My EPR was never quite like this  

No one, not even conservative economists, believe Friedman was correct in thinking minimum wage stifled employment. Many studies have shown that the opposite is true. Friedman believed in no minimum wage sure but also in a negative income tax meaning persons below a certain income would actually receive money during tax time, something I'm sure the CATO Institute (heavily bought by corporations and owned by the conservative equivalents to George Soros, Fred and Charles Koch) would very much not agree with.

Regardless, how do you explain the many states that have similar wages for fast food workers yet still the federal minimum wage of $7.25? For example, even Mississippi starts at $10.50.