I'm sure Mr. Morse is much smarter than I am, and as my degree is in Sociology, perhaps he can enlighten me on one detail regarding his post.
Most people in America are employed not by huge conglomerations with billions in profits, but by tens of thousands of small enterprises which have to squeak by to make payrolls while struggling with massive federal rules and regulations. Small businesses are the oil that keeps the free enterprise system working.
How, then, will doubling the (already) greatest cost of doing business for America's employers do anything but sink many of these businesses, sending employees not to other businesses but to bread lines in an economy that would be gorged with massive unemployment and inflation of even the most needed comestibles?
As I said, I am merely an observer of groups of people, but I have been an owner of a small business that was so encumbered by federal, state and local regulations that I had to hold off hiring any employees for fear I would have to terminate them due to additional choking oversight. No bitterness here; I now feed off the government teat.

The NC Justice Center cites substantial studies showing that raising the minimum wage does not increase job loss, does not hamper the growth of small businesses, and does not spur business failures. See the link here:

http://www.ncjustice.org/media/library/696_ibminwage4102006.pdf

But a more important reason for supporting living wages is because it is one more step toward creating an economic system that serves people -- instead of an economic system that people serve. It's absurd

The opponents of living wages seem to believe the economy would collapse if everyone were paid a living wage, when in fact, just the opposite would occur. The economy would adjust and grow. Crime would fall, education levels would rise, health would improve, etc. A living wage presents a win-win for society as a whole, which is a more legitimate reason for supporting it than the appeal to Christian principles, however well-meaning those may be.

Furthermore, any business that can only turn a profit by exploiting workers with low wages (or polluting) probably isn't doing much for the community where it is operating, and it would be better off in the long run that it fail. Unfortunately, the minimum wage of $5.15 creates an incentive for poor business management.

Seems kind of strange that education levels would rise. Why bother getting a degree or being educated if I can sweep floors and earn a living wage?

Think of it this way, nitpicker: sweeping floors is still a low-prestige job. Many people want to get "higher-class" or higher education jobs. If a floor sweeper is only working that one job instead of the two or three jobs many low-skilled people have, maybe they can use the time to get more education or training.

I have had more students than I care to think about drop out of my classes because they needed to sleep for four hours before going back to work. And my students want to learn; it isn't that they're lazy. It's that they are too exhausted to think clearly.

Been there and done that, beadbaby. I remember working 10 hour shifts before reporting for calculus class many years ago.

Thanks for the response.