Ok, so here is the GOP establishment today explaining why Seattle's $15 minimum wage would "hurt the local economy":
Raising the minimum wage adds no money into the local economy; it only redistributes money among people who are already part of the economy. Low wage workers will have more money to spend; business owners and customers of those businesses will have less to spend by an amount equal to the increase in wages. However, while this is an even trade of money from one group to another, one specific source of money actually shrinks.
The lost money is federal government benefits that low wage workers lose thanks to the increase in the minimum wage. In fact, many of these workers will lose food stamps, some or all of their earned income tax credit, and other means-tested federal benefits. This money is currently spent in the local economy, but after the minimum wage is increased the money will revert to Washington, D.C., to be spent on something else.
So, I dunno what to say to that.
On one hand, people (workers in this case) will earn and spend more money (and pay more in taxes too, and be less of a burden on social services also.)
And on the other (Forbes, in this case) hand, we can keep everyone on food stamps. And thats about it.
Well, I chose $15Now!
But I am just one voice.
So here I now turn to the Kos poll: