Submit a Candidate The California Golden Fleece^® Awards are a series of in-depth reports from the Independent Institute that expose waste, fraud, and abuse in California on the state or local level. To receive this ignoble designation, a program, agency, policy, tax, or regulation must violate common-sense principles of responsible government, be considered wasteful by people of varying political philosophies, and must be well documented. On occasion, the awards also spotlight a federal program that disproportionately harms Californians.

We encourage people—both inside and outside of government—to send us Fleece candidates. Public participation will help make the California Golden Fleece^® Awards a more valuable resource for exposing government waste, increasing transparency, and holding government at all levels accountable when they swindle taxpayers or break the public trust.

California has some of the most protective whistle-blower and retaliation laws in the nation. Since the 1980s, the state’s whistle-blower laws encourage employees to report unlawful acts in the workplace without fear of retaliation (Diego v. Pilgrim United Church of Christ (2014) 231 Cal.App.4th 913, 922). Protections extend to government employees who report violations of local, state, or federal law to outside bodies, including watchdog tip lines or websites such as ours. In February 2018, whistle-blower protections were also extended, for the first time, to legislative employees (Legislative Employee Whistleblower Protection Act).

Winner: Winter 2024/25

CalGang Database and California’s Gang Laws For its harmful impact on civil liberties and justice, the Independent Institute has awarded its fifteenth California Golden Fleece® Award to the CalGang database and California's gang laws—especially Penal Code Section 182.5—which have blurred the line between innocence and guilt. Full Report: Read the Report Download PDF

Winner: Winter 2023/24

Persistently Higher Gasoline Prices Politicians and regulators have earned the Independent Institute’s fourteenth California Golden Fleece® Award for policies that break the public trust by undermining market competition and increasing retail gasoline prices, all the while blaming and shaming oil and gasoline producers and marketers for problems that government officials created through their policy choices. Full Report: Read the Report Download PDF News coverage “New Study Refutes Newsom’s Charge of Big Oil ‘Price Gouging’” Research Fellow Robert Michaels and Senior Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, co-authors of the California Golden Fleece® Award “Pain at the Pump’ cited in The Epoch Times 3/19/2024 “Who’s to blame for high gas prices? California’s Democratic politicians should look in the mirror.” Independent Institute California Golden Fleece® Award “Pain at the Pump” cited in The Orange County Register 3/15/2024

