We cannot claim that professional/business achievement is meritocratic if wealth is a prerequisite for access to the bulk of jobs and investors. We don't need

We cannot claim that professional/business achievement is meritocratic if wealth is a prerequisite for access to the bulk of jobs and investors. We don't need to play this game - there is plenty of room for both the wealthy and the not-wealthy. The more interesting question is what is it about the people who are already there that gives them the right to prevent development on land they don't even own, but simply look at.