By Duncan Baumgarten Part 2 of 3 The mayor’s office was sheltered behind glass, with trinkets and memories lining the walls. Fluorescent lights and carpet made the room feel soft, even inviting. “I don’t like to be called the mayor,” said city mayor Jim Matherly, “I like to be called their mayor.” “I want to be seen as an involved, approachable mayor.” On November 8, I went downtown to City Hall, to discuss the political climate of Fairbanks with city mayor Jim Matherly. Since 2017, there have been a handful of political rallies, protests, and demonstrations, most recently in support of Youth v. Gov, the landmark court case intent to sue the US government for knowingly polluting the environment. I asked Matherly about the political awareness of the Fairbanks community, on a scale of one to ten. “I’d say it’s about an eight, between high schools, young adults, and guys my own age.” he stressed that most issues have a political component, and that politics is “much more than just running and serving”. Matherly wasn’t aware of Juliana v. United States, but when I asked for his take on the process of political activism, he showed his admiration. “Protesting is fantastic,” said Matherly. “If you want to get a point across, putting together a march or a rally, is a great idea, because sometimes, that’s the only voice that you have.” However, having grown up in Fairbanks, with his youth in the 1970s, Matherly didn’t notice much political demonstration, in part because of the speed of the news cycle. “The internet causes a lot of anxiety,” he said, noting the irony of the claim that “we love the technology we have, but we yearn for a simpler time”, a time of youth. “It’s a flippin’ firehouse,” he laughed, speaking of the seemingly endless and uncontrollable stream of information in the 21st century. “You can watch any leader speak at any time 24 hours a day. There’s a lot more information than there ever was, at your fingertips, and I think that fuels a lot of protest.” I asked Matherly what the most dire issue was for Alaska. He didn’t hesitate in mentioning the drug crisis. “If we don’t get a handle on these opioids, it’s going to destroy us. It doesn’t discriminate. I always say, people discriminate. Drugs do not. It’s color blind. It’s a people issue.”
In a recent forum at West Valley, candidates for State House of Representatives considered the rehabilitation system in place, and its possible revision When I mentioned it, Matherly was strongly in support. “It’s gotta be fixed,” he said, noting how variable and widespread the crisis was. “They have to revamp them for the state.” Although he has a deep love and admiration for the state, he couldn’t deny that “Alaska leads the country in some not-so good things,” including drugs and suicide. The recent midterm elections, and the current state political climate, has implied an interest in political independence, with proclaimed independent Alyse Galvin making a bid for US House of Representatives, and the most recent governor, Bill Walker, to name a few. I wondered if there was a movement away from the right-left spectrum, and towards a more centrist view, for Alaskan politics. “Absolutely. Quit digging your heels in,” he exclaimed, giving an analogy of two circles on far sides. “If you can’t come together on this much common ground,” he overlapped the edges of the circles, “nothing’s going to get done.” However, he made it clear that there were partisan, and nonpartisan issues. To be successful, said the mayor, “you have to be a blend” of parties. “The drug issue should not be partisan.” With a national climate of conflict between police and political demonstrators, Fairbanks seems to be an outlier, with an absence of headbutting between the two groups. Matherly said that the relationship between law and protesters in the Golden Heart city was “healthy overall”, noting a demonstration a few feet away from city hall, in Veteran’s Park. “The police didn’t need to go over,” he said. “As long as people are doing it the right way,” says Matherly, there should be no problem, the “right way” being no damage to property, and no trespassing. According to the ACLU, a permit is not required for a protest, unless the demonstration involves “a march or parade that does not stay on the sidewalk”, or protests in certain public areas, like plazas. As long as protestors stay on sidewalks, and obey traffic and pedestrian laws, there should be no explicit need for a permit. “If it’s a peaceful protest, you’re set,” summarized Matherly. I mentioned how significant it was for Fairbanks to be such a progressive city, in a blood red state. Matherly agreed, and commended the town on its civility, mentioning the recent election of two transgender women to community political office, namely Liz Lyke and Katherine Otterson. “Racism and sexism, it’s gone too far,” he said, “I don’t care who you are...you can run for office, you can be whatever you want in this country. It shouldn’t make a difference. If you’re elected, come serve.” “Fairbanks is an island, and it’s a hidden gem.” He commented on the diversity of the town, with a strong Spanish, Russian, Asian, African American, and even Yugoslavian community. The influence of the LGBTQ+ community also impressed Matherly. “I’ve learned so much about the LGTBQ community that amazes me,” said Matherly, “it’s just so cool.” Matherly was proud of the melting pot effect on the community, and its ability to “provide wonderful candidates”. I asked Matherly about what Fairbanks residents should know about local government. What sort of change can be brought about in a city of 99,000 residents? How effective can a local government really be? “Local government”, he said, “is sudden impact. I could do something today, that would impact everybody next week. If Trump did it, it might take weeks to get up here.” When I asked him for an example, he mentioned last winter’s back up with snow plowing. His office, behind glass, was an intentional choice to promote comfort for residents to come and speak. “I’ll talk to anybody. I love talking to people. I love having people just walk up. If it’s not city related, I’ll still talk about it.” His belief in local government being fueled and run by the people returned to activism. “Get up and investigate, do a rally, come speak to a [city] councilor, run for office.” Matherly shares the title of mayor with recent-elect Bryce Ward, the mayor for the Fairbanks North Star Borough. The somewhat confusing distinction between city and borough didn’t seem to deter Matherly. When someone enters the city, he said,“I’m your mayor”. The night before the interview, a bar shooting in California claimed the lives of twelve people. On October 27, the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh fell victim to a similar act of violence, resulting in the death of eleven worshipers. Last year, during the Unite the Right rally, one counter-protester was killed. To close the interview, I asked if Fairbanks citizens should be concerned for their own safety. Are protesters safe in Fairbanks? Matherly stressed that “right now, in Fairbanks, you’re safe.”
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