Well I guess, Margaret, when you deigned to speak to some of the townies while "summering" in a small town you became an instant expert on this complex economic issue. As someone who actually lives in a small town with a planning background I can assure you, who has studied economics and understands how local economies work -- people NEED a minimum wage hike in order to survive, especially with food prices and energy prices having increased by 25-50% over the last few years. Maybe some customers will decrease their tipping a little bit, but on the plus side -- all those customers who could never afford to ever eat a bite out (such as my family) may be able to afford a meal out once in a while finally with an increase in minimum wage - and yes, as a former waitress I plan on tipping well...