IMHO GLA is good option for a few, select people. Namely, folks who already live in Williston, Pierre, Farmington, Cheyenne, or any of the back-water bases. Such a person who chose another airline would be faced with a pretty crappy commute or a move. Both cost money and are a pain. I can see biting the bullet a year or two before moving on.

But I have a hard time understanding why anybody currently living far from a jerkwater base would willingly endure a base pay of $14,400/year.

To the OP: If it works for you, great, congrats. But it really sounds like you are trying to justify why you made the choice you did. Oh, and EVERY regional has at least a few folks who made it to the best mainline carriers. I'd even bet there might be a few who made it coming from a 135 or even 91 shop. So save the poster child success stories.