Winner: Summer 2022

Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) For adopting automated license plate readers without proper safeguards to protect public privacy and public safety, jurisdictions and police departments with ALPR operations have earned the thirteenth California Golden Fleece® Award. Full Report: Read the Report Download PDF Video Learn more Oakland’s Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) Debacle, by Jonathan Hofer Something is Rotten in the State of Denmark—ALPRs, by Jonathan Hofer Endorsements A Law Enforcement Officer’s Take on Independent Institute’s ALPR Report, by Elias Amezuca News coverage “EPIC Testimony to Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on Privacy Protections for Automated Traffic Enforcement Programs” Research Associate Jonathan Hofer, author of the California Golden Fleece® Awards “The Pitfalls of Law Enforcement License Plate Readers in California and Safeguards to Protect the Public” cited in Maryland state senate testimony 3/27/2024 “Flock Installed AI Cameras in This Small City and Claimed Crime Went Down. It Went Up.” Research Associate Jonathan Hofer, author of the report “The Pitfalls of Law Enforcement License Plate Readers in California and Safeguards to Protect the Public” quoted in Forbes 2/29/2024 Show More (12) » “Privacy vs. Public Safety: Eight of the Nine Coachella Valley Cities Use Automated License Plate Recognition Cameras” California Golden Fleece® Awards cited in the Coachella Valley Independent 12/18/2023 “More license plate readers are coming to Bay Area, but do they work?” Research Associate and Editorial Coordinator Jonathan Hofer interviewed on KTVU-TV 9/28/2023 “Why Police License Plate Readers Might be Illegal” Policy Research Associate Jonathan Hofer and Leslie Corbly Op-Ed in The Libertas Institute 4/19/2023 “Digital License Plates: Will This New Way to Track Vehicles Enhance or Undermine Privacy?” Research Associate Jonathan Hofer, author of the California Golden Fleece® Report “The Pitfalls of Law Enforcement License Plate Readers in California and Safeguards to Protect the Public” Op-Ed in CPO Magazine 2/8/2023 “The Mass Surveillance Nobody Is Talking About” Research Associate Jonathan Hofer, author of California Golden Fleece® Award “The Pitfalls of Law Enforcement License Plate Readers in California and Safeguards to Protect the Public” interviewed on the Bob Zadek Show 9/18/2022 “Are Law Enforcement Agencies’ Cameras Violating Your Rights?” Independent Institute Research Associate and Editorial Coordinator Jonathan Hofer, author of the California Golden Fleece® Report “The Pitfalls of Law Enforcement License Plate Readers in California and Safeguards to Protect the Public” interviewed on the Jim Bohannon radio show 9/13/2022 “Law Enforcement and Automated License Plate Readers” Research Associate and Editorial Coordinator Jonathan Hofer, author of the California Golden Fleece® Report “The Pitfalls of Law Enforcement License Plate Readers in California and Safeguards to Protect the Public” interviewed on The Freedom Adventure Podcast 9/12/2022 “Law Enforcement Agencies Using License Plate Readers Earn California Golden Fleece® Award for Inadequate Safeguards” Research Associate and Editorial Coordinator Jonathan Hofer, author of the California Golden Fleece® Report “The Pitfalls of Law Enforcement License Plate Readers in California and Safeguards to Protect the Public” interviewed on The Matt Buff Show on WORL 9/10/2022 “The Pitfalls of Law Enforcement License Plate Readers” Independent Institute Research Associate and Editorial Coordinator Jonathan Hofer, author of the California Golden Fleece® Report “The Pitfalls of Law Enforcement License Plate Readers in California and Safeguards to Protect the Public” interviewed on the Bryan McClain show on TNT radio. 9/8/2022 “Law Enforcement and License Plate Readers” Research Associate and Editorial Coordinator Jonathan Hofer, author of California Golden Fleece® Award “The Pitfalls of Law Enforcement License Plate Readers in California and Safeguards to Protect the Public” appears on the Gary Nolan radio show 8/19/2022 « Show Fewer

Winner: Winter 2021/22

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) For operating a dangerous, dirty, unreliable, and financially reckless public transportation system in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system has received the twelfth California Golden Fleece® Award. Full Report: Read the Report Download PDF Learn more It’s Time to Rethink BART Expansion, by Lawrence J. McQuillan and Hovannes Abramyan News coverage “BART Revamps Civic Center Station” Senior Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, author of the California Golden Fleece® Award “Crime, Grime, and Greed at BART” interviewed on KTVU-TV 1/31/2024 “BART system maintenance questioned as equipment and service problems persist” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, author of California Golden Fleece® Award “Crime, Grime, and Greed at BART” interviewed on KTVU-TV 9/24/2022 Show More (9) » “As BART Turns 50, Failures Exposed” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, author of California Golden Fleece® Report “Crime, Grime, and Greed at BART” interviewed on KPIX-TV CBS Bay Area 9/9/2022 “Independent Foundation Broadsides BART” California Golden Fleece® Award “Crime, Grime, and Greed at BART” featured on Bay Area Transportation Working Group 3/9/2022 “Why Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Has Declined” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, co-author of “Crime, Grime, and Greed at BART” California Golden Fleece® Report, interviewed on California Insider 2/4/2022 “New Golden Fleece Award Goes to BART for ‘Crime, Grime, and Greed’” California Globe publishes article on Independent Institute’s California Golden Fleece® Report “Crime, Grime, and Greed at BART” featured in the California Globe 1/25/2022 “BART Vigorously Denies Report that Says Agency ‘Fails Across the Board’” Independent Institute’s California Golden Fleece® Report “Crime, Grime, and Greed at BART” cited on KTVU-TV and KTVU.com 1/20/2022 “KGO Radio Listeners React to California Golden Fleece® Award Given to BART” Independent Institute’s California Golden Fleece® Report “Crime, Grime, and Greed at BART” mentioned on KGO Radio 1/20/2022 “BART Responds after Scathing Report Calls Agency ‘Unreliable, Financially Reckless and Inefficient’” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan appears on KGO-TV and KGO.com 1/19/2022 « Show Fewer

