One of the first things the Democrats did in 2007 when they took control of Congress was raise the minimum wage.  And it was not a one-time deal; their legislation would mandate a minimum wage increase each year for the next three years: 2007, 2008 and 2009.  The federal minimum wage becomes $7.25 this July 24, up from $5.15 just two years ago .I constructed the graph below from Bureau of Labor Statistics data.  The more steady line is three times the federal minimum wage over time (to get the scales to match).  The more jagged line is the teen unemployment rate (ages 16-19) over that same time.  (Read Full Post)