"Minimum wage workforce" is code for teens, illegals and the indigent.

This may be true. However, it has become less so in the last several years, correct? No doubt automation might relieve some minimum wage pressures, but I'm not sure that McDonald's has standard wages as they are franchised, and I wonder how many franchise owners would benefit so much so that making them available would be worthwhile, along with the repairs, etc. Also, people might prefer to order their burger from a person rather than having to push 'customize' > 'no pickles', etc... I'm just saying that there are other hurdles that might be keeping that specter at bay, at least in some industries.

A wage is not a tax. A tax is not a wage.

True, but a legislated minimum wage does force employers to pay employees more when they might have paid less. That is the government legislating with the intention to take money from one set of folk and put into the hands of another. Also, it does increase the payroll tax on employers. But I am not arguing that it's for the government's benefit. I'm saying that it's a means to alter the distribution of money. I was using the term 'tax' loosely in the above comment. It's government-directed employer to worker monetary distribution.

Problem is, it isn't a living wage everywhere.

IMO the minimum wage is like Obamacare - a not-quite-good-enough solution to a problem that desperately needs something better.

I can agree with this. Some might argue that's why the Fed should set the floor, and the States take it from there, but I do agree that it is not a solution to a problem, more a way to alleviate some symptoms.

These are generally privately-held corporations that aren't beholden to stockholders, who recognize that employee retention is often just as valuable as overhead reduction to long-term profit.

What I wonder, is if this highlights something that can be improved upon from another angle. Is it necessary and good to have shitty corporations in addition to the good ones? Is there a magic ratio? A constant one? What changes the ratio if it does change, and is that sustainable?

Know what would be interesting? If the Amazon warehouses unionized. I'll betcha Amazon would fold within a year of it. Because by your reasoning ("minimum wage is a tax"), zero-margin Internet goods are a penalty.

Ha. It's funny. I made a similar argument about Amazon to wasoxygen in a previous post, and never finished it, and it was a question that he asked me that spurred me to write this one. I think I need to revisit that discussion and see if my reasoning takes me full circle.