It was one of those debate moments that is taboo to decry. Teachers are treated with the same reverence in Democratic circles as law enforcement officers are treated in Republican circles. Both play major roles in how our country operates. Both deserve a ton of respect.
It’s not politically correct to say this, but I’m not very PC: Neither teachers nor law enforcement officers deserve to paid as much as doctors. It’s not that they’re less important. They’re simply less skilled. It’s hard to become a teacher, but by no means is it in the same league as the challenges that must be met to become a doctor.
Getting into medical school is more difficult. The degrees necessary to become a doctor are harder to acquire. The educational costs are much higher for doctors than teachers. Lastly, fewer people are capable of being good doctors than good teachers.
This is why Pete Buttigieg’s proud proclamation during last night’s Democratic debate is so asinine:
We've got to respect teachers the way we do soldiers and pay them like we do doctors. #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/lLDiYJn6KX
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) September 13, 2019
This is a very popular message to commit to during the Democratic primaries. Most teachers are Democrats and the various teachers’ unions offer endorsements that are highly sought by Democratic candidates. The South Bend Mayor is gunning for these endorsements as his campaign seems to have stalled in the last two months.
Teachers average somewhere around $60,000 per year. Doctors range widely depending on their specialty with salaries generally ranging from $80,000 to $250,000 per year. This is fair when considering all the factors in both professions. But Mayor Pete invoked how other counties treat doctors and teachers, noting how in some countries the salaries are more comparable. What he didn’t note is that healthcare in many of these countries is sorely lacking and the education systems often pay teachers more because they’re more difficult to find.
In America, we do not have a teacher shortage. We do, however, have a looming medical crisis when it comes to doctors and other medical professionals due in large part to Obamacare. Whatever healthcare plan is proposed by the eventual nominee, ranging from Joe Biden’s abysmal Obamacare 2.0 to Bernie Sanders’s Medicare-for-All, the result will be an exodus from the medical profession as salaries will invariably drop.
Pete Buttigieg desperately needs a rejuvenation in his floundering campaign. His pandering to teachers is disingenuous, but lying to teachers may be his only hope of making the impact he did at his campaign’s earlier stages.
We are currently forming the American Conservative Movement. If you are interested in learning more, we will be sending out information in a few weeks.
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