Winner: Spring 2021

COVID in California For enacting or enforcing regulations that created critical healthcare shortages and prevented a fast and efficient response during the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Food and Drug Administration, US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, California politicians, regulators and others receive the eleventh California Golden Fleece® Award. Full Report: Read the Report Download PDF Summary: Read the Summary Download PDF Video Learn more Emergency Reforms Worth Keeping, by Lawrence J. McQuillan and Jonathan Hofer How to Make the COVID Vaccine Fast-Track the New Standard, by Lawrence J. McQuillan and Jonathan Hofer How a Reformed FDA Can Speed Up Delivery of Lifesaving Drugs, by Lawrence J. McQuillan News coverage “The Rest of America Should Learn from California’s Smart-City Missteps” Policy Research Associate and co-author of “COVID in California: How Government Regulations Created Critical Healthcare Shortages” Jonathan Hofer and Publications and Public Affairs Counsel Christopher B. Briggs Op-Ed in Human Events 11/8/2021 “Emergency Reforms Worth Keeping” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan and Research and Marketing Associate Jonathan Hofer Op-Ed in The American Conservative 7/22/2021 Show More (3) » “California’s COVID Failures” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan appears on The Andy Caldwell Show on KUHL radio in Santa Maria, CA. 5/3/2021 « Show Fewer

Winner: Summer 2020

California Government Technology Failures For failing to update antiquated technology and wasting billions of dollars and many years on doomed IT projects, the California Department of Technology and other departments responsible for upgrading state IT systems have been named recipients of the tenth California Golden Fleece® Award. Full Report: Read the Report Download PDF Summary: Read the Summary Download PDF Learn more California Is the World’s Tech Capital, Except for Its Government’s Lousy IT, by Adam B. Summers News coverage “The Cost of California’s Public-Employee Unions” California Golden Fleece® Award authors Research Fellow Adam Summers and Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, author of California Dreaming Op-Ed in National Review 4/1/2021 “Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act reintroduced in Congress, potentially transforming U.S. Labor law with union agenda” Research Fellow Adam Summers, author of the California Golden Fleece Awards Bugs in the System quoted extensively in the Northern California Record 2/23/2021 Show More (7) » “Behind States’ Rocky Covid Vaccine Rollout: Shaky Tracking Software” Research Fellow Adam Summers, author of California Golden Fleece Award “Bugs in the System” quoted in Barron’s 2/14/2021 “California Wastes Billions on Failing Tech Projects, Researcher Says” Research Fellow Adam Summers, author of Independent’s California Golden Fleece Award “Bugs in the System” cited on The Epoch Times 12/15/2020 “California lawmakers urge hearings over fraudulent unemployment claims” Research Fellow Adam Summers, author of the California Golden Fleece Award “Bugs in the System” appears on KTVU-TV 12/7/2020 “California Government Technology Failures and Recommended Solutions” Research Fellow Adam Summers, author of the California Golden Fleece Award “Bugs in the System” cited in California Political Review 9/21/2020 “California Government’s IT Failure” Research Fellow Adam Summers, author of the California Golden Fleece Award “Bugs in the System” interviewed on KUHL radio’s Andy Caldwell Show 9/21/2020 « Show Fewer

