Divide is Deep Between Loma Linda and Redlands Tea Party, Occupy

The Nov. 17 Redlands Market Night could have been billed as a tale of two movements.

On the west end of State Street were the Redlands Tea Party Patriots in the booth they have had for some time. Their table lined with information and brochures.

Several feet away, newcomers Occupy Redlands set up their EZ Up. Members stood in front of their table handing out pamphlets.

Both groups spent the evening spreading their message. With the rise of the Occupy, a movement that has gained traction in Redlands, some have started to compare those messages and suggest a possible teaming of the organization.

There are definite similarities as well as differences, representatives with the groups said Thursday night. But just how deep the differences are between them depends on whom you ask.

“I think they want bigger government, more government regulations, and government taking care of them from cradle to grave,” Tea Party member Dawn Verkaik, said of the Occupiers.

“We would like for the government to back to what the constitution says and what government roles should be,” Verkaik said. “And of course we believe in fiscal responsibility. In my household I can’t spend more than what I take in. And that’s really what we would like for the government to do. We need to cut spending. We don’t have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem.”

And Occupy’s message?

The list is lengthy throughout the entire movement. Redlands Occupiers are primarily focused on getting corporate money out of politics and elections.

“If you want to take away some core messages, let’s start with taking money out of politics,” said Kent Marten, an Occupy Redlands committee member. “I ask (people), do you agree or not? And they say, well yeah, that seems right. And I say it’s not just the money, it’s the special interests, the ones providing that money whether it’s a corporation, whether it’s a union, whether it’s a lobbyist representing an agency representing something else. Those aren’t people. That is the greed and influence that has filtered its way into these politicians and lobbyists help write legislation and politicians sign it.”

Marten said the groups had a lot in common and was pleased when a member of the Patriots stopped by their booth.

“We talked about getting money out of politics and we talked about fiscal responsibility,” Marten said. “These are values we believe in. There’s absolutely overlap between the two groups.”

“I can see why some people feel there are similarities,” Verkaik said. “And maybe this group is not being violent like you see in New York and Oakland. That is just uncalled for. But I just don’t understand the mentality of them occupying parks in a city. Now what if they start setting up camp here in Ed Hales Park? You know the City of Redlands just spent $500,000 redoing (the park). What if Occupy Redlands just said, ‘You know what we’re going to Occupy Ed Hales Park and sets up a tent?’ I mean there is a rule in Redlands that they can’t have overnight sleeping, setting up tents.”

Though Occupy Redlands may not show interest in camping, Verkaik said the violence they have seen from other camps, including Occpuy Riverside, gives them pause. Several Riverside protestors were arrested earlier this month for refusing to take down a service table set up on Main Street. How can protestors break the rules then scream police brutality, she asked.

“The police were just doing what we taxpayers pay them to do,” Verkaik said. “There have to be laws or there would be chaos.”

“That’s exactly what they want to do to overthrow the system, overload the system,” she said.

Occupy Redlands members say they cannot speak for other groups, but they have released a statement condemning violence. And they have had to dispel the image created by the fringe members of the movement.

“People walk by and they say, 'Well I was watching the news today and it’s just a bunch of anarchists burning down New York City,' ” Marten said.

“Well that’s just not the full story. It’s not even an accurate version of it,” he said. “If you come out here, you’re going to find out, one, that we’re not anarchists and two, we’re not like hippies … although we’re very inclusive, so if hippies wanted to be here, come on down. If homeless people wanted to be here, come on down. These are people who have been left our by society in some way right?”