When a news editor runs an item that is strikingly odd or outside the normal realm of our daily experiences, while also turning the ordinary into the extraordinary, the article is often labeled as a man bites dog story. In Lafayette, California, a quiet bedroom community 15 miles east of San Francisco, there is such an extraordinary story that it could be best described as man bites velociraptor. From the Contra Costa Times we read:The Association of Lafayette Employees, a nonunion bargaining group that includes all workers except the city manager, declined the City Council's offer of a roughly 1 percent increase for 2011-12. The move will save about $50,000, less than 1 percent of the city's operating budget. "These days, $50,000 here or there can really make a difference," said Councilman Brandt Andersson. "They're willing to put a bit of theirs out there to help make that happen."The city also will keep its contributions to employees' health insurance plans...(Read Full Post)