[BOfH]

MOO: The whole "living wage" argument is specious. Simply put, while I enjoy what I do(information security/risk management), my job is a means to an end, and not the end in it of itself; and as a means to an end, while not my sole motivation, increasing my base pay provides for great incentive in upward mobility within my career, as opposed to becoming stagnant and staying where I am now. Generally speaking, upward mobility usually requires increased knowledge, skill and responsibility, among others. By attaching the living wage(with COLA and all the trimmings) argument to low paying and generally unskilled jobs, you have essentially killed any sort of motivation to be upwardly mobile, and with it the thirst for knowledge and skill. The idea is that these jobs are stepping stones to something greater and more satisfying, all while motivating people to move into more skilled positions, which increases our overall competitiveness in the global marketplace.

My .02