I don't know why this is even a debate. Imagine if your boss told you that they wouldn't be paying you enough to survive at the end of the workweek. That's essentially what they're saying every time they pay you less than the living wage in your state. But even if you don't give two shits about low-income workers, sub-living wages are bad for you too. The reason why the government will never get rid of welfare, food stamps, and similar support is because a significant portion of the population would be starving and homeless otherwise. Why are they so dependent? Because they aren't paid a living wage. Businesses figured out years ago that they could simply make the taxpayer subsidize the wages of their employees, like an even shittier version of tipping. Walmart, the nation's biggest employer, has mastered this scam. The company actually aids its employees in applying for government assistance. After all, a little effort is more than worth a workforce that can subsist without demanding a living wage. And to those who will inevitably comment “JuSt GeT a BeTtEr JoB”, it's more complicated than that. Even if we completely ignore local monopolies, every time an employer underpays their employees, the wages in that industry decrease by a little bit as competing firms realize that they can do the same. One bad apple spoils the bunch (as if it wasn't spoiled before). The only way to end the exploitation of workers and the scamming of taxpayers is to make the living wage the minimum wage