Anaheim Is Failing to Curb the Chaos

* The first duty of government is to provide for public safety, not to provide welfare payments or an arena for professional sports teams. The second duty is to maintain an orderly society. But according to Anaheim Mayor Tom Daly, who was quoted in a recent Times article, the neighborhoods will have to take care of themselves.

Is this to suggest that we disband the neighborhood councils and watch groups and form our own vigilante groups? The City Council as a whole has shown no concern for the pleas by residents and business owners to curb the chaos that we see in Anaheim these days, i.e., beggars, prostitutes, vagrants, homeless drug addicts, drunks and street vendors. Only Fred Hunter has made any public response, though I disagree with him at this time.

Anaheim and many other cities are facing difficult decisions with regard to public safety but ignoring residents is not the solution. We elect friends and neighbors to the council and then hope that the campaign promises about neighborhood integrity will be fulfilled. Perhaps it would be appropriate to “unelect” those who don’t really serve us.

DONN PARSONS

Anaheim