A "living wage" set so high destroys entry level positions, especially in places that don't have the wealth of Manhattan where the people not only can afford a 26$ burger, they view it as their charity to keep food on the table for the worker bees.

Our parents and grandparents went to work in factories, over 40 hours of hard work where the pay was enough to support a family.

Our parents didn't go work at McDonald's and feel they were entitled to a wage that affords them the lifestyle they see on IG. If they didn't do factory work, they went to work at the shore store from 7-3, left there for 4 more hours of work at the diner to bring home enough money for their kids to eat, clothes on their back, and pay for night classes so they could get a job that doesn't entail shit work for minimum wage.

Of course this seems strange in a culture where: - you are entitled to high quality healthcare and healthcare research at someone else's expense, - where higher learning is turned into a credentialing program and everyone should be given what they feel they're worth regardless of the work they have or will put in, - where you should be given a "living wage" for flipping burgers, because how the hell are you supposed to feed, house and provide for your kid and afford a yearly iphone, your subscription packages (Netflix, hulu, HBO, twitch, steam, ...). I mean it sucks you have to sacrifice kids shoes so you can watch GoT, Republican and corporate cubicle bastards, forcing your kid into shoes from the salvation army. - where the government should give you weed for the PTSD you suffered from the corporate cubicle shill who fired you because you failed your drug exam or because he didn't understand your marijuana use leads to occasionally being late and they weren't being accommodating..

IT is the new factory job. What's more in many markets you can get a entry level position with just a few certs. Beyond that, many other trade jobs pay very well, a plumber in my area got 120$ a house call and 65$/hour beyond the assessment. But these positions don't have the prestige this generation is obviously entitled to.

You also must be a government brat. The only people of the older generations that retired at an age where they could enjoy it were either entrepreneurs or government workers. Very few government workers should be given an early retirement, but they keep voting themselves one, so I guess it makes sense.

LOCALLY mandated, 15$ an hour minimum wage can be a good thing. In the bay area or Manhattan, really The minimum wage should probably be closer to 20-30. But 15$ an hour kills anything not named Wal-Mart/Best Buy/McDonald's in places like Temecula or Salinas.

The government mandating this at the state/federal level is just politicians picking winners and losers, rewarding their big business friends. This crushes local businesses, small shops, and independent chains. It also kills jobs for kids starting out. Of course the latest psychology today says that children's brains aren't actually fully formed until they're 45, so that may be a good thing.