A group that has organized weekly Monday rallies outside Rep. Ben Cline's downtown Roanoke office is trying a new tactic to get the Republican congressman's attention.
Roanoke Social Circle has organized gatherings at the intersection of Jefferson Street and Franklin Road for the past 26 Mondays, said founder Richard "Doc" Gooding.
The 27th rally, beginning Monday at noon, will feature something bigger and different: The unveiling of a billboard that roundly criticizes the congressman.
Gooding, a semi-retired business management professor and consultant who moved here from Arizona three years ago, described the signage "a report card" on Cline. It features a lot of oversized bright red Fs, he added.
Members of an affiliated group, Do Good Virginia, are paying to rent the space from Lamar Advertising Company.
Dina Imbriani, founder of Do Good Virginia, said the cost was $2,500. But the space was available only for a month. After that, another advertiser will have the space for a year, she said.
Cline "won't listen to the community," Imbriani said. "He just listens to (President Donald) Trump. He's just voting the party line. Half his constituents - at least - he's totally ignoring."
The sign in question fronts the west side of Jefferson Street and hangs over a parking lot entrance between buildings housing Ursula's Cafe and Budd & Co., an accounting firm. In that respect it presents an unusual amount of visibility to passersby.
Right now it advertises Jewell's Fine Jewelry, a store in the Tanglewood area.
The new sign will contain a photo of Cline and 18 words total, including "Paid for by DoGood Virginia."
Among other allegations, it'll claim Cline "Favors billionaires" while "Failing constituents" and that the congressman is "Fiscally irresponsible."
Thursday, I sought comment from Cline and his staff, but that exercise didn't go swell.
I forwarded the email announcing the event to Jenna Keurian, who since May has been the designated "press assistant" in Cline's Washington office, in the wake of former spokeswoman Maggie Clemmons' resignation.
There was no response - which was typical. But subsequent events hinted that the congressman's office might be experiencing more than its normal share of turmoil.
For example, Friday morning, when I forwarded the actual press release to Keurian's email (rather than merely the email to which it was attached, which was sent Thursday), the result was an immediate bounce-back email that read:
"I am currently out of the office until Tuesday, December 31th. If you have an urgent concern, please call our office at (202) 225-5431."
I called Cline's Roanoke office instead. The woman who answered the phone told me Cline's new spokesperson is a man named "Zack," although she didn't know his last name, and she seemed less than certain about the spelling of his first name.
Next, I called Cline's office on Capitol Hill, at the number in Keurian's email. That call was answered by a woman named Rebecca in Cline's Winchester district office. She explained everyone in the Washington office was "in a meeting" and they had forwarded their phones to Winchester.
It was unclear whether they were meeting about the anti-Cline "report card" billboard that's about to be unveiled in downtown Roanoke, with a bunch of bright red Fs.
Anyway, Rebecca didn't know the name of Cline's new spokesman either, but she offered to take my name and contact information. So I gave her my cell phone number and asked her to have someone call.
As usual, nobody did. (Roanoke rallyers aren't the only ones who can't get Cline's attention.)
Gooding, 80, is a former Arizona State University professor who moved here three years ago and still performs business consulting. He lives in the Hidden Valley area.
He said he formed Roanoke Social Circle with the premise that "the reason we're so divided these days is that all the social structures that once held us together have faded in our time."
He was talking about churches, fraternal clubs and other social networks whose importance has winnowed as technology has replaced many in-person activities that forced people to get to know each other. Roanoke Social Circle is trying to help replace those social structures.
Anyone can join its website by entering their email address, but the group doesn't have a large formal structure. It networks with individuals and groups.
Gooding estimates RSC has "touched" about 800 people, and that 500 of them have been repeat visitors to the weekly rallies. On Facebook the group has 350 followers.
"We need to rebuild a social structure of like-minded people," to replace the ones that have faded, Gooding told me. Sponsoring the weekly gatherings outside Cline's office is helping that goal, he added.
"We call them rallies rather than protests," Gooding said. "Part of the reason they come is, they don't like what's going on, but part of it is, they like the connection they've built with other members."
Do Good Virginia is a group with about 500 members that's allied with other nonprofits, such as Huddle Up Moms; LEAP (Local Environmental Agriculture Project); and Blue Ridge Literacy.
Do Good advocates for veterans, seniors, women, immigrants and refugees, LGBTQ individuals, and Virginians experiencing hunger or recovering from substance abuse.
Imbriani, 60, said the rallygoers outside Cline's office for the past six months want to meet with the congressman. They want him to understand what they're going through.
"So many people are fighting for survival and basic needs," she said. "Cline's votes take away their chance."
"Where's the empathy for his constituents?" Imbriani asked. "We want him to answer the questions, 'Why are you voting this way?' and 'Why are you ignoring your constituents?'"
She added: "This isn't just about politics. It's about civic responsibility. We believe public servants should face their constituents - not avoid them."
Dan Casey
(540) 981-3423
@dancaseysblog
Anti-Cline billboard unveiling
* What: Members of Roanoke Social Circle and Do Good Virginia will unveil a billboard critical of Republican Rep. Ben Cline.
* When: Monday, Aug. 25, noon.
* Where: Corner of Jefferson Street and Franklin Road.
* Who: The public is invited.
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