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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.

I recently covered an example of what passes as sensible budgeting in California: The High Speed Rail system. You would be hard pressed to find a more epic example of a hideous blend of cost overruns, cronyism, and incompetence. So when Governor Jerry Brown touts fantasies of...

I am delighted to let Legal Insurrection readers know that my College Insurrection compatriot, Aleister of American Glob, will be on BlogTalkRadio.com's Canto Talk program tonight (Thursday, Jan. 31st) at 7 pm Pacific/9 pm Central/10 pm Eastern Standard Time (click here for link). It is my...

More unintended consequences of laws which are too broadly worded. The Atlantic writer Derek Khanna recently named the Most Ridiculous New Law - 2013 a provision which previously had been waived but has come back making it illegal to "unlock" your cellphone.  And while there is plenty...

I recently reported that California was targeted for a massive effort by gun control activists intent on creating new and wide-ranging restrictions. Now, the Chief of Police in my hometown of San Diego has unwittingly unveiled the real goal behind this movement: The complete disarming of...

Many politicians fail to understand an inherent point of economics I refer to as the "Star Wars Tax Rule":  The more you tighten the tax grip, the more revenues will slip through your fingers. Today, I would like to highlight three recent news items that underscore...

The timing of the recent announcement from the Obama Administration that it would lift the ban on women serving in combat positions was fascinating. After Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's responsibility dodging and Biden-esque responses to questioning by Senators yesterday, the White House needed a distraction...

President Barack Obama's inaugural address was an ode to big government. And, of big government entities, perhaps the most toxic to the American economy is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  However, this federal agency cannot hold a candle to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in terms...

I recently described how San Diego citizen activists helped pass public employee pension reform in San Diego, when we approved Proposition B in June of last year by an overwhelming majority. Of course, no conservative victory can go unchallenged. And, when conservatives win clearly, opponents head...

In College Insurrection, I recently covered a story showing that North Dakota universities were about the only higher education institutions in the country expecting increased funding.  These revenues are courtesy of the state's recent oil boom. This is one example of how oil shale may prove...

I would like to introduce the "Shrine of Flaming Capitalism's Product of the Month": The Destino. And flaming is a worthy designation indeed. The Destino is essentially a Fisker body over a Corvette Engine. Legal Insurrection readers may recall Fisker is a company that produces plug-in hybrid...

In the wake of the pathetic and distorted American coverage of the attack on our Libyan embassy and the subsequent death of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, I wrote: American Journalism Has Been Officially Outsourced. The stories from international sources proved to be far more...

I am often asked why I remain a registered Democrat, despite my decidedly fiscal-sanity oriented independent streak. In part, it is how I can effectively fight the "left-right" political paradigm that is being used by the elite media and politicos to divide us, in order to...

California's conservative activists are preparing to battle back Sacramento legislators, who are using the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy and their new super-majority to impose further restrictions on gun ownership. A Fox News report describes some of the proposed measures: Political analysts say the political landscape puts...

The French mathematician and French philosopher Blaise Pascal noted, "The only shame is to have none." I am going to have to disagree. In today's environment, the only shame is having it wrongly turned around and used against you. An advantage of having Democrats/former Democrats (e.g., Tammy...

Despite the best efforts of progressives who want to use global warming to control human consumption and the media that supports these efforts, it seems Mother Nature is not following their script. Some examples: In California, we are having the worst cold snap in decades. An analysis of...