19
Susana Barrios
From:Kevin Hardy <taxfighter2011@gmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, August
To:Public Comment
Subject:\[EXTERNAL\] Consent Calendar item #19
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Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council,
I read through your agenda as I usually do and finally found something that truly bothered me.
I was just shocked that in a City that I keep hearing over and over again from the elected office holders that $25 has to
be established because everybody needs a living wage. Yet, here are you very quietly doing just the opposite!
In addition, I actually have 2 stories about my interaction with the Anaheim Park Rangers.
Back in December, at Boysen Park I was with my 2 daughters when 3 large stray dogs came after us and my daughters
ran up hide and clinging to a fence as the dogs jumped and tried to bite them. I was able to jump into the baseball dug
out. I called the police and they arrived pretty quickly but did nothing and advised they were waiting for animal
control. Shortly after the police arrival and really big guy with the Park Rangers showed up and he saw what was going
on and talked to the police officers, while I don't know what was said specifically I could tell the Ranger wasn't happy.
My daughters were screaming and having trouble holding on to the fence. The Ranger, then got a broom out of his truck
and tied a big trash bag to it, and then proceeded to go to my daughters with the dogs coming at him. He used a broom
and bag to create an item for the dogs to be interested and then he very calmly got each of my daughters down and
carried them on over his shoulder to safety with me in the dugout. All the time the dogs were aggressive and the cops
wouldn't do anything.
This Park Ranger was brave when the police weren't.
Once my 2 daughters were safe with me, the Park Ranger then sat on a bench with my girls and talked with them very
calmly and even sang a song with them as they started to giggle.
My second story is how these Park Rangers are again on the front line of dealing with all the things you as City Council
people never will understand like the homeless, drug users, and gang members.
I was at Edison Park with a couple of friends and over the bathrooms, there was some type of activity so we ran over to
see what was happening and we saw 2 Park Rangers doing CPR on a homeless guy that apparently had been using drugs
and overdosed. Not sure what the outcome was.
It is clear that as a resident we want parks to be safe and these Park Rangers are on the front line of ensuring our safety
many times when the Police will not arrive or will be very delayed.
I will end that I am shocked anybody would work for Anaheim as a Park Ranger for the low wages and all things they
have to deal with and the danger to themselves. Indeed these employees are special people.
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Again, many of you have campaigned and made statements for a $ 25-hour living wage for people maids at hotels. I
would say your Park Rangers deserve $25 an hour as well if not more as they actually are in dangers way!
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Kevin Hardy
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