Dear Congressman Salud Carbajal 

The American people, your constituents, are suffering. We have all sat back and watched as all of you have made a mockery of this great country. As a nation, we waited months for you and your colleagues to pass legislation that was supposed to help the America that all of you claim to love so much while we learned the majority of funds went to other countries and to rehabilitate museums.

The same people who supposedly represent us in government fought to impeach a president days before he was no longer a president. This ridiculous waste of time shows the whole world what is important to all of you and your colleagues: yourselves and your self-interests. So please stop pretending that you are doing this for the American people. Stop using us as your pawns.

While you have been collecting a steady paycheck, as of writing this letter, my small business in Nipomo has not been able to be open for 199 days, even though the state of California licenses me in sanitation and I have 15 years of experience in sanitization. I operate a pristine work environment where I see one client at a time, yet I cannot work.

Still, thousands of people walk through the doors of Costco, Home Depot, and Lowe's every day while their cashiers have, most likely, never had a day of infectious disease training. Thousands of people walk shoulder to shoulder in these places while I am told I am not essential, my family is not essential, my career is not essential.

Mr. Carbajal, what is it that you do exactly? Why should my non-essential tax dollars go to pay your salary that you have been receiving the whole 199 days that my small business has been ordered closed in your district?

Now is your chance! Make this an opportunity to reach across the aisle and work together. Finally, put partisan politics aside, stop worrying about getting elected, and think about all the people who live in your district. Speak against bills that don't serve the American people, like the stimulus bill, and make your constituents know you did so. Speak up against big tech that is censoring us on the internet. Do things to unite us, not divide us.

Keri McMillan

Nipomo