> As a side note, the evidence against minimum wage as an effective policy is staggering

You realize that 197 countries use a minimum wage, right, not just us?

Of course there's evidence against it -- just like there's evidence for it -- and the fact that it's a hot-button topic should have made me realize before the fact that people would go through and downvote all my comments. I really couldn't care less if HN supports the idea of paying US citizens $2.50/hr. I'm certainly done arguing about it.