The current minimum wage is 7.25. This was done by the Democratic Congress in 2007.  But this is not enough. This has been the first time the minimum wage has increase in 10 years. Bill Clinton had to give a capital gains tax cut just to get it passed.

But that should not be necessary now. The minimum wage should increase along with the greater of CPI or wage growth. The latter is the formula used to index Social Security benefits. Since wages tend to increase more than inflation, it will offer a larger increase.

Some conservatives say that the worst time to do this would be during a recession. I disagree. There have been numerous studies, such as this one by David Card, now of UC Berkeley, that show there simply is not enough empirical evidence to claim that the minimum wage reduces jobs or other benefits. In fact, there is evidence that is pushes other wages up.

Another argument against it would be that it would only help students on summer break. The majority of people at minimum wage jobs are single mothers. These are people who need the most help, and with state budgets being cut, have even less in the way of resources, like social services and head start programs to help them out.

If the minimum wage was set at the level it was in 1968, it would be over 9 dollars an hour right now.

It should be raised to the level it was in the late 60's and then indexed. I am certain that this will not occur, but I am a firm believer in asking for too much, then accept a centrist 'compromise'.

In the same vain, since health care reform would arguably help these workers even more,  you could give up indexing in favor a better health care package (such as ensuring the public option is included).