[firethief]

> If this were really so why would there be a schedule to phase it in slowly over 7 years until full implementation instead of immediately?

The article's premise is that the benefit to the economy from increasing the income of the lowest-earners outweighs the higher costs to businesses. If this is the case, raising the wages overnight would be disastrous, because businesses would have to pay the surprise higher costs before the economy had a chance to strengthen as a result of the greater spending.

Implementing the policy faster doesn't just get the same results faster, it gets different results.

[bko]

I was shocked to learn that there are more people that earn below minimum wage than there are that earn minimum wage [0]. I don't know if these people are exempt from minimum wage (report doesn't say) or are just being paid under the table. Either way, I fear that these employees may lack legitimacy and legal right afforded to other employees. A higher minimum wage, especially significantly higher, will increase the number of these shadow employees.

[0] http://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/minimum-wage/archive/charact...