A minimum wage IS a good idea. It says that any work that is worth less than this is not economically desired by society and should not be done. The issue is

A minimum wage IS a good idea. It says that any work that is worth less than this is not economically desired by society and should not be done. The issue is quality of life vs all wages, as reflected in buying power and the ability to have a good life. Rather than an inflationary focus on raising the minimum (a hidden tax on the non-ownership classes, as the land / property / business owners will just raise their rates to keep up); quality of life should be raised by raising Buying Power, not by raising the minimum. Raising Buying Power is tough though, since it requires market regulation and leadership. It means the price of food, of services, and of housing must go down to make quality better. However we'd all be better off under such a model (owners and rent/profit seekers less so, but still better other than the profits).