Is Perestroika Coming In California?

``The most auspicious sign of grassroots support for perestroika was last week's smack down of public employee unions in San Jose and San Diego. For the first time in recent memory, the unions suffered a humiliating defeat -- the measures passed by a margin greater than two to one -- as voters endorsed deep reform of the pension burdens bringing these cities to the brink of bankruptcy. Backed by its Democratic mayor, Chuck Reed, San Jose's measure B aims to reduce pension benefits for both future and current hires. Unsurprisingly, the public employee have threatened to sue. ''