Daily Kos: Minimum wage going up in 10 states on New Year's Day

In nine states, the minimum wage increases because it is indexed to inflation, rising with the cost of living. Rhode Island passed a law raising its minimum wage in June, which takes effect Jan. 1. Nine other states and the District of Columbia have minimum wages above the federal rate of $7.25 an hour.

Daily Kos: Minimum wage going up in 10 states on New Year's Day


Compare that to this,,,

In accordance with the Annual Wage Review decision by Fair Work Australia earlier this month, the National Minimum Wage increases by 2.9 per cent to $606.40 per week, or $15.96 per hour

Australia’s new pay rates take effect from July 1,
28 June 2012

see also: Fair Work, Fair Pay: Lessons From Australia

Of course, exchange rates go up and down over time. But at $21.25 Australian dollars an hour, it doesn't matter what exchange rate you use or how you adjust for cost of living. The simple fact is that an Australian entry-level fast food worker makes more than the average American worker. An absolute majority of Americans would increase their income if they moved to Australia and got fast food jobs.

And then there is this little gem,,,

In 2005, Bachmann told the Minnesota state Senate that abolishing the minimum wage could “wipe out unemployment completely.” When Good Morning America‘s George Stephanopoulos asked her for evidence to back up that claim today, Bachmann struggled to find an answer, initially dodging the question before finally referring to the minimum wage as a regulation that is “inhibiting job growth” and saying it needed to be examined:

Michele Bachmann Advocates Abolishing Minimum Wage