I think we've just hit the "give up" point in some areas. Even if you can find the money, you have to question who is benefiting, as you end up helping out these employers who offer low pay and benefits.

The SF bay area seems to have finally hit that point where the restaurants and so on are being forced to raise their wages because they can't hire people, and that generally seems like a good thing. It's better if the wages reflect the costs.