Winner: Winter 2019/20

California Housing Regulations For preventing housing development, which would alleviate sky-high housing prices and growing homelessness, California state and local politicians, government planners and regulators, and NIMBY activists have been named recipients of the ninth California Golden Fleece® Award. Full Report: Read the Report Download PDF Summary: Read the Summary Download PDF Video Learn more How Politics in San Francisco Deepens the City’s Housing Crisis, by Lawrence J. McQuillan A Proposed Amendment to California’s Constitution to Resolve the Housing Affordability Crisis, by Lawrence J. McQuillan California Would Have Low-Cost Housing If Government Allowed It: The Mortenson Experiment, by Lawrence J. McQuillan We Got Housing Built after the 1906 Quake. We Can Do It Again. Here’s How., by Lawrence J. McQuillan A Proposed California Constitutional Amendment to Resolve the Housing Affordability Crisis, by Lawrence J. McQuillan How California Housing Reforms Would Boost Workers Nationwide, by Lawrence J. McQuillan Thoughts on Housing Affordability and Homelessness in California, by Adam B. Summers News coverage “Homelessness in California: Causes and Policy Considerations” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan and the California Golden Fleece® Awards cited in Stanford University’s Institute for Economic Policy Research 4/26/2023 “Affordable Housing for California” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, Director of the California Golden Fleece® Awards “How to Restore the California Dream” interviewed on the Freedom Adventure podcast 7/6/2022 Show More (17) » “Could California’s Policies Work on a Federal Scale Under a Biden-Harris Administration?” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece Awards quoted on FoxNews.com 9/30/2020 “The Question Raisers” Independent Institute Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer David Theroux, Sr. Vice President Mary L. G. Theroux, Sr. Fellow William Shughart II, Sr. Fellow Williamson Evers, Love Gov, California Golden Fleece Awards, and Independent’s Open Letter to Gov. Newsom featured in The East Bay Express 5/13/2020 “Homelessness & Housing Policy in the Golden State” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece® Awards appears on the Bob Zadek radio show 3/22/2020 “Resolving the Housing Affordability Crisis” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan appears on KAHI radio 3/2/2020 “How to Save California From Itself” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece® Awards cited in American Institute for Economic Research 2/24/2020 “OC Board of Supervisors back bill to speed up affordable housing projects” Research Fellow Adam Summers quoted in the Orange County Breeze 2/14/2020 “Solutions to California’s Housing Crisis” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece® Awards appears on Eye on the Community on KFRG radio 2/4/2020 “California’s Housing Cost Crisis” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan appears on Morning Briefing with Tim Farley on the POTUS Channel on SiriusXM radio 1/28/2020 “California Housing and Homelessness” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece® Awards appears on the Lars Larson radio show 1/28/2020 “Solutions for California’s Housing Crisis” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece® Awards appears on the Andy Caldwell Show on KUHL radio. 1/24/2020 “California Housing Crisis” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan appears on The David Webb Show on SiriusXM’s Patriot Channel 1/22/2020 “Ninth California Golden Fleece® Award Goes to State, Local Politicians, Government Planners, Regulators, and Anti-Development Activists” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece® Awards cited in the California Globe 1/22/2020 “California Housing Crisis Update” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan interviewed on KFAX radio’s Life!Liine with Craig Roberts 1/16/2020 “California’s housing crisis is government’s fault, group says with ‘Golden Fleece’ award” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan quoted in The Sacramento Bee 1/8/2020 “California’s housing crisis is government’s fault, group says with ‘Golden Fleece’ award” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan quoted in The Fresno Bee 1/8/2020 « Show Fewer

