In addition, it is not the responsibility of the employer to offer what is being termed "a living wage." It is the responsibility of the employee to garner the necessary skills to demand more money due to their skill set. Minimum wage was conceived as an entry level wage, designed to teach young people the difference between french fries and boogers, how to act professional in the workplace and to teach them rudimentary skills upon which to grow and become more valuable in the workplace. And while it is obvious many minimum wage workers are not high school students, it's not the employers responsibility or obligation to help solve poor choices made by others. They certainly CAN, but it's not their obligation. McDonald's didn't impregnate your girlfriend and has no responsibility towards that. Business owners, if the business goes down, suffer the loss of everything invested in the business. Workers go down to the next fast food place. It's risk/reward. That is the reality of life.