...with Liberty and Pay Increases For all!

Fast food employees are ready to walk of the job if they don't get $15.00 per hour?  Now THAT is something I never thought I'd see! I guess I was unaware that the "art" of assembling a Big Mac or the "technical savvy" of ringing up your taco was such a big deal.  Times must have changed a lot in the last 30 years. I realize that the value of a dollar has changed slightly over that time, but I don't believe it has changed that much.
I got my first job working at Sonic Drive-in when I was 15.  I couldn't wait to earn my own money.  I chopped onions and slung burgers with all the pride I had in me. I knew that whatever my job, wherever my job, if I did the very best I could, I would be rewarded and promoted, and gradually earn more money.  If I remember correctly, I made $3.35 an hour.  And I was appreciative of that $3.35.  For I knew there were others who wanted a job, and I could be replaced at any time. I later worked at McDonalds, and while I worked at McDonalds from 5:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., I obtained a second job at K-Mart, working 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  Again, I made minimum wage at that time.  Never once did I consider the possibility of telling my boss that unless they doubled my pay, I was walking.  They would have told me not to let the door hit me in the butt!
I worked for 20 years for a real estate developer, and I made more than minimum wage, but certainly not DOUBLE!  And I only felt justified in asking for a raise (a small raise) when I could present how the work I was doing was adding to or increasing company profits.
I left there to take over my families business, and now make less than I did there.  All in an effort to preserve this family business, making sacrifices NOW in hopes that the business will be doing well enough to reward me LATER. And there are weeks when business has been slow that I don't take a check at all.  I believe the old-timers refer to that as "making due".
I am totally amazed at the gall of these people today.  If I were the owners of theses fast food restaurants, I would send them down the road!  I am sure there are 100 people behind them looking to find a job. And maybe the fact that these fast food workers expect this raise further exposes their intellect.  Apparently they don't realize that if McDonalds makes $100,000 a month, and currently pays it's employees $30,000 and are forced to begin paying them $60,000, something will have to be sacrificed.  These employees must not realize that THEY are the sacrifices!  If you only have so much to spend, then the number of employees will have to be cut.  So, half of them will not only NOT be making $15 per hour, they will be UNEMPLOYED!  Is that the result they are looking for?  Maybe if they had aspired to do something besides make burgers and tacos with their life, they would realize the impact of what they are asking for.  And guess who will pay their unemployment?  The fast food business.  Then, it will either be forced to raise prices, or cut additional employees.  And when the unemployment runs out and they apply for welfare, my tax dollars will pay them.  I am not OK with that.  Their protests should be met with an ultimatum - either work for what we offer to pay, or go get a job somewhere else that pays what you think you are worth.  And good luck.