Don't know if this comes as a surprse to anyone, but when Minimum Wage began, it was based on what it cost to house and feed a single person, and they called it a "living wage". That ment, food, rent and transportation could be covered, by a min wage job. In "my day" young people could afford to move out of their parents house before they were 30.

Why were the good old days better?

My personal opinion is, that back then there were Mothers at home to watch over and guide our children. Now we are a society that expects our Gov't to teach our kids everything, that was once a parents job.