a scanner, but for some reason it still befuddles people.

McDonalds doesn't need to create a system that'll work for the customer with average intelligence.  They need to create a system that is usable by the absolute dumbest person that walks through their door.  It's got to have pictures for the illiterate, an idiot-proof way to supersize you fries or order a burger with no ketchup.  Until they can figure out how to cater to the truly stupid, they'll have no choice but to continue to employ human cashiers.  On the other hand, having to pay them $15/hour might motivate McDonalds to put a little more effort in to developing that idiot-proof system.

Here is an interesting thought based upon a post in this thread.  What if we stopped providing wellfare for those working for minimum wage?  Wouldn't you end up with people who could not afford to take those jobs at the rate they are being paid, thus creating a shortage of workers and "driving up" the value/cost to hire people for those positions?  Maybe it is government that is holding down the wages by subsidizing the wages with wellfare benefits?

Interested to know peoples thoughts on this.  

Thanks...

YES. 

If I lost my job and that's all I could find, you could count me in.

Just some numbers from the BLS.

http://www.bls.gov/cps/minwage2011.htm

You might be right about individuals minght not stay on it for long, but keep in mind those making slightly above minimum wage would be affected by this as well and those likely would stay at a lower wage salary for quite a while.  And it likely isn't because they are disable but because they do not have the education.  And they can't afford to get the education because of the cost for the education and likely the lack of time to get it.  They are also likely working more than one job. 

Disclaimer: I'm not advocating for either side, just making certain as much information is coming out as possible.

Your last sentence assumes that I haven't worked hard.  Do I look like someone who doesn't understand that hard work pays off?  I worked all my way through high school and worked in college, while still having to take loans.  It was challenging at times, but I got to where I am now by working through it and not waiting for someone to get my salary for me.  I'm sorry if expecting others to do the same is out of line. 

When I say "and don't care how they get it", I'm referring to the ramifications of raising the minimum wage that has been brought up enough in this thread that it doesn't bear repeating.  They simply want more, because they think they deserve more.  That's not how things work.

Also you're correct.  I used "their" instead of "they're".  My apologies.