If cities like Seattle want to enact a minimum wage higher than anywhere else in the country, then they can deal with the consequences when their currently booming economy eventually comes back to earth. Local voters then have the option to support politicians who run on repealing those laws.

Nationwide we already have corporate headquarters concentrating in high cost cities while manufacturing and distribution centers locate in lower cost rural areas. Even where wages are roughly equal, the rural areas have much lower land costs and taxes. Significantly higher labor costs will simply provide another good reason to continue that trend.

Whereas corporate HQ's will always prefer urban areas irrespective of labor costs because of the amenities necessary to recruit high priced talent. Like GE moving their HQ from suburban Fairfield, CT to downtown Boston. And Aetna's announcement yesterday they will be moving their HQ from Hartford to NYC.