Colgan was also a code share agreement with Continental. Something Colgan management obtained on their own. Pinnacle Corp. may have spent a lot on the purchase, but the Q400 direction gave everyone a future. Both sides had a piece of the puzzle.
Yeah, Phil T. had some planes he wanted to whipsaw, and Colgan had some checkride-busting, DUI-holding, go nowhere pilots who would fly them for less than anyone in the western world - and even vote down union representation the first time around to ensure the planes kept coming. They continued to staff themselves with 700 hour wonders from pay to play schools like ATP.
That's like saying the illegal day laborer standing in front of Home Depot brings something to the puzzle.