This is precisely the issue. In any other profession, employers know that if you increase the level of qualification of applicants then the pay must be commensurate with that increase. In other words, if you as a company require more experience you must match it with $$. I realize this was a government mandated change, however the natural laws of hiring people don't change at all. Regional airline management is simply "behind the curve" and is currently unrelenting to secure a future for themselves.