It sounds simple raise the minimum wage, reward hard work, and strike a blow against the society's inequalities. It's an emotional argument that blurs out the truth and make's people forget one important economic lesson: There's no such thing as a free lunch. The minimum wage has not been increased since the industrial welfare commission raised it to $4.25 an hour. The IWC and the legislature have not agreed since that time that any additional increase is justified because of California's recession and the downward turn in the business climate ....