The right time to raise wages is when America is not trying to recover from a recession. When unemployment drops below 6 percent. The cost passed on then would not cause hardships on the entire country. Right now, we are sill at almost 7 percent (6.7) unemployed; according to the government :According to the most recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 12 million Americans were unemployed and seeking work in February, while another 885,000 weren’t looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them." If you go to other sites that lean toward Conservatives, these numbers are much higher. But, I quote only the Liberal side because you would dismiss other data. http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.us.htm

The thing that many people do not want to understand that big business will pass on all wage increases to the customer. That means that you will pay more for everything you buy, not limited to the gas pump, or grocery store, but in medical care, medications, transportation to include prices for vehicles, and the most mundane of services such as lawn maintenance, HOA dues, pool care..... everything to include electricity, home heating oil, wheel chairs..... name a thing and you will see the prices will go up because the demand will remain the same, the supply will remain stable, but the cost of production and the cost of employees (and this is compounded with the Obamacare mandate on employers) will go up. It is simple ECON 101. I am a high school kid, and I understand this stuff. You are an adult and you still think that this is the best time to put more burdens on the people trying to make do or companies trying to stay competitive with things made in Mexico, Indonesia, or even Japan? Create opportunities, jobs, stabilize the economy then tackle wages. One last thing, even you must see that this is a government that has only one primary concern, and a clue it is not your well being, it is to stay in DC.

Did you read the link? I'm not going to repeat anything in my first post. Yes, I'm an old fart and have lived through a few arguments about Increasing minimum wage as well as ups and downs in the economy. I have heard the same arguments over and over. When it is finally accomplished, overall the good outweighs the bad. The problems of the economy of course go way deeper than this discussion. One of the main problems is we DON"T produce anything of substance in this country any more. You seem pretty sharp, and this country's future should be more important to you than it is to me. I'll suggest a book you might get some good out of. Quick informative read. "the Failure of Lassez Faire Economics" Paul Craig Roberts.
And your right, 99% of the people in gvt don't give a rats about the common person. I know a couple I'd vote back in but no matter who they are, suffice it to say they are not wing nuts.