Actually, I can envision the 1500/ATP rule having an unintended consequence. People looking at a career as an entry-level professional pilot with what amounts to massive costs of entry in terms of education may see the futility of embarking on such a career and decide not to do it. A filtering effect may occur where less than ideal candidates are left. The ATP training may help make sure they are adequate pilots, but it seems unlikely to me the best pilots will stick around for what amounts to a ton of financial punishment. Congress should have addressed the part of the Colgan crash regarding socioeconomics. They should have set up a training forgiveness program like those used by industry and government in fields where fresh people are discouraged by the educational costs and the salary structure will not support high investments. Teachers, nurses, patent examiners are a few jobs that have educational cost forgiveness programs. An educational loan is paid down as long as you do the job. The scheme helps reduce barrier-to-entry for certain professions like these, and regional airline flying may be one that also needs help. Without it you get people who are too dim to calculate how miserable they are going to be on 18,000 a year minus a few that are not in it for the money, who will leave when they get bored.