Should the federal minimum wage increase to $9 from $7.25 an hour, as President Obama proposed in his State of the Union address?

ABC and other liberal news companies. You may be dense or just liberals. (oxymoron)?..but let me answer this CORRECTLY...

A rise in the NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE is not something done to help OR hurt people. It is done solely for the purpose of grafting more money out of the private sector into the governments pockets.

The Government gets a PERCENTAGE of wages...and if the wage level goes up, the governments skim goes up too. That is the ONLY reason, other than buying votes , the FED gov does this.

The fact of results on people is ....more pay, but higher costs...so a NET ZERO effect.

it's only money

Just think how much tax revenue would result

Why not income tax?

Because most people at minimum wage haven't seen a raise in ten years or more

oh boy three years since a raise any regular job I would have quit...

I should have said people making minimum wage never get a raise, unless minimum wage goes up. That is a FACT.

Setting Price Controls always back fires and results in negative consequences. Either in more illegals getting the job, or less jobs, more layoffs, higher prices for all commodities (Which will negate the raise in wages). Sure, it feels good, but it doesn't work. If it did work, why not just set minimum wage at say, 100,000/year? Then everyone will have a livable wage. This is a bad idea, not everywhere needs that much money, not all jobs are worth that much money, and more under the table jobs will be had, or illegals taking jobs and paid less.

Take some basic economics and you will see why this is a bad idea.

Lastly, minimum wage is not, and never was supposed to be, a livable wage. Its meant for students or entry level positions. Its not there to raise a family on. Its there to start out at and then raise the ladder to a better wage/position. But I guess in Obama's America we should expect mediocrity and laziness. Why should anyone work? Why should I try to succeed? I can just get on welfare if I loose my minimum wage job... Forget education or advancing my career.

$9.00/hr is not a living wage but it's better than $7.25. Putting $$$ in the pockets of poor people drives the economy because they spend it immediately.

They also are able to buy less because the companies need to make up for that extra 1.75/hr they have to pay people now, so that just negates their increase in wages... or they loose their job because the business doesn't make enough income to pay all their people that extra money, so they have to lay off a few employees and the remaining workers must put in the extra work of those few laid off workers.

Outrageous! People getting minimum wage work as hard, and in many cases, much harder than those raking in far more. For you to imply that they are slackers is morally indefensible when the likes of Mitt Romney makes millions off his fat bank account without doing a stitch of productive work.
If we want a healthy, vibrant economy, and country, keeping working people in poverty is the height of insanity. If you think those folks are so overpaid, why don't you try living on minimum wage?

My point is that many millions of people , through the circumstances of their birth, have the choice thrust upon them.

All the social programs? Where are you, Sweden? Denmark?

You are out of touch with the reality of life for millions of Americans.

There are people working for low wage jobs who are not kids dropping out of school.Around here (Seattle), Wal-Mart employees make $11.00/hr and beginning school bus drivers around $12.50. Better than minimum wage, but with our home prices and rent, grocery costs etc. those wages will keep you impoverished.

You mean luxuries like food and housing? Are you of this world?

So how about people like myself, I made upwards of $50,000 a year, and when I turned fifty, my health, suffered and I could no longer work the 60 hour weeks required in management positions over seeing the poor suckers on minimum wage.
Corporate America used me up and now, I am offered minimum wage jobs like washing dishes, because I can't stand for more than a few hours. I went from $800.00 a week to 30 hours at minimum wage...

This future could be yours as well and I hope you get stuck worse than I did because, you are obviously an ass*ole

both and Congress, republicates, there is plenty of blame to go around

as is obvious that you are a waste of toliet paper...

I won't. Clearly you are wealthy and out of touch with the lives of real people. I am fortunate, hold a well paying job, and expect to retire comfortably in a couple of years, but I at least recognize my good fortune and how hard life is for so many of our fellow citizens.

He clearly is. Born on 3rd base, thought he hit a triple.

Again Minimum Wage employees never get a raise unless minimum wage goes up!