In 1982, I fled Vietnam on a small boat, risking my life for the promise of freedom and a better future in America. By 1988, I was working as a clerk at a 7-Eleven, grateful for every opportunity this country had given me. Through hard work, long hours and relentless determination, I eventually became a 7-Eleven franchisee. Today, with my partner Kirk DiCicco, we operate four stores, employ nearly 50 people, most of whom have been with us for over a decade, and have a waiting list of people wanting to join our team. Our store managers have worked with us for over 20 years.

We’re not just a business; we’re a family. We donate to local nonprofits, sponsor school events, and give back to families in need during the holidays, whether it’s turkeys at Thanksgiving or gifts at Christmas. Yet despite all that, city and county leaders in Santa Cruz seem determined to destroy what we’ve built.

Right now, Santa Cruz city officials, along with leaders from Capitola, Watsonville and Scotts Valley, are pushing a misguided and harmful proposal to ban the sale of filtered tobacco products. They claim it’s to clean up litter and protect the beaches from cigarette butts. But let’s call this what it really is: a war against small businesses dressed up as environmental activism.

If the goal is truly to eliminate litter, then why not ban candy wrappers, chip bags, fast food containers, and the towels and umbrellas tourists leave strewn across our beaches? Why single out filtered cigarettes? The truth is this isn’t about trash. It’s about a growing trend of politicians targeting adult smokers and the small businesses that serve them, simply because they make for easy political wins.

Let’s be clear: this ban won’t stop people from smoking. It won’t even stop cigarette butt litter because most of it comes from tourists who don’t buy cigarettes from local tobacco retailers. You know what it will do? Drive local customers out of our stores and into the arms of the 480 retailers just outside the Santa Cruz County line who are still selling these products or worse, to unregulated online sellers who don’t check ID and don’t employ local people.

That means fewer customers at our stores, fewer sales of all products, not just cigarettes, and a direct hit to the revenue that supports our employees, their families, and yes, the very tax base the city relies on.

If Santa Cruz County and the cities want cleaner beaches, we can work together on that. Use cigarette tax revenue to hire staff to clean up litter — not just butts, but all trash. Or launch a campaign to educate visitors and provide more disposal stations.

But instead of working with us, city leaders are villainizing us. They dismiss the rights of adults to purchase a legal product. And they overlook the real source of most beach trash: tourists who bring their own cigarettes and food, then leave the mess behind.

It’s especially frustrating when you consider that Santa Cruz was one of the first cities in the U.S. to legalize marijuana sales. If they were truly worried about people’s health, why push one product while banning another? But where does it end? Are they going to ban alcohol next? Energy drinks? Chips?

As a veteran businesswoman who has seen terrible policies come and go, I can tell you this is a bad proposal. It’s bad for businesses, it’s bad for local jobs, and it won’t achieve the environmental goals the city claims to care about. If city officials want to reduce smoking, then let’s talk about harm reduction, like supporting access to smokeless nicotine products and e-cigarettes, which many people use to quit smoking.

Small businesses like ours are the backbone of this community. We’re not the enemy. We want clean beaches too. But it’s time for city leaders to stop playing politics and start listening to those of us who are on the front lines every day employing local people, paying local taxes,and serving local residents.

There are better ways to achieve your goals. We’re ready to work with you. The question is: are you willing to work with us?

Sherry Dang is an immigrant and resident of Santa Cruz County. She and her partner, Kirk DiCicco, operate four 7-Eleven franchise locations.