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Author: Leslie Eastman

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Leslie Eastman

I am an Environmental Health and Safety Professional, as well as a science/technical writer for a variety of news and professional publications. I have been a citizen activist since 2009, and am one of the co-founders of the San Diego-based group, Southern California Tax Revolt Coalition.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on March 11, 2017 17 Comments
Never let it be said that California's Democratic legislature doesn't work hard on behalf of...its own interests. The latest proposal from Sacramento, Assembly Constitutional Amendment No. 10, would make the Golden Sate first in the nation to fully allow 17-year-olds to vote in elections.
"We want to expand the opportunity," said Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell), author of the constitutional amendment that would have to be approved by a statewide vote in 2018.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on March 09, 2017 17 Comments
It is astonishing how much is being revealed about the "Deep State" since Donald Trump was inaugurated less than two months ago. This week, Wikileaks published almost 9,000 documents from the CIA about the agency’s own malware used to hack into anyone’s electronics make it look like the cyber-attack came from Russia. Now, after years of struggling for real justice from the Obama Administration that falsely claimed Tea Party groups were never targeted, citizen activists now have access to nearly 7,000 documents related to the illegal man-handling of their tax status applications by the Internal Revenue Service.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on March 05, 2017 26 Comments
Some intriguing reports have recently been published, which highlight the nature of unintended consequences that are often associated with environmental protection do-gooderism. We have regaled readers with the complete failure of Obama's green energy programs, including the loss of hundreds of millions of tax-payer dollars when the lights went out on the now infamous Solyndra. Under Obama, solar energy was promoted as the best, most practical solution to preventing the release of green-house gases such as carbon dioxide. A federal report just released by the Environmental Protection Agency shows the production of solar panels has led to a substantial increase in in a compound that is 17,200 more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO2.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on March 04, 2017 68 Comments
The last time we checked in on the construction of California Governor Jerry Brown's legacy project, the high speed train connecting Los Angeles to San Fransisco, it was already already $3.6 billion over budget and seven years behind schedule. In that piece, I a surmised that federal funding to help complete this project could be axed, as several pricey grants were sitting on the desks of administrators now working for President Trump (who has been defied and mocked by numerous California politicos, including our governor). Sure enough, the Secretary of Transportation has halted the transfer of millions of dollars in funding for the bullet train:

Posted by Leslie Eastman on March 03, 2017 8 Comments
Savvy Legal Insurrection readers may have already noticed the historic stock market levels that ensued after President Trump's address to the Congress. However, I think that only part of this optimism stem's from Trump's well received speech. I suspect another aspect to this optimism is that businesses are beginning to enjoy the regulatory relief from new rules that is the direct result of the President's very busy pen.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on March 01, 2017 74 Comments
The last time we checked in with Bill Nye, "The Science Guy", he was indicating that jail might be an appropriate place for climate change skeptics in an interview referencing the targeting of Exxon Mobil:
..Was it appropriate to jail people from the cigarette industry who insisted that this addictive product was not addictive, and so on?” “In these cases, for me, as a taxpayer and voter, the introduction of this extreme doubt about climate change is affecting my quality of life as a public citizen,” Mr. Nye said. “So I can see where people are very concerned about this, and they’re pursuing criminal investigations as well as engaging in discussions like this.”

Posted by Leslie Eastman on February 28, 2017 12 Comments
During the Obama era, many taxpayers had to trim back discretionary expenses for luxury items, like gym memberships. However, some of our government bureaucrats enjoyed those perks...using our tax dollars. A detailed audit of expenditures for 2016 revealed that the EPA's money management was polluted by improper purchases.
Environmental Protection Agency employees used their government purchase cards to spend $14,985 on fitness memberships, according to an audit by the inspector general of the agency. With the goal of assessing the risk of illegal, improper, and erroneous purchases made on the EPA's purchase card, the auditors evaluated 18 transactions totaling $48,345 and found that none of them complied with any of the internal controls that were tested.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on February 26, 2017 21 Comments
The last time we checked in with the head of the California State Senate, Kevin de León, he was explaining that half his family would be subject to President Trump's policy on the actual enforcement of immigration rules. He is now proposing outlandish, energy-based legislation. Despite the limitations set by both technology and reality, he has submitted a bill that demands California be powered by 100% renewable energy by 2045.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on February 25, 2017 10 Comments
President Trump has been meeting with business leaders regularly since his inauguration, including a meeting this week. These sessions cover a wide array of topics and grew out of Trump's December announcement of an advisory panel on manufacturing.
“Today we have 24 CEOs from the largest manufacturing companies in the country and even in the world. They represent--people in this room--nearly $1 trillion of sales and two million employees, large majorities of which are in the United States. They share our commitment to bring manufacturing back and to create jobs in this country,” Trump said.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on February 24, 2017 24 Comments
I noted that after Meryl Steep hectored the audience at the Golden Globes, her last name became a verb to describe a prominent person using a non-political platform to make a political statement demeaning a portion of their audience in a quest for social justice credentials. Entertainers aren't the only ones who can "streep", either. At a recent conference in Modesto, CA comprised of nearly 700 community organizers and social justice activists, the Bishop of San Diego, Robert McElroy, recently encouraged "disruption" in response to President Trump's immigration and economic policies.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on February 24, 2017 21 Comments
Just a few short weeks ago, the 9th Circuit Court in San Fransisco refused to overturn a lower court decision that halted the implementation of President Trump's Executive Order that would temporarily halt immigration from seven countries until "extreme vetting" procedures had been established. One of the reasons the judges cited was the hardships the travel restriction would cause and applied 5th Amendment protections to non-citizens. Here's is a snippet from Professor Jacobson's review as a reminder.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on February 22, 2017 31 Comments
Now, #CalExit is more than just a proposed ballot measure...it is a comic book aimed at the safety pin set! The new comic book series from Black Mask Studios portrays California leading the resistance against America's Commander-in-Chief.
It’s about that hope and inclusion and also the challenges of finding solidarity among a diverse group but figuring it out and supporting one another," says [#Calexit creator Matteo] Pizzolo.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on February 22, 2017 26 Comments
The political climate of the EPA can be expected to change more rapidly, now that its new head has started his first day at the agency.
Scott Pruitt told EPA employees Tuesday that he’s committed to protecting the environment and upholding the agency’s core mission, but he also signaled that major changes are ahead as he begins to dismantle much of former President Obama’s climate change agenda. In his first address to the agency workforce, Mr. Pruitt, the former Oklahoma attorney general who was confirmed as EPA administrator last Friday, said he intends to keep an open mind and draw from the experience of those inside the department....

Posted by Leslie Eastman on February 20, 2017 37 Comments
Despite the fact that I hold no medical degree, I don't think I am going out on a limb when I diagnose California's political class as being certifiably insane. The Golden State's legislators are bracing for the repeal and replacement of Obamacare by proposing a single-payer, government-run health care plan that includes illegal aliens.
“We’ve reached this pivotal moment and I thought to myself: ‘Look, now more than ever is the time to talk about universal health care,’” one of Senate Bill 562’s authors, Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens, said in an interview Friday.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on February 19, 2017 22 Comments
In my day job, I have a variety of clients requiring assistance with complex environmental health and safety regulations.  One of these organizations is part of a federal agency that is about to feel the full force of President Trump's pen and phone. Many of the employees in that office are quite upset about the impending change in government policies. A standard practice in federal government offices and military sites is to have an official portrait of the President of the United States (sometimes paired with one of the Vice President). An early step in the process of transition was the removal of the Obama/Biden portraits from installations and institutions.
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