Winner: Summer 2019

Cal Fire, the U.S. Forest Service, and Other Government Agencies For pursuing faulty incentives that impeded fire prevention and the widespread adoption of scientific techniques to prevent, detect, and quickly suppress wildfires, several government agencies have been named recipients of the eighth California Golden Fleece® Award. Read the Report Download PDF Videos Learn more The Lahaina Wildfire Holds Lessons for California and Other Western States , by Lawrence J. McQuillan Trump and Newsom Think Alike on Deadly Wildfires, by Lawrence J. McQuillan If You Love Forests, Let Them Burn, by William F. Shughart II and Brian Isom News coverage “Why California’s Plan to Harden Homes against Wildfires Is Broken” Research Fellow Kristian Fors Op-Ed in the San Francisco Chronicle 2/22/2025 “The Policy Inferno Behind the California Wildfires” Senior Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, author of the California Golden Fleece Report “California Wildfires: Key Recommendations to Prevent Future Disasters” interviewed on the Human Action Podcast 1/21/2025 Show More (38) » “Newsom Believes the Globe Is Getting Hotter Even as California Freezes” California Golden Fleece® Award “California Wildfires: Key Recommendations to Prevent Future Disasters” cited in The American Spectator 5/10/2024 “Bad Policy Assures a Perpetual Sense of Burning Crisis” California Golden Fleece® Awards “California Wildfires” cited by The Brownstone Institute 6/13/2023 “California Is Burning: Marxist Dreaming Is The Reason” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, author of California Dreaming interviewed on The Exceptional Conservative Show 10/11/2022 “Is California a Progressive Fantasyland?” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan interviewed on WIND radio’s Shaun Thompson show 10/6/2022 “Better Forest Management Will Reduce Wildfires” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan appears on the Andy Caldwell show on KUHL radio 9/29/2022 “Recommendations for Reducing Forest Fires” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan interviewed on The Mike Ryan Show on TNT radio 9/27/2022 “California Wildfire Mismanagement” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece® Awards interviewed on the Bryan McClain Show on TNT radio 9/27/2022 “Newsom Talks Progressive Policies with Democratic Lawmakers on DC Trip” Research Fellow Adam Summers, co-author of California Golden Fleece® Award report “California Wildfires: Key Recommendations to Prevent Future Disasters” quoted in The Epoch Times 7/21/2022 “How Much Is Gavin Newsom to Blame for California’s Wildfires?” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan quoted in The Federalist 9/11/2021 “Learning from Our Fire Failures” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the Independent Institute’s Golden Fleece Awards interviewed on Earth 2.0 10/27/2020 “California Stuck in ‘Vicious Cycle’ of Wildfires, Policy Expert Says” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece Awards quoted in The Epoch Times (Subscription Required) 9/21/2020 “Solutions for California Wildfires” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece Awards interviewed on KTOX radio 9/21/2020 “Wildfires & Climate Change” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece Awards appears on One America News Network 9/14/2020 “California Wildfires, Explained” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece Awards appears on The Epoch Times’ California Insider show 9/9/2020 “Protect Power Grid from Wildfire—Early Detection, AI, Spread Prediction” California Golden Fleece Awards California Wildfires: Key Recommendations to Prevent Future Disasters cited on RoboticsCats.com 8/4/2020 “California Insider: Interview with Adam Summers on Wildfire Policy” Research Fellow Adam Summers, contributor to the California Golden Fleece® Awards interviewed by The Epoch Times 12/20/2019 “Plenty of blame for wildfire problems” California Golden Fleece® Awards mentioned in the Oroville Mercury-Register Letter to the Editor 12/18/2019 Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece® Awards to speak at Vistage Key Executive Leadership & CEO Network at Sonoma State University Dec. 16-17 12/12/2019 “California Fires, California Economy” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece® Awards appears on the David Webb show on SiriusXM radio 11/7/2019 “California Fires: Technology” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece® Awards interviewed on KAHI radio in Auburn, CA 11/7/2019 “PG&E’s Role in CA Fires” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan appears on KFI radio Los Angeles 11/6/2019 “California Fires and Power Shutoffs Update” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece® Awards appears on The Michael Hagwood Show on KTOX-AM 11/1/2019 “California Fires and PG&E Power Shutoffs” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece® Awards appears on KFAX radio 11/1/2019 “Is PG&E’s Effort to Go Green Costing Too Much Green?” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece® Awards appears on John Tabacco’s Liquid Lunch on Newsmax TV 11/1/2019 “The Late Great Golden State” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece® Awards appears on KMED radio’s Bill Meyers show 10/31/2019 “California Fires and PG&E—Who’s at Fault?” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece® Awards appears on the Lars Larson radio show 10/31/2019 “California Fires and Power Lines—What Are the Alternatives?” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece® Awards appears on the Chip Franklin show on KGO radio 10/31/2019 “PG&E Shutoffs” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece® Awards appears on the Andy Caldwell show on KUHL radio 10/31/2019 “California Fire Prevention” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the Independent Institute’s California Golden Fleece® Awards interviewed on KAHI radio 7/25/2019 “Tools California Could Use to Better Prevent and Fight Wildfires” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan interviewed on KFBK radio 7/19/2019 “Trump and Newsom Think Alike on Deadly Wildfires” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece® Award Op-Ed in The Orange County Register and other syndicated Southern California Newsgroup newspapers 7/9/2019 “Recommendations to Prevent Future Fire Disasters” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan is interviewed on KCBS radio 7/6/2019 “High Tech Firefighting Techniques” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan interviewed on KMED radio in Medford, OR 7/3/2019 “California Wildfire Prevention” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan appears on the Andy Caldwell show on KUHL radio 7/1/2019 “California’s Wildfire Prevention” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan interviewed on KFBK radio 6/26/2019 “Golden Fleece Awards Dishonor Cal Fire, US Forest Service” Independent Institute’s California Golden Fleece® Award cited on KSTE.com 6/26/2019 « Show Fewer

