Jonathan - You also commented:

"It is not the government's job to protect business owners from losing money when their product is mediocre, but is the responsibility of government to ensure that people are paid an appropriate living wage for the hours they log."

I further reply: It is neither the responsibility of government to protect business owners from losing money, nor to ensure that people are paid an appropriate living wage. It is the owner’s responsibility to try to succeed at business (legally), and the employee’s responsibility to develop skills and work diligently to attain and maintain an income to achieve their desired living standard.

Jonathan – you commented:

"If a business can't afford to pay their employees, it is time for them to be shut down and let another take a stab at running that type of business properly. That is capitalism."

I reply: That is exactly what happens in a capitalist enterprise. If a business can’t afford to pay its employees, the owner will lose employees, lose money, probably lose his business, or have to sell it real cheap. No one has to shut him down. The market takes care of that.

I applaud this effort by MoveOn.org to slap down Dianne Feinstein. And their previous effort to bring down Joe Lieberman. I also applaud that they have kept away from former Grand Kleegle of the Ku Klux Klan Robert Byrd, and his identification on national television of "white n*****s. It shows that they have principles and priorities.

Why does Chuck Schumer get a free pass? He fits the MoveOn.org pattern of Democrats selected for adverse actions. I'm sure ex-klansman Byrd would agree.

Simmons - The pay increases for workers have to come from the business' revenue stream. The law of supply and demand shows us that when the business offers to sell a certain product at a certain price at a place and time, its customers will decide how much of the product they want at that price. What the customer is willing to pay depends on many things, one of which is how much they are willing to pay for a bundle of goods, or product as a factor of their own income, competing needs, and alternative means of satisfying their need. If the price goes up, we know that less will be purchased, and that revenue could increase, decrease, or be unchanged as a result.

As an example, higher restaurant costs may result in more home meals, or going to cheaper restaurants. Higher labor costs in San Francisco auto repair shops may cause people to get their cars repaired in Oakland. Why would raising the minimum wage increase the wages of auto repairmen? Because a minimum wage increase eliminates wage differentials, and those in higher paid jobs soon get raises to reestablish the skill differentials.

If raising the minimum wage didn't have a negative effect on small business, I guess we could raise it to $20 an hour. Or why not $25?

The minimum wage in San Francisco is across the board. It is an equal opportunity job destroyer. Many San Francisco businesses do have to compete against businesses outside San Francisco, which don't have high minimum wages. San Francisco loses those jobs, evidenced by the rapid and steady decline in San Francisco's student population. Fortunately they are replaced by two-income, no child couples who are not concerned about the minimum wage level. This allows San Francisco to demonstrate they care for the poor, while getting rid of them.