Fairbanksan Josh Church, a right-wing candidate chosen by Republican gubernatorial candidate Dave Bronson as a running mate, is making wild and unsubstantiated claims about “liberals” damaging Bronson/Church campaign signs.

And it’s not just liberal boogeymen in Fairbanks who are the problem. The menacing marauders have been trained by teachers in public schools to disrespect private property, envy people with wealth and lash out at those who don’t agree with them, according to the light guv hopeful.

Now it’s possible that the thieves are no more politically aware than a bag of sand. And nincompoops come in all political persuasions.

But even if the vandalism is the work of partisan dopes, there is no justification for Church’s broad swipe at the character of all those who don’t share his opinions.

With no proof, Church can say anything he wants and it suits his political purposes to lash out and claim to be a victim of a crime-loving liberal mob in a black-and-white world.

While complaining about missing sandbags, Church also took time on social media to insinuate that former Sen. Click Bishop, a GOP candidate for governor, is not in favor of building Alaska, but is with those who are opposed to the gas pipeline.

Church and his brother, contractor Seth Church, a UA regent who has already abandoned his campaign to run for state House against Rep. Will Stapp, are key figures in the the “Build the Line!” propaganda campaign, claiming that legislators who ask too many questions and demand answers are anti-pipeline.

“I can’t help but think the state is divided between those who are builders and those who are tearing it down or standing on the sidelines. There’s a lot of Click Bishop signs all around this town and I just wish he was using his position, his experience and his leadership to argue in favor of the gas line,” Church said in a Facebook video.

“Driving around Fairbanks, seeing all the signs that aren’t broken and damaged, Click’s got a lot of support. I hope they’ll use it to defend the people of Alaska and advocate for a gas line,” said Church.

Church is wrong on this.

No one running for governor is more in favor of a gas pipeline and energy development than Click Bishop, who has a long record as a leader in construction and government. To claim otherwise is absurd.

I learned about Church’s video from Andrew Halcro’s podcast, on which he took issue with Church’s cheap shot against Bishop.

“Maybe Josh Church didn’t mean to suggest that Click Bishop’s supporters had anything to do with it, but politics is not what you say, it’s what your audience is invited to conclude. And the visual message was pretty hard to miss. My sign is damaged. His signs are fine. You do the math,” Halcro said.

Church is sandbagging the public.

“I just finished up a couple hundred dollars worth of sandbags. I thank the liberals for the workout,” Church said in another social media rant.

“This is the reason why elections matter, who you put in matters. We’ve had thousands of dollars in damages in signs, sandbags getting slashed with knives, getting stolen,” he said.

So elect Church and no one will steal sandbags? That’s the message?

“The cops have been looking for people. They’ve found signs in dumpsters, just thousands of dollars of damage. And it’s really because liberals can’t win the argument intellectually. So they teach people in schools and all the way up to be envious and to lash out. They teach people no respect for private property. There’s a lack of values in our society. And we need to take a stand. We need to get good people back into teaching at schools. We need to get people that are wise and honest as administrators. Every level of government we need to fight back and push for values and integrity,” Church said.

I have written before that in years past Church has attacked public education as a failing institution, claimed that radical change is needed to improve schools, and that “the only way we are going to have true parents’ rights is to change the constitution and support a voucher system for school choice.”

When I wrote in 2024 about Church’s extreme views on public education and politics, he responded that I had quoted him out of context.

I did not quote his words out of context.

“Support candidates for school board who demand radical changes to the operations and curriculum of these failing institutions,” he wrote on July 31, 2023 on the Make Alaska Great Again Facebook page.

In September 2023, he wrote that the only area in which the Fairbanks school board succeeded was the dissemination of “anti-faith and anti-family propaganda.”

“The schools these days are a dangerous place to send your kids,” Church claimed, referring to Fairbanks public schools.

“We need to change this. Not everyone can homeschool their kids, and while anyone who can, should, we still need to fix the schools for those who can’t,” wrote Church.

“As a state we regularly come in within one or two points of being the 50th worst academically performing state. This is wholly our fault as a community. We can’t blame this on Commiefornia or Bidenomics. We are to blame for not electing people of moral courage to ensure our kids are learning good values and a quality education,” Church wrote for the right-wing Alaska Watchman.

“Believe it or not they are learning something at school all day. It may not be how to read but they are learning something. It may be a disdain for your country and culture,” he said.

I don’t believe that kids are learning a “disdain” for our country and culture in public schools. I also don’t believe they are being taught to steal sandbags.

I believe that Click Bishop is in favor of a gas pipeline and that the Bronson/Church ticket won’t get far with this underhanded tactic.

Your contributions help support independent analysis and political commentary by Alaska reporter and author Dermot Cole. Thank you for reading and for your support. Either click here to use PayPal or send checks to: Dermot Cole, Box 10673, Fairbanks, AK 99710-067

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