Winner: Winter 2018/19

California Department of Motor Vehicles For long lines, employees sleeping on the job, and severe mishandling of voter registrations, disability placards, driver’s licenses, and REAL IDs, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has won the Independent Institute’s seventh California Golden Fleece® Award. Read the Report Download PDF Video Learn more California’s DMV Drives Us Crazy, Reforms Are Needed, by Lawrence J. McQuillan Time for California’s DMV to Enter the 21st Century, by Lawrence J. McQuillan and Megan E. Sarsfield News coverage “Fixing California’s DMV” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece® Awards interviewed on KGO radio’s Chip Franklin Show 8/6/2019 “California DMV Gets Makeover Designed to Tackle Long Lines, Faulty Computer Systems” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece Awards, quoted in USA Today 7/25/2019 Show More (11) » “Taxpayer Toolkit: Is the DMV really fleecing Californians? featuring Lawrence McQuillan” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece® Awards speaks to the Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association in Santa Clara, CA 6/27/2019 “California’s DMV Drives Us Crazy, Reforms Are Needed” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, Director of the California Golden Fleece® Awards Op-Ed in The Orange County Register and Southern California News Group newspapers, and the Mercury News and Bay Area News Group newspapers 3/1/2019 “California DMV Needs Overhaul” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan appears on KRLA radio (LA) 2/12/2019 “23 Million Still Need a Real ID from CA DMV” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan appears on KMJ radio 2/12/2019 “CA DMV Is in Crisis” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan appears on KAHI radio 2/12/2019 “DMV Solutions for Reform” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece Awards appears on KFI radio’s John and Ken Show (Los Angeles) 2/11/2019 “CA DMV Fleeces Customers” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan appears on Wake Up Call on KFI radio Los Angeles 1/30/2019 “CA DMV Chaos” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan appears on Life Line with Craig Roberts on KFAX radio 1/29/2019 “CA DMV Bureaucracy” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan appears on The DeMaio Report on KOGO radio San Diego 1/29/2019 « Show Fewer

Winner: Fall 2018

Lawmakers and Government Employees Who Harass For using taxpayer money to settle sexual misconduct claims and shielding the abuse from the public using special laws, offending lawmakers and government employees have been named recipients of the sixth California Golden Fleece® Award. Read the Report Download PDF Videos Learn more No More Tax Dollars Spent to Settle Sexual Misconduct Claims, by Lawrence J. McQuillan News coverage “Bureaucrats Play, Taxpayers Pay” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, director of the California Golden Fleece Awards quoted in the California Globe 8/9/2019 “Your Taxes Pay for Politicians’ Bad Behavior” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, Director of the California Golden Fleece ® Awards appears on KOGO radio 12/5/2018 Show More (5) » Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, Director of the California Golden Fleece Awards and author of California Dreaming appears on the Andy Caldwell Show on KUHL radio 11/15/2018 “No More Tax Dollars Spent to Settle Sexual Misconduct Claims” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, Director of the California Golden Fleece Awards Op-Ed in the San Francisco Chronicle 11/14/2018 “Golden Fleece Award: $21.3M Paid to Settle California Politicians’ Sexual Misconduct Claims” Independent Institute’s California Golden Fleece Award cited on Breitbart.com 11/9/2018 « Show Fewer

