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Ran across a pretty good – and telling quote: “The Ten Commandments contain 297 words, the Bill of Rights 463 words, and Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address 266 words. A recent federal directive regulating the price of cabbage contains 26,911 words.” That from an unknown author who would appreciate the absurdity of a 2,000-plus-page document seemingly destined to govern land use in Santa Clara County, the Habitat Conservation Plan. Years of meetings, millions of dollars, a plethora of government agencies ... and what do you get? A 2,000-plus-page document that nobody truly understands.

Union for the firefighters and the police officers took it on the chin in San Jose and San Diego Tuesday. Voters in both major urban centers, tired of lavish pensions enjoyed at the expense of taxpayers and other city services, voted overwhelmingly to enact significant pension reforms. Despite San Jose clearly being a Democratic stronghold, more than 70 percent of voters approved Measure B which requires employees to pay more into the current retirement plan or change to a more reasonable plan. It also limits benefits for new hires. At last a breath of common sense. The looming unfunded liabilities will eventually catch up to all California cities and, as more cash is needed to fund those luxurious pensions, the less money will be available for cities to provide services.  Meanwhile, back in the real world, a city summer recreation Little Skill Builders soccer “camp” offering that runs for five days from 9:30 to 11 a.m. for 4 to 6 year olds will cost you a whopping $90. Not surprisingly, only hours after the crushing defeat in San Jose, the “new elite” – the public safety union employees – filed lawsuits to stop the reforms.

The Gilroy Rotary Club's annual flower sale and benefit features

Year after year, without exception, I've helped out in my