Group Rallies for Debt Ceiling Solution

Fed up with the lack of progress in negotiations over the national debt ceiling, about 40 members of MoveOn.org showed up for a hastily arranged demonstration outside of Rep. Jerry Lewis' Redlands office Tuesday.

Part of a nationwide call to action by the progressive political group, in conjunction with the American Dream Movement, local members rallied on the corner of Brookside and San Mateo before delivering their own personal messages to the office.

"We wanted to tell Representative Lewis that we're very concerned about the direction that these debt ceiling talks have taken," said Zoe Lane, the local MoveOn council coordinator. "Particularly with the Republicans, basically blocking anything that protects tax breaks for millionaires, billionaires and corporations. And the mandate that the middle class, poor and elderly all pick up the tab for these tax breaks that they've given over the years that have cost trillions of dollars."

The timing of Tuesday's event was coincidental to Presdient Obama's speech Monday night updating the nation about the negotiations and calling for action.

"On Friday after the debt talked broke down, MoveOn sent out a rapid response request immediately saying we need to do something, this is becoming a real crisis and you need to have a national action on Tuesday," Lane said during a phone interview. "At least stop by the office and leave a note and just encourage the representative whether they were Democrat or Republican to just encourage them.

"So last night when the President was speaking, and he (called for citizen action), we thought oh great, we might even get some extra people out of this."

Rep. Lewis said in May that he would not be able to back any further increases to the debt ceiling without budget cuts.

"Congress certainly has a responsibility to ensure that the United States will pay its debts and meet its obligations, now and in the future – but we have an equal responsibility to reducing that debt rather than simply agreeing to increase it indefinitely," Lewis said in a May statement. "I cannot in good conscience vote to increase the federal debt limit without demanding spending reductions at the same time."

A potential vote on a plan submitted by Speaker of the House Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) hit a snag Tuesday from Tea Party members of the Republican party according to news reports.

Redlands also has a very active chapter of the Tea Party Patriots. A poll on their website is overwhemingly against the raising of the debt ceiling, and the group opposes any tax increases.

The local MoveOn council is relatively new in Redlands. Lane started gathering support over the last few weeks.

"People just don't know that this area does have a lot of progressives and liberals," she said.