Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg made a straightforward argument this week: if the government can find money for tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, it can find money to pay public school teachers and support staff a living wage. He also took aim at a proposed increase in defense spending, framing it as a question of priorities.

School Workers Deserve Better Pay

On Monday, Buttigieg wrote in a post on X, "If we can afford tax breaks for the richest people in this country, don't tell me we can't afford to pay public school teachers and support staff a living wage."

In a video shared alongside the post, Buttigieg addressed the financial struggles of public school employees during a town hall, arguing that their contributions to society were undervalued. "It's amazing how little value is being placed on jobs that generate so much value," he said, adding that educators and support staff helped ensure the country had a well-educated population capable of supporting successful industries.

A public school support staff member at the event said workers without college degrees were often treated as though they did not deserve a living wage. She also pointed to the burden of student loan debt on young Americans.

Buttigieg Questions Defense Spending

Buttigieg also criticized a proposed increase of roughly $500 billion in defense spending, which he associated with what he called "endless wars." "If we can afford to do that, if we can afford tax breaks for the richest people in this country who are already doing just fine, don't tell me we can't afford to pay public employees, public school teachers, public school support staff an adequate wage," he said.

Debate Over Taxing Billionaires

Previously, investor Kevin O'Leary warned that higher taxes could drive wealthy Americans and entrepreneurs to lower-tax states or other countries. In August, former White House economic adviser Tomas Philipson warned that California's proposed 5% billionaire wealth tax could reduce overall tax revenue if wealthy residents left the state.

Earlier this year, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) criticized the tax system, saying billionaires paid lower tax rates than the average nurse. She and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) planned to reintroduce the Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act, which proposed a 3% annual tax on fortunes exceeding $50 million. An analysis estimated the bill could generate $6.2 trillion over a decade to fund child care, education and Medicare expansion without raising taxes on 99.85% of U.S. households.