It sure would be nice if people would realize that bumping the minimum wage does nothing to improve anyone's quality of life or ability to afford things. It makes it harder all the way around. The people who have been doing a good job and got a merit raise or such and went from the current 8.50 to say 8.80 or 9.00 per hour will find themselves once again as minimum wage employees. Prices on everything will now go up again in an effort for the employers to not take such a big hit. And dont say corporate america can handle the rise in pay....many places here in Oregon are NOT corporations they are privately owned small businesses.