Jerry Roberts’ recent opinion piece (“Short, Brutish and Cruel“) slighted Salud Carbajal for “pussyfooting with MAGA pals,” suggesting he stop reaching across the aisle and lean more left because he’s in a deep blue district. Has Roberts forgotten that Carbajal represents all residents in his district, not just those that voted for him? Has he forgotten that Santa Maria, not Santa Barbara, is the largest city in the 24th Congressional District and that North County is conservative? That Salud does not take for granted that the majority of voters in his district vote Democratic is a good thing and explains why it’s difficult for a Republican candidate to mount a winning campaign against him?
We need more legislators to reach across the aisle, not less. That’s what representative democracy is all about.