Permits protect us

When most of us wake up in the morning, we get out of bed and flip on lights that work, turn on faucets running clean water, flush toilets connected to functioning septic systems, in homes that didn't burn down while we were asleep.

Of course, no one gives a second thought to these everyday functions when they're working the way they're supposed to. It's when things don't work that they command our attention: our lighting was wired incorrectly and starts a fire; a well was drilled too close to a storm drain that then contaminates our drinking water; or our neighbor built a garage on top of our...