>> i don't think the minimum wage law works. we all support -- i certainly do -- having more taxpayers, meaning more people that are employed, and i want people to make a lot more than $9. $9 is not enough. the problem is if you can't do that by mandating it in the minimum wage laws. they've never worked in terms of helping the middle class obtain more pros airport. >> a lot of people who are being paid the minimum wage are being paid that because they come to the work force with no skills, and this makes it harder for them to acquire the skills they need in order to climb that ladder successfully. >> despite gop outcry studies have shown that raising the minimum wage stimulates the economy. in a national poll from last year 73% of voters supported increasing the minimum wage to $10 per hour and index it to inflation. just for reference, in 1968 the minimum wage was equivalent to $10.47 in today's dollars and to the unemployment rate was 3.6%.