Winner: Summer 2018

Proposition 47 For unleashing a crime wave on property owners, California’s Proposition 47 has been named the fifth recipient of the California Golden Fleece® Award. To secure justice and restore public confidence, lawmakers should enact stiffer penalties for property crimes, and law enforcement should prioritize “smash-and-grab” vehicle break-ins and retail shopliftings.  Read the Report Download PDF Video News coverage “‘Catch and Release’: Suspect in Viral LA Flash Mob Robbery Was Released on Cashless Bail One Day Before Heist” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan quoted in the Washington Free Beacon 8/30/2023 “Karen Bass and The Law” California Golden Fleece® Award “California Property Crime Surge Is Unintended Consequence of Proposition 47” mentioned in City Watch LA 10/14/2022 Show More (5) » “Poverty and Criminal Justice Reform” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, author of California Golden Fleece® Award “California Property Crime Surge Is Unintended Consequence of Proposition 47” cited on Cato.org 10/21/2021 “More California Crazy Laws” Independent Institute’s California Golden Fleece Award cited on WorldNetDaily 7/16/2018 “Proposition 47 Wins ‘Golden Fleece Award’ for Failure” Independent Institute’s Golden Fleece Award cited on Breitbart.com 6/28/2018 « Show Fewer

Winner: Fall 2017

The California Department of Water Resources For its reckless mismanagement of Oroville Dam—which caused a near catastrophe in February 2017—California’s Department of Water Resources (DWR) has been named the fourth recipient of the California Golden Fleece® Award. Ownership of DWR dams should be transferred to responsible private parties as part of a modernization of the state’s outdated legacy water system. Read the Report Download PDF Videos Learn more No More Patch and Pray—Privatize Oroville Dam, by Lawrence J. McQuillan, Hayeon Carol Park News coverage “No More Patch and Pray—Privatize Oroville Dam” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan and Policy Researcher Hayeon Carol Park Op-Ed in The San Francisco Chronicle 1/30/2018 “Oroville Dam: Independent Institute Report Calls for DWR to Transfer Dam Ownership” Independent Institute California Golden Fleece Award and Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan cited in The Chico Enterprise-Record and other MediaNews group newspapers 10/22/2017 Show More (4) » Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, creator of Independent Institute’s California Golden Fleece Award appears on the Lars Larson radio show 10/20/2017 “Dubious Dam Award-DWR Gets Booby Prize for Oroville Dam Debacle” Independent Institute’s California Golden Fleece Award cited in Chico News & Review 10/19/2017 « Show Fewer

Winner: Spring 2017

CAL FIRE The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection—CAL FIRE—has won the third California Golden Fleece® Award due to poor handling of fire safety and costs, severe lack of accountability to taxpayers and landowners, and numerous scandals. Read the Report Download PDF Learn more Cal Fire Must Prioritize Prevention, by Lawrence J. McQuillan News coverage “What the California Wildfires Can Teach Democrats about Taxation” Research Fellow Kristian Fors quoted on Liberty Nation 1/14/2025 “Suspension of environmental regulations is a ‘move in the right direction’” Research Fellow Kristian Fors interviewed on Varney & Co on the Fox Business Network 1/13/2025 Show More (7) » “Researcher: ‘Angry’ Locals Want to Know Where Tax Dollars Went as Fires Destroy Los Angeles” Research Fellow Kristian Fors cited on Breitbart.com 1/12/2025 “Californians ‘angry’ amid devastating wildfires, asking where high tax dollars went” Research Fellow Kristian Fors interviewed on FoxNews.com 1/12/2025 “California resident devastated by ‘uncertainty’ facing family in wake of disastrous wildfires” Research Fellow Kristian Fors interviewed on Fox News Channel 1/9/2025 “California Burning” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, Director of Independent’s California Golden Fleece® Awards appears on the Andy Caldwell radio show 8/23/2021 “Cal Fire Must Prioritize Prevention” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan, author of California Burning: CAL FIRE Wins Dishonor of the California Golden Fleece Award Op-Ed in The San Francisco Chronicle 10/31/2017 « Show Fewer

