Why cant the minimum wage be raised where it can actually help the poor afford a better living?

Because America think total capitalism is the right way while the whole world doesn't. Also even if u raise the minimum wage, doesn't mean poor people get richer.also THere are two types of poor people, one who is trying to work hard and earn money and have a home, and the one who just spends on drugs, alcohol, and gamble etc...

Higher wages = Higher taxes People don't want higher taxes = No raise i agree with that

If the minimum wage increases labour costs increase at the lowest level of business and product and service prices increase and suddenly minimum wage isn't high enough again. It sucks, but one person making minimum wage at one job at 40 hours a week is just not going to be a viable living wage.

It's like $8.50 or something here in california

minimum wage higher= people who make the new minimum wage want raise inflation occurs more taxes. Not everyone can make a decent living Have to have poor people for there to be rich people, thats just life.

The minimum wage should not be raised to a 'fair level' (completely subjective?) because those workers who are not productive enough to justify the set wage would not be able to justify to their employers their employment any longer. What makes you think that you can just improve living standards overnight by just passing a law? Higher living standards can only come through new more efficient innovations which make workers more productive and efficient, the best way to do this is to allow free markets to work, but it won't happen overnight. Reforming bureaucratic gov't regulation will help, also reducing taxes and spending would be a good idea.But seriously, the minimum does exactly the opposite of what it's supposed to. The minimum wage is supported by the bleeding-heart unions to protect their highly skilled workers from competition from lower skilled workers. It's that simple.

Higher wages = Higher taxes People don't want higher taxes = No raise

The minimum wage and a price floor on wage would most likely force business to hire less people. Or business will increase prices in order to cover hire wages. Law of demand states that quantity demanded will increase as prices decrease, in this case wage is price and demand is from business. As you force an increase in wage you will decrease quantity demanded for labor. On the others side, law of supply states that as prices (or wages in this case) increase more quantity will be supplied (supply being labor or workers). The difference will cause short term unemployment to increase as more people are willing to work but business is not willing to hire More workers at higher prices. It just doesn't make sense for business to hire more workers at higher prices, but if they were in need of those workers due to a poor substitute for that labor then the business can either outsource the labor or increase prices to cover costs. So, in a sense, increase minimum wage can counter the two things government tries to control-unemployment and inflation. And according to the Lorenz Curve, income is more equal today than it was over the last few decades (my info for this is from 2007). So the purchasing power is actually stronger for poorer people. And the lorenz curve does not count transfer payment or payments in kind (social security and welfare). But the Lorenz Curve isn't the most adequate tool either. Free market sources is the best way to determin an equitabale (fair) and efficeint wage. As workers will tell the business what an acceptable wage is by either working or not. If the business is in need of workers and cannot fill positions they will increase wage until equilibrium is met. Business will hire upto the point where the cost of the last unit of labor is equal to the contribuion in revenue of that last unit of labor.

you would need an economist to answer this fully and it would take pages ( I doubt if they would even read yahoo answers) try this for size. businesses are competing with each other , goods inwards are a fixed price, wages are variable. so maximum profits = lowest wages for best selling price. hence most businesses will demand cheapest labour possible in order to stay in business and make a profit!. since profits are number one priority then wages are most likely to be under pressure to be low. this scene occurs world over. local prices are a reflection of market values and have no direct comparison to overall countries policies and ability to pay. sadly there are no easy answers or fix's If there was do you not think many other countries would have adopted an answer already? we have in fact four levels of communities . Lower are in competition with upper levels. these are. those on benefits. those on lower wage levels. those on middle wages . those on upper earning levels. nothing here will change. sadly it is you whom must change the level at which you find yourself.