“Historic preservation!”

“Save the planet!”

That’s what NIMBYs say they stand for.

But in reality…NIMBYism isn’t about any of those things.

It’s about red tape, gatekeeping, and locking in scarcity—which drives up costs and worsens inequality.

That’s why Independent Institute’s new Golden Fleece® report exposes how NIMBY activist groups like Sierra Club and Livable California have hijacked California’s regulatory system—especially CEQA—to sabotage new housing and entrench the state’s housing crisis.

But this report isn’t just an exposé. It’s a practical resource for activists and influencers working at the local level.

To save the Golden State, we must shift the conversation about NIMBYism and make housing actually affordable again.

• to expose government waste
• to increase transparency into the inner workings of government
• to hold government accountable at all levels when they swindle taxpayers or break public trust by giving the public meaningful information

A program, agency, policy, tax, or regulation must violate common-sense principles of responsible government to receive a California Golden Fleece® Award. That’s why the ignoble recipients of this 16th award are Sierra Club and Livable California.

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