So now it's official. Almost.

Temecula soon will hold sway over much of the Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve and some other private parcels in the hills southwest of the city.

And all the city had to do is submit an application to the Local Agency Formation Commission to remove from the city's sphere of influence land on which Granite Construction wants to build an enormous open-pit blasting quarry and asphalt and concrete plants.

Those who see a cabal at work are howling that the quarry is all but certain; most of the rest of us are hoping the city is correct to roll the dice with the Board of Supervisors; and, from comments received, a growing number of us believe it all ends up in court, so grab as much of the loaf as possible on the way.

Meanwhile, LAFCO's nondecision regarding the quarry focuses attention on the county planners who are taking their time slogging through the 7,000-page environmental impact report: dotting I's, crossing T's.

Whether they issue a final report or a second draft, it is urged that the hearings be held in Temecula. We have a fine council chamber that's smaller than the big room in Riverside so you don't have to listen to as many well-reasoned explanations of why putting a quarry here is just wrong.

Aside from the irrelevancy of LAFCO's decision, attending the meeting once again proved instructional as to the magnitude of the state's ability to waste a perfectly good day, not to mention the money, deciding stuff that ought to be decided at the local level.

It's yet another state-mandated layer of government, the government of governments from councils to sewers to cemeteries. Thought that was our job. 

When a LAFCO says "Sure, go ahead, be a city" or whatever, that doesn't mean that if you go belly-up, it will make you whole.

You'd be no worse off if the system allowed you to go ahead and do it on your own. 

In Temecula's case, it would be far, far better off.

And remember, a LAFCO can reach across county lines, as in the case of the Escondido health-facility operator that must go before San Diego's LAFCO to open a retail-store outlet in Temecula. An Oceanside hospital district is asking the LAFCO to deny the request that includes that outlet.

And that's not the Riverside LAFCO yet.

LAFCO is nothing more than the state watching and meddling where it doesn't belong.

Years ago, wildly explosive growth may have dictated such intrusion (you can judge the success for yourself), but it now is a bureaucracy/plum orchard that long ago outlived whatever usefulness it may have had.

PHIL STRICKLAND writes from Temecula. Contact him at philipestrickland@yahoo.com.