On the fairness point, having a thick bureaucracy allows those within it to help those outside navigate the maze, or outright expedite the process for a fee or favor down the line.

Bureaucracy is the reason long term congressmen and senators are all multi millionaires. It's also the reason why people who work on the military procurement programs end up getting coshy jobs at firms like Raytheon after they are done servicing the public. I rarely go a day without seeing an example of this effect in action.