The idea is to create jobs that normally wouldn't be worth a minimum wage a la the PWA (referenced in the article), so it by definition wouldn't compete with ex

The idea is to create jobs that normally wouldn't be worth a minimum wage a la the PWA (referenced in the article), so it by definition wouldn't compete with existing jobs except putting upward wage pressure on jobs that are minimum wage and less desirable than the created jobs. You seem to be led by your conclusion that the issue is intractable and letting small complications (or misunderstanding of the proposal) defeat serious reflection on the issue at hand. Another benefit of the approach suggested by the author is to allow a framework for thinking through the problem. Policy has to happen, it's better to have a framework for thinking through the implications of policy changes than to throw your hands up in frustration because rhetoric is a wholly useless tool for making policy decisions.