Radical review: Fairbanks school board member calls for ‘civility’ after he crashed opponent’s event and was escorted out

Fairbanks North Star School Board member Bobby Burgess, husband of radial leftist Kristen Schupp, shared a post on social media calling for civility and asked all elected officials to decry the “lack of decorum,” at recent Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly meetings.

He included a link to an article in the Fairbanks Daily News Miner, which discussed the lack of decorum at recent Assembly meetings that focused on a resolution that would have created mail-in elections in Fairbanks. 

The irony was deep.

This call for civility from Burgess comes after Aug. 6, when Burgess drove all the way to Two Rivers to an event held by Republican Rep. Frank Tomascewski, candidate for State House 34.

Burgess, a supporter of Tomascewski’s radical opponent, tried to goad Tomascewski and yelled loudly at the representative. Burgess eventually was escorted out of the venue by several attendees from Two Rivers. 

Around the same time Burgess was calling for civility, his wife, Kristen Schupp, posing as “Erin Kae” on social media, was stating that North Pole small businessman Keith Fons was a “dumbass.”  Fons had called out Schupp for name calling on social media through a pseudonym, “Erin Kae.”

Indeed, Schupp’s official voter record lists her as Kristen Erin Schupp.

Schupp repeatedly engages in name calling on social media. She also had crashed Republican women events and has tried to to disrupt meetings of the Republican women in Fairbanks. 

Schupp is a major contributor of thousands of dollars to the Senate campaign of Savannah Fletcher; so is Bobby Burgess.

If Burgess is interested in civility, the newspaper editorial that he cited had some advice that might fit. It’s behind the paywall, but here’s an excerpt:

“Elected officials, like anyone else, deserve a baseline level of respect. When public forums are dominated by hostility, fewer people are willing to step up and participate in civic life. Stop and ask yourself: If you were on the receiving end of endless emails telling you to be fruitful and to go multiply with oneself, would you run for public office? The public sphere has become a toxic battleground of insults and personal attacks, egged on by the anonymity of social media which only serves to inflate one’s ego.

“To be clear, this is not to say that elected officials should be immune from criticism. Holding public figures accountable is a vital aspect of a healthy electorate. There is a significant difference, however, between constructive criticism and hostile attacks that leave public officials fearing for their wellbeing. It is entirely possible to disagree with someone’s policies and decisions without resorting to demeaning behavior. The focus should be on engaging with ideas and actions, not attacking people personally.

“So, how can we express our frustrations and disagreements without descending into hostility? First, we need to cultivate a culture of respect and empathy in our discourse. This means recognizing that behind every policy and political stance is a person with their own experiences, beliefs and motivations. Before launching an attack, consider whether your criticism addresses the issue at hand or if it’s merely a personal attack in disguise.

“Second, we should encourage open dialogue and debate grounded in facts and reason. Constructive criticism can be powerful when it’s focused on policy rather than personality. This approach opens the door for discussion and compromise — things that make good government work.

“Lastly, lead by example, both in public and private spheres. This means fostering environments where different perspectives can be expressed respectfully. It means encouraging others, especially younger generations, to engage in civic life with a mindset of collaboration rather than confrontation.”

The editorial cited statements made by Fons, who was not at the meetings involving the question of mail-in voting, referenced by the newspaper.

An example of the type of post that Fons has made on social media critical of Burgess and Schupp:

While some people, such as David Leslie, live tweet assembly meetings on the left in a ribald fashion, Fons sometimes does so on Facebook from a conservative lens. No one, including the newspaper, appears to want to censor Leslie. Fons, however, lives in the heads of the Left, rent free.

Members the North Pole community have expressed outrage at how some members of the Assembly treat conservative testifiers. For instance, Some Assembly members continue reading their phones during testimony or get combative and attempt to argue or belittle the members of the public, some of whom drive 45 minutes to attend meetings. This is similar to how Anchorage Assembly Chairman Chris Constant treats members of the public with whom he disagrees.