Occupiers Keep Pushing for Meeting with Rep. Lewis

Angela Bartlett was frustrated and tired of hearing the same thing, she said.

Shortly after stepping out of Rep. Jerry Lewis’ Redlands office, about 14 Occupy Redlands protesters, including Bartlett, felt they were no closer to getting their questions answered and no closer to meeting the congressman.

“Given that we are his constituents, I’m hoping that we can find a time to meet,” Bartlett said. “We’ve been very reasonable and flexible. But there’s still no response.”

On Tuesday, Occupiers packed into the congressman’s small office with protest signs and a message that they want to meet with the representative. Tuesday was one in a series of attempts.

Protesters brought in a list of complaints to Lewis office staffers. Numerous letters, emails and phone calls with requests to meet with the representative have gone unanswered, they said.

Each time any of them have called, they are referred to Lewis’ scheduler, Occupy members said. Several calls have been made to that scheduler and still they have gotten nowhere, members said.

The Lewis staffer told the group that any letters at the office with contact information were forwarded to Lewis’ DC staff via Fedex. She also apologized that so many had not gotten a response.

“I’m sorry you didn’t receive a response, but we usually have a week turnaround (to constituent mail) either the congressman himself or staff gets a response and sends it to you,” she explained.

She accepted several letters and let the protesters they would be sent directly to the congreessman and his staff in Washington D.C.

Occupiers were in the office 10 to 15 minutes. They walked out dissatisfied, many said.

“She’s sweet,” said Raquel Brack, of Redlands of the Redlands staffer after leaving the office, “but she says one thing and the folks (in Washington D.C.) do something else.”