Winner: Summer 2016

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has won the second California Golden Fleece® Award for its waste of taxpayer money, while at the same time demanding more funding. Caltrans should be drastically scaled back as part of broader reforms to modernize California’s highways. Read the Report Download PDF News coverage “No Gas Taxation Without Better Representation” Independent Institute’s California Golden Fleece Award cited in the Orange County Register 12/7/2017 “Repeal California’s Gas Tax increase, says GOP Candidate for Governor” Independent Institute’s Golden Fleece Award cited in Op-Ed in The San Francisco Chronicle 10/18/2017 Show More (13) » “The CalTrans Record of Shame” California Golden Fleece Award mentioned on Fox & Hounds 4/5/2017 “Caltrans Wins Golden Fleece Award for Its $10 Billion Highway Robbery-Update” Independent Institute’s California Golden Fleece Award featured on CA Political Review 11/7/2016 Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan and Independent Institute’s CA Golden Fleece Award cited in Redding Record Searchlight (CA) editorial 9/12/2016 Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan and Independent Institute’s CA Golden Fleece Award cited in The Sacramento Bee editorial 9/7/2016 Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan and Independent Institute’s CA Golden Fleece Award cited in The Orange County Register editorial 9/4/2016 “California Transportation Needs Budget, Efficiency Reforms, Not More Taxes” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan and Independent Institute’s CA Golden Fleece Award cited in LA Daily News editorial 9/4/2016 “Caltrans Wins Golden Fleece Award for Its $10 Billion Highway Robbery” California State Senator John Morloch issues press release on Independent Institute’s CA Golden Fleece Award 8/26/2016 California Golden Fleece Award featured on Paradigms and Demographics 8/23/2016 California Golden Fleece Award featured on FreedomBunker.com 8/23/2016 “Caltrans Wins Golden Fleece Award for Its $10 Billion Highway Robbery” Independent Institute’s California Golden Fleece Award featured on CA Political Review 8/23/2016 “Better Fix for Fixing Roads” Independent Institute’s California Golden Fleece Award mentioned in editorial in The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, CA) 4/18/2016 « Show Fewer

Winner: Spring 2016

California’s High-Speed Rail Authority The California High-Speed Rail Authority has won the first California Golden Fleece® Award for its lack of transparency and history of misleading the public about key details of the state’s “bullet-train” project, which no longer reflect what voters approved in 2008. Read the Report Download PDF News coverage “CA Gov. Newsom Slowing the California Bullet Train” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan appears on KAHI radio 2/28/2019 “California: Off the Rails” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan appears on KUHL radio’s Andy Caldwell show 2/26/2019 Show More (7) » “California’s High-Speed Rail Authority Wins Dishonor of the California Golden Fleece Award” Sr. Fellow Lawrence McQuillan and Policy Researcher Hayeon Carol Park cited in California Political Review 5/12/2016 Independent Institute’s California Golden Fleece Award cited on NewGeography.com 5/12/2016 “A Waste Of Money” Independent Institute’s California Golden Fleece Award cited in Right on the Left Coast blog 4/20/2016 “California High-Speed Rail Wins Dubious ‘Golden Fleece’ Award” Independent Institute’s CA Golden Fleece Award featured on Breitbart.com 4/19/2016 “California has MORE to be Proud Of: High Speed Rail Wins Golden Fleece Award” Independent Institute cited on California Political Review 4/18/2016 « Show Fewer