By 2022, California will raise its hourly minimum wage to $15, more than twice the federal requirement. As far as methods to reduce poverty go, there may not be a less moral way to try to “help” the least well-off.

Those pushing for higher minimum wages have praise-worthy goals: to reduce poverty and lift wages. But there are a number of ways to accomplish this. Those advocating a minimum wage hike are simply saying, “Employers should pay more to fix poverty, but don’t expect me to contribute anything.”