After minimum-wage laws, however, black teens experienced greater unemployment than white teens. But when only teens, blacks and single moms are affected, it apparently does not attract much attention or sympathy. For over 30 years, my dad ran a cafe near downtown Los Angeles. Whenever Congress hiked the minimum wage, I watched my parents sit at the kitchen table with pen and pad and make decisions. Must raise them, even though this always triggered several weeks of business falloff.
Studies show that most people hired at the minimum wage get increases within a matter of months.
Many fast food executives started out flipping burgers. Most minimum-wage earners are teens and secondary household wage earners. True compassion does not lie in drop-kicking principles, especially when the result harms people. True compassion lies in making a credible, persuasive case for opposing minimum-wage hikes. True compassion lies in maintaining the course, even if it takes a while before critics appreciate the journey.