Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 22, 1990 TAG: 9007220187
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: D-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARGIE FISHER RICHMOND BUREAU
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Long
Many, including dozens of women in town for an Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority convention, came just to get his autograph and have their picture taken with him.
Some came seeking state funding for a pet project. Some came to voice their concerns about illegal drugs and crime in their neighborhood streets.
A couple came to make political statements. A few who've run into trouble with the law came hoping for a gubernatorial pardon.
And many brought to him their personal problems and their frustrations in trying to cut through state, local and federal bureaucracies to get help.
For more than three hours, Wilder stood in the small conference room outside his private office and greeted, one by one, the 150 people who took him up on his invitation to come by and tell him what was on their minds.
The governor, whose charismatic personality is one of his trademarks, listened, smiled, joked, sympathized and gave assurances that their problems would get his attention.
As each visitor filed out, he would turn briefly to a member of his Cabinet or staff, nod and say "this one's for you . . . get on it . . . follow through" - before the next visitor filed in.
The occasion, the first in a series of "open house" meetings that Wilder plans to have with constituents, appeared to be a public relations triumph.
Earlier this week, Wilder's staff was not sure if anybody would show up for the event, scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon.
But by 9 a.m., people - most from the Richmond area - had lined up at a door of the Capitol. They were directed by Capitol police - who were doing security checks that the visitors hardly even noticed - to go to a ground-floor room where they could sign up to see the governor.
There, they were served lemonade and peanuts while they waited. If they wanted a written response, the visitors were asked to put their questions in writing, along with their names and addresses.
At noon, there were still a dozen or more people lined up outside the Capitol waiting to get in and many still waiting in the ground-floor room. Upstairs, the governor gave the word: The open house would continue another hour or so. He would see them all.
"He loves this stuff," said Laura Dillard, his press secretary.
There was also earlier concern that someone might try to embarrass the governor by asking about his personal life, his frequent out-of-state travels or other matters he has tried to avoid addressing. That didn't happen, though a couple of visitors let him know they've been following the news stories.
Ruth Raymond of Hesperia, Calif. - an old friend of Wilder's who is here for the AKA convention - came to get his autograph for her granddaughter. After they hugged and greeted each other, Raymond said she had heard Wilder was going to California again next week.
"Be quiet!" Wilder said, feigning horror as he motioned to the news reporters who were in the room. Then he roared with laughter.
He also laughed - as did reporters and his Cabinet secretaries - when a female employee of the Division of Motor Vehicles zinged him for not yet visiting DMV headquarters on Broad Street. The DMV could "set up a visit so you can get there in a helicopter," the woman said.
When Adeeb Hamzey, president of the Richmond chapter of the Arab-American Anti-discrimination Committee came in and complained about a speech the governor gave before the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee in Washington, Wilder handled the situation deftly. In that speech, Wilder said Jerusalem should be the undivided capital of Israel, a stance that has angered many Arab leaders.
He also stood his ground on abortion rights when a young man tried to bait him on that issue.
Wilder seemed genuinely concerned when a Richmond woman, accompanied by her three young children, came in seeking help in getting medical care. Because of her part-time job and the child support she receives, she said she is not eligible for the state's Medicaid program - even though her income is no greater than if she were receiving a welfare check through the Aid to Dependent Children program and food stamps.
He seemed equally concerned about problems he heard from others, among them:
A nurse who had been fired from the Medical College of Virginia Hospital. Through the grievance procedure, she had won her case for reinstatement with 10 months of back pay but still hasn't been called back to work and paid by the state.
A young man with a college degree who is working as a part-time grocery clerk because he is unable to find a full-time job.
Wilder was really in his element when his visitors were the very young and very old.
An 83-year old man, Albert A. Lomax of Richmond, came in to get Wilder's autograph for his wife of 55 years who is in a nursing home. Lomax said he knew Wilder's father and mother, both deceased. Wilder treated him like a long-lost friend.
When 8-year-old Broderick Dunn of Dale City was led in, Wilder let him sit in the governor's chair. "You can be sitting here one day," said the governor as he launched into a speech about all he hopes to do to improve the quality of life for all Virginians. "I'm going to be putting all that in writing and sending it to you," Wilder said.
The young boy, wearing a souvenir T-shirt from Wilder's inauguration, beamed when Wilder knelt down and said "Here, let me sign that shirt for you."
About midway through the open house, the flow of visitors was halted briefly while Wilder took a few questions from reporters and gave them his view as to what the morning had accomplished.
Though his visitors had offered a wide variety of reasons for coming to see him, he said they were subliminally asking him, "Can we communicate with you? Can we talk to you? Are you concerned? Will you listen? Will you follow through?" He said he wants people to understand that he is concerned about their problems and will do everything he possibly can to help them.
Mentioning the several young children who had been brought to see him, he said it was "a beautiful thing" that parents had brought them in so "they can participate in government" and see an open government that tries to respond to concerns.
"It's the best message we can make. They'll never forget it," he said.
Beyond the symbolism and the photo opportunities, the open house made a statement, Wilder said.
"I think it's a question of showing people that we care. This is what people really want" from government leaders, Wilder said. "What I wanted to do more than anything else is show the availability of this administration."
People "need an ear" and need to see that their governor will try to solve some of their problems, he added.
"They're not asking us to sound good and talk good; they're asking us to do good and that requires more than symbolism."
by CNB