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Chasten Buttigieg on stage with Seattle Times reporter Naomi Ishisaka talking about his recent young adult book, I have something to tell you.

By Connor Nash

Last week husbands Pete and Chasten Buttigieg had vastly different experiences and reactions when speaking with reporters. Secretary of Transportation Pete talked with Wired magazine talked about a wide variety of topics including neoliberalism, beer, and Tucker Carlson, among other topics. A topic of conversation that was lacking was what he does as Secretary of Transportation.

Even the questions that were “transportation” focused were just a cover for the reporter, Virginia Hefferman, to talk about the culture war.

“And yet EVs unaccountably fall on the femme side of the ledger, like Impossible burgers,” said Hefferman. Or “People like infrastructure, I guess. Even Marjorie Taylor Greene isn’t pro-pothole.”

Or my favorite, “Running DOT seems to suit you. Are there more ways the challenges of transportation speak to your spiritual side?”

Hefferman came away from the interview believing that Pete doesn’t put much mental energy into his job which focuses on the nation’s transportation infrastructure.

“I slowly became aware that his cabinet job requires only a modest portion of his cognitive powers. Other mental facilities, no kidding, are apportioned to the Iliad, Puritan historiography, and Knausgaard’s Spring—though not in the original Norwegian (slacker).”

While Pete was being lambasted by the media and Twitter users, his husband Chasten was promoting his new young adult book, I have something to tell you, based on his first memoir. Both books talk about Chasten’s life growing up in Northern Michigan and his struggles of growing up gay in a conservative area.

In his first memoir, released during the 2020 presidential election, Chasten talks about his time going in and out of the closet, his time experiences with homelessness, being crushed under student loans, and his time struggling as a college graduate with a teaching degree.

The first book reads like a memoir you’d expect from a politician planning to run for office and talks about his own policy beliefs through his lived experience. Higher education reform, student loan reform, greater funding for public education, healthcare, and insurance reform. All topics that drive Democratic and liberal voters to the ballot box are wrapped up in a story that connects strongly with those voters.

Meanwhile, his young adult book is released at a time that is challenging the political tides. The May 2023 release of a gay-centric young adult novel. Pen America found that in the first half of the 2022-23 school year, there were 1,477 instances of book bannings happening across the nation. The organization found that 26% of those bannings were on books that had LGBTQ themes or characters.

Chasten addresses book bannings during the event, saying that many people on the other side are not discussing the topic in good faith. “Nobody has a problem with Romero and Juliet but people are up in arms about gay penguins… too many people want to jump into the culture war and not put in the work,” said Chasten.

He then pivoted to a reliable Democratic talking point on gun control being the best way to protect children. Although the point has been used over and over again with liberal talking heads, when Chasten made the point there was a level of authenticity lacking in today’s politics. Probably due to his experience as a middle school English/drama teacher before the move to his role in politics.

His past work as a teacher also helped him write his memoir into a book for young adults. “I taught 8th grade, this book is age appropriate.” the audience cheered and laughed in agreement.

The moment that solidified my belief that Chasten should be the political face of the Buttigieg household was during the Q&A when an older woman asked a question representative of the changing times. The woman tripped over her words at times but talked about how a family member of hers is so knowledgeable of gender identity and language.

The woman even messed up their family member’s preferred pronouns but she quickly corrected herself. Essentially the woman wanted to understand more about this family member’s journey and asked in a way you would expect from a Boomer that grew up in a different time.

Chasten could have chastised the woman when she referred to her family member as “transexual” or said that “LGBTQ people don’t need to educate the cis straights.” Instead, he rewarded the woman’s curiosity and bravery for asking a hot topic in front of a Seattle crowd.

He talked about how it’s a good thing to learn about these things, especially since the times are changing. That there may be uncomfortable moments, but those are just learning moments that everyone can grow from. Finally, he said, “It’s easier to go through life when you don’t have to defend yourself,” addressing why her family member is so knowledgeable on the concepts of gender identity.

Chasten can make a room feel not only heard and understood but that he cares about their lives. Maybe it’s the years of drama school, or that he is a new father, but his message of empathy and compassion feels real, and it comes from a genuine place.

The problem is that Chasten does not believe he has what it takes to be in a position of political power. He is confused why people would come out to listen to him talk about his book, how could he be comfortable with people actively voting for him for any office? Chasten does not have that narcissistic drive that every politician has, which is exactly why he should be in elected office.

Chasten’s message of kindness and empathy is a breath of fresh air in these times, especially when he says, “There are so many good people in this country but you don’t hear about them on the news.” The polar opposite of “basket of deplorables” or “American carnage.”

This is why I am “Chasten Buttigieg for any Elected Office.”

With temporary retention pay incentives from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law running out in 4 months, the firefighter fiscal cliff is looming

United States – The already active 2023 wildfire season is underway as the most concerning summer months approach. After early spring fires in the New Jersey Pine Barrens and Wisconsin, record-breaking temperatures are scorching the Pacific Northwest and melting the California snowpack, while evacuation orders for the Las Tusas Fire in New Mexico are just being lifted. Federal wildland firefighters are busy: training new hires, traveling to battle blazes in Alberta, Canada, and defending communities across the Southwest. Meanwhile, the future of their profession is at stake.

Last week, Senator Michael Bennet and Representative Joe Neguse, both of Colorado, introduced bicameral legislation to overhaul federal wildland firefighter pay and benefits. The Tim Hart Wildland Firefighter Pay Parity and Classification Act (Tim’s Act) is named in honor of Tim Hart, a Wyoming smokejumper who lost his life after parachuting into a New Mexico wildfire in 2021. The legislation overhauls federal wildland firefighter pay and benefits to support recruitment, retention, and firefighters’ well-being.

As climate change fuels larger, more destructive, and more frequent wildfires across the nation, wildland firefighters are increasingly overworked and put at risk; their families and mental health suffer as a consequence. Yet despite their critical role in protecting lands and communities, federal firefighters have not received adequate compensation or benefits for decades. Tim’s Act will build a robust, resilient workforce by ensuring wildland firefighters are compensated fairly.  

“We owe so much more to our nation’s wildland firefighters,” said Michelle Hart, widow of Tim Hart and firefighter pay advocate. “Named in Tim’s honor, this bill will address the challenges that have plagued this workforce for decades.”

Specifically, Tim’s Act would: 

·       Significantly increase base pay by establishing special pay rates at all grade levels and ensuring that all federal wildland firefighters earn at least $20 an hour

·       Pay wildland firefighters for all hours they are mobilized to fight a fire by creating a new form of premium pay, “incident standby premium pay”

·       Provide rest and recuperation leave following work on wildland fires

·       Create a national database to track chronic disease caused by on-the-job environmental exposure; develop recommendations to minimize exposure

·       Launch new mental health programs and provide 7 days of annual mental health leave for all firefighters

·       Allow firefighters to credit temporary years of service to retirement; include premium pay in the calculation of retirement pay

·       Provide housing stipends for all firefighters on duty more than 50 miles from their primary residence

·       Provide tuition assistance for all permanent federal employees in the wildland firefighter classification

·       Allow firefighters who are not eligible for the Family and Medical Leave Act unpaid leave to care for family members with serious health conditions

As Lucas Mayfield, President of the Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, says: “Tim’s Act is the holistic solution to workforce reform – addressing pay, benefits, housing and comprehensive well-being. We are grateful to Congressman Neguse and Senator Bennet. A senate companion bill to Tim’s act is a momentous move forward in seeing Tim’s Act become law.” 

In 2021, President Biden enacted elements of Tim’s Act through the implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which created a new classification series specifically for wildland firefighters, temporarily increased pay, and established new support systems for firefighters through mental health services. Additional provisions, such as presumptive health coverage and ensuring that federal firefighters qualify for full retirement benefits if they are injured on the job, were also signed into law by President Biden in 2022. 

While the new occupational series and temporary pay raises are a significant step forward, Bennet and Neguse and the Grassroots Wildland Firefighters believe Congress must provide federal firefighters with a permanent increase in wages while also ensuring that federal benefits are closer to parity with those received by state, county, and municipal firefighters. The temporary pay raises run out in September, and wildland firefighters across the nation are wondering what if anything will replace them.

“These dedicated women and men are on the frontlines of the climate crisis and show up every time to defend our public lands, communities, and businesses,” says Riva Duncan, Vice President of the Grassroots Wildland Firefighters. “The American people deserve a federal wildland fire workforce that is appropriately compensated and cared for. Tim’s Act does just that.”