We are living the test right now. Municipalities and states that have increased their minimum wage have seen nothing but positive outcomes for doing so. The doom and gloom you state as fact, is not fact at all. It makes NO sense for a large corporation so hell bent on economic return as you suggest, to just bag it all, give up and close shop because they are forced to pay their workers 9, 10, or 15 dollars an hour so the government can get out of subsidizing their employees. The companies forced to do so find a way to make it work and continue to grow. In most cases, grow greater because of it. Since when did I champion compassion? While compassion was a noble endeavor, we are at a point in doing so that we are so removed from the free market, it is hurting us through a completely false economy. One based on handouts to 50% of the population, working or not working, so they can survive. One needs to look no further than Mississippi, Louisiana and other completely right states to see the outcome of the right agenda. It's nothing but a continuousl spiral down to the lowest common denominator with a few haves and a whole lot of have nots, low property values, low taxes because no one can afford to pay them and no help for anyone who wants to better themselves through better education.