Mesa/Freedom/Air Midwest has an $8-10.5K training contract, one year, pro-rated throughout the year. It's not unreasonable as those things go.

Essentially all western bases are more senior at all airlines. Usually you start at at a company's eastern most base, and work your way west, if that's where you want to be. If you are from New Jersey, like it there, and are an airline pilot, you are golden! There are exceptions for small bases in strange locations, and turbo-prop bases which are often hard to commute to.

Bases change frequently in the regional world. You are much better off with a regional that has numerous bases in your desired geographic area, that way if things change you still have options within a reasonable commuting radius.

If you go to a regional because it has a base in your hometown, you stand a chance of getting evicted when you least expect it. ALL Air Wisconsin pilots got displaced last year from their bases, and it looks like ASA will leave SLC, which is their only western base.

These regionals have a heavy western presence: Horizon, Skywest, and Eagle. Mesa used to, but has effectively relocated to the Eastern US. There are a few smaller ones here and there also. All the other regionals are pretty much east of the Mississippi (XJet has a Houston base).

Regionals exist largely to provide service to small/mid-size towns, and there are just a lot